Russian oligarch's $325M seized superyacht heads to auction as Trump-Putin summit nears

A $325 million superyacht seized by the U.S. from a sanctioned Russian oligarch-part of Washington's effort to punish Moscow's elite over the invasion of Ukraine-is headed to auction, marking the first sale of its kind since the war began.

The auction of Amadea, once owned by Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov, comes as President Donald Trump heads to Alaska this week to negotiate an end to the Kremlin's three-and-a-half-year war.

The government argued in a legal filing last year for selling the yacht, citing monthly maintenance costs of approximately $600,000 plus a $143,750 insurance premium.

The stunning 348-foot-long yacht features eight state rooms, a beauty salon and spa, a gym, a helipad, a swimming pool, hot tub, fire pit, and two elevators. 

Built in 2017 by the famed German shipyard Lürssen, the yacht boasts interiors by legendary designer Francois Zuretti, offering opulent spaces adorned with extensive marble work.

RUSSIA MAY GAIN UKRAINE'S FERTILE, RESOURCE-RICH TERRITORY AS TRUMP PROPOSES LAND SWAP

The six-deck yacht is designed to accommodate 16 guests and 36 crew - and the lower deck is entirely reserved for the owner's personal use. The owner's deck includes a lounge area with a grand piano, bar and fireplace, a separate living room and office. 

This deck also features a beauty center, a dressing room with several closets and an island. The owner's bathroom has his and her toilets and separate vanities. The owner's stateroom has several seating areas, a television and opens up to a deck with a Jacuzzi hot tub.

Amadea also comes with its own spa that includes a sauna, a Turkish-style steam room, a chromotherapy plunge pool that utilizes colored LED lighting to influence mood, as well as a dedicated massage room.

The yacht also has a cinema that features plush seating that moves and vibrates in sync with the action on screen. Guests aboard the Amadea can also enjoy the 33-foot infinity swimming pool and swim-up bar.

Interested bidders must first put down a 10 million euro deposit, which is roughly $11.6 million, to be considered. The auction is slated to close on Sept. 10.

In the days following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Biden administration launched a new task force, dubbed KleptoCapture, to enforce sprawling sanctions on Russian elites accused of bankrolling Putin's war. Under KleptoCapture, U.S. authorities undertook the gargantuan task of tracking high-value assets around the globe belonging to sanctioned Russians with ties to the Kremlin. 

After investigators unraveled the Amadea's opaque ownership, the $325 million superyacht entered U.S. crosshairs and was seized in Lautoka, Fiji, in 2022.

U.S. authorities claimed Amadea belonged to Kerimov, a Russian billionaire sanctioned by the U.S. in 2018. At the time, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control described Kerimov as an oligarch who profited from Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea.

National Maritime Services, a Florida-based company that specializes in seized vessels, took custody of Amadea in 2022. The yacht is currently docked in the Port of San Diego, where it has accrued $1.1 million in fuel, security, and other fees since arriving in June 2022. 

A U.S. Marshals Service spokesperson said that following Amadea's sale, the agency's Asset Forfeiture Division will disperse the funds to various areas. 

"Some of the areas the money goes to are victim compensation, program expenses, and other agency expenses," the spokesperson said, declining to elaborate on specifics.