Germans Seize Russian Billionaire Alisher Usmanov’s Mega-Yacht
Giacomo Tognini Forbes Staff
Billionaires
Staff Writer, Wealth Team.
[Photo of Usmanov yacht on Ipad]
Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov was sanctioned by the European Union on Monday. Two days later, Forbes has learned from three sources in the yacht industry that one of his prized possessions—the 512-foot yacht Dilbar, valued at nearly $600 million—has been seized by German authorities in the northern city of Hamburg.
The ship has been in the Hamburg shipyards of German shipbuilding firm Blohm+Voss since late October for a refitting job. Sources who spoke to Forbes said that the German government froze the asset and that, likely as a result, Blohm+Voss employees who had been working on the yacht didn’t show up to work on Wednesday. Representatives for Blohm+Voss and Usmanov didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Usmanov purchased Dilbar in 2016 for a reported $600 million from German shipbuilder Lürssen, which custom-built it for him over 52 months. The firm calls it “one of the most complex and challenging yachts ever built, in terms of both dimensions and technology.” At 15,917 tons, it’s the world’s largest motor yacht by gross tonnage, and is typically manned by a crew of 96 people. Dilbar boasts the largest swimming pool ever installed on a yacht as well as two helicopter pads, a sauna, a beauty salon, and a gym. Its plush interiors have more than 1,000 sofa cushions and it can host up to 24 people in 12 suites.
The yacht is part of Usmanov’s estimated multibillion dollar fortune, which spans stakes in iron ore and steel giant Metalloinvest and consumer electronics firm Xiaomi, as well as smaller holdings in telecom, mining and media. One of the earliest investors in Facebook along with fellow billionaire Yuri Milner, Usmanov also owns extensive real estate assets in the West, ranging from two estates in the UK—Beechwood House in London and Sutton Place in Surrey, valued at a combined $280 million—to luxury homes in Munich, Germany; Lausanne, Switzerland; Monaco; and Sardinia.
Usmanov sold his 30% stake in English soccer team Arsenal F.C. in 2018 for nearly $700 million in cash, but until this week had ties to soccer through his USM Holdings and MegaFon sponsorships ofEverton F.C. The Premier League team said on Wednesday that it was suspending the arrangements in light of Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Usmanov isn’t the only Russian billionaire with a mega-yacht: Forbes and yacht valuation experts VesselsValue tracked down 32 of them.
On Tuesday, Usmanov commented on the EU sanctions imposed on him in a statement to the International Fencing Federation where he also announced he was stepping down as the organization’s president. “I believe that such decision is unfair, and the reasons employed to justify the sanctions are a set of false and defamatory allegations damaging my honor, dignity, and business reputation,” he wrote. “I will use all legal means to protect my honor and reputation.”
Washington Post: Alexei Navalny calls on Russians worldwide to ‘fight against the war,’ slams Putin
By Jennifer Hassan – March 2 2023
Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny has called on Russians around the world to protest President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, issuing tweets saying that people must not just “be against the war” but they must also “fight against” it.
“We — Russia — want to be a nation of peace. Alas, few people would call us that now,” Navalny said Tuesday in a message posted by a spokesperson on his Twitter account. He urged people to take to the streets and head to Russian embassies in their countries to oppose what he called “the aggressive war against Ukraine unleashed by our obviously insane czar.”
“It’s the third decade of the 21st century, and we are watching news about people burning down in tanks and bombed houses,” he tweeted to his 2.7 million followers, urging them to take a stand against the Russian government. “We are watching real threats to start a nuclear war on our TVs.”
“Each arrested person must be replaced by two newcomers,” he continued, citing the risks that Russians face when protesting against Putin. Thousands of horrified Russians have already taken to the streets in recent days to protest the invasion, a rare display of anger in a country where spontaneous demonstrations are illegal and attendees face fines and imprisonment.
An estimated 6,000 protesters have been arrested across more than 50 cities in Russia, the Associated Press reported Sunday, citing data from rights group OVD-Info. Some chanted “No to war!” while others spoke of their anger at the government’s bombardment of Ukraine.
Navalny rose to international prominence for his opposition to Putin and was poisoned in Russia in 2020 by a banned chemical weapon that nearly killed him, according to a German laboratory.
Broadly known as one of Putin’s sharpest critics, the 45-year-old made a recovery in Germany after being placed in a medically induced coma. He later returned to Russia, where he was detained and imprisoned. Navalny blamed Putin for the attack on him using the nerve agent Novichok. Putin denied involvement.
Following the poisoning, the Biden administration announced sanctions last year against seven senior Russian government figures, although the penalties were not directly aimed at Putin.
Russia branded the U.S. sanctions “a hostile anti-Russian attack,” as the United States continued to demand Navalny’s release. [Alexei Navalny was once a mere annoyance to the Kremlin. His poisoning shows how much that has changed.]
One month earlier, European Union foreign ministers agreed to impose sanctions on top Russian officials following Navalny’s imprisonment and announced asset freezes and a travel ban. According to analysts, the poisoning of Navalny demonstrates just how significant a rival he is considered to be by Putin and Russian officials. In October, Navalny was awarded the prestigious European human rights Sakharov Prize in recognition of his work.
Jennifer Hassan is a London-based breaking-news reporter for the Foreign desk at The Washington Post. Before joining The Post as a social media editor in 2016, Jennifer was global community manager for the international chat app Viber. Jennifer honed her breaking-news skills as the U.K. social media editor at MailOnline.
You wrote above “By Jennifer Hassan – March 2 2023.” Now we know your secret, Chuck–you’ve got a time machine!
– Carl Stieren, Ottawa, Canada