Russian Billionaire Creates Largest Yacht For $500 Million
Russian billionaire Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko has completed work on his brand new superyacht that has been recognized as the largest in the world. Costing almost $500 million, it is 300 feet high, 460 feet long and weighs more than 14,000 tons.
The huge vessel, known as “Sailing Yacht A” so that it will appear first on shipping registers, needs a crew of 54 to operate and has been designed to accommodate 20 guests across eight decks. It can travel at an impressive 24mph (21 knots) and will make its first trial sea journey in Kiel, Germany before going into full operation later in the year.
The ship was built by German Naval Yards and was designed by Philippe Starck, who was responsible for another huge yacht that Melnichenko had commissioned. The Russian resident is worth an estimated $10 billion, with his large wealth built up from various companies that specialize in fertilizer, coal production and energy.
