Taxpayers of the small nation of Antigua breathed a sigh of relief after the abandoned superyacht Alfa Nero was sold to a mysterious Turkish billionaire, freeing them from the burden of a $100,000 monthly maintenance bill...
The superyacht Alfa Nero had been anchored and immobile for so long that even news of its fate failed to excite. However, the latest news marks the final chapter in an seemingly endless legal entanglement. After two years of abandonment in Antigua and Barbuda, the $120 million luxury vessel was finally sold for $40 million.
The buyer remains unknown, but speculation suggests he hails from a wealthy Turkish family. Antigua had been trying for months to rid itself of this luxurious burden. The Chief of Staff in the Prime Minister's Office informed the nation about two weeks ago that the government was in negotiations with a potential buyer, according to a report by the Antigua Observer. After such a prolonged period of inactivity, the sale was swift, as according to a report by Northrop & Johnson, the yacht was on the market for only ten days before the deal was closed.
In the past, Alfa Nero was almost delivered to former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, who purchased the 267-foot vessel for $67.6 million at an auction held on June 16, 2023. However, legal entanglements and endless waiting forced the tech magnate to back out of the deal, leaving Alfa Nero and the Caribbean nation to contend with a $100,000 monthly maintenance bill. Hopes for another sale quickly faded, as the vessel's upkeep, fuel costs, legal fees, and unpaid crew wages mounted.
Now, nearly a year later, the small island nation will watch this beautiful burden depart and recoup the enormous sum spent on the yacht, equating to nearly 40% of the Caribbean nation's defense budget.
Taxpayers will also breathe easier, having played a key role in maintaining this haunted but charming Oceanco yacht for the past two years. The vessel, reportedly owned by Russian oligarch Andrey Guryev, had been anchored in Falmouth Harbor, Antigua, since March 2022.
The superyacht Alfa Nero, longer than an Olympic pool, remains in pristine condition and features a helipad, a large beach club, a cinema, and a card room. To maintain its fantastic interior, Alfa Nero constantly consumes diesel to keep everything functioning. This expensive asset requires air conditioning to run 24/7 to protect the precious wood, mother-of-pearl, and soft leather adorning its high-design interior.
By November 2023, the government had spent $2.7 million maintaining this mammoth. An additional nine months of maintenance increased this amount to $3.6 million. Owning the yacht sounded like serious business, a burden that Antigua is finally shedding, laughing all the way to the bank! Although $40 million is significantly less than the previous sale price of nearly $70 million, it is still a substantial revenue for the nation to recover its costs.
