by Bernard Corcos 
The U.S. government has requested to auction the 106.1-metre Lürssen superyacht Amadea while the ownership dispute remains unresolved. Maintaining the yacht currently costs the government over $7 million annually.
In May 2022, Fijian authorities seized the 106.1-metre superyacht Amadea under a U.S. warrant that alleges ownership by Suleiman Kerimov. The U.S. Treasury Department had previously imposed sanctions on the multi-billionaire in 2014 and 2018, in response to Russia’s military activities in Syria and Ukraine. Forbes estimates Kerimov’s net worth at $10.7 billion, largely accumulated through his investments in the Russian gold mining company Polyus, although he is no longer a shareholder in the company.
Late on Friday, federal prosecutors in Manhattan submitted a court filing to U.S. District Judge Dale Ho, revealing that the superyacht Amadea incurs an “excessive” monthly maintenance cost averaging $600,000. They urged the judge to consider auctioning the vessel to alleviate this financial burden.
According to Reuters, efforts to auction Amadea have encountered resistance from Eduard Khudainatov, who served as the head of Russian state oil and gas giant Rosneft from 2010 to 2013. Khudainatov asserts ownership of the yacht and argues that it cannot be seized, citing his lack of sanctions against him as grounds for his claim.
