US Files Case to Seize $300 Million Superyacht Allegedly Owned by Russian Oligarch
US authorities have filed a civil forfeiture case against a $300 million superyacht that they claim is owned by a Russian oligarch. The luxurious 348-foot ship named Amadea was purchased by billionaire Suleiman Kerimov in September 2021, despite being previously sanctioned by the US. However, another Russian oligarch, Eduard Khudainatov, has filed legal papers asserting his ownership of the superyacht.
The yacht was initially seized by Fiji authorities during the war with Ukraine and has since been moved to California by the US Department of Justice. The complexities of determining the true owner of the vessel have emerged due to its intricate ownership structure involving shell companies.
These ongoing legal disputes surrounding the Amadea highlight the challenges faced in establishing yacht ownership and also prolong the process of addressing the vessels’ maintenance fees. It is worth noting that several superyachts linked to sanctioned Russian billionaires have also been frozen or seized by Western countries as a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with the intention of potentially using the seized assets to support Ukraine’s reconstruction.
