The U.S. is spending millions maintaining a Russian oligarch’s superyacht

Tens of millions have been spent by the United States on maintaining a superyacht that authorities seized more than two years ago according to recently released documents. 

The $230 million dollar Amadea superyacht was seized by U.S. authorities in Fiji in 2022 as part of a larger effort from Washington to crack down on oligarchs linked to Vladimir Putin, The Independent reported. 

Unfortunately, ever since the Amadea was seized, the ship has cost U.S. taxpayers tens of millions of dollars according to documents published by The Washington Post on December 19th, 2024.  

The Washington Post reported that the Amadea’s seizure was originally meant to assist Ukraine’s defense since the proceeds from the ship's liquidation would be transferred to Kyiv. However, there has been a problem. 

The Amadea has produced no funds and has actually cost the United States about $30 million dollars in maintenance-related expenses according to court filings and other records obtained by The Washington Post. 

The documents show that the Amadea has racked up tens of thousands of dollars in food and grocery costs for the ship's crew as well as hundreds of thousands in fuel costs for the seized vessel in addition to many other expenses. 

Some of the more absurd maintenance costs included $1,216.24 spent on special toilet brushes as well as $1,000 on iPhone 11s for the vessel’s bridge captains, The Independent noted.  

“The counterintuitive outcome underscores the shortcomings of the U.S. push to seize and sell the assets of Russian oligarchs,” The Washington Post report explained.  

According to The Washington Post, the U.S. government's efforts to use seized assets to help fund Ukraine’s defense has only yielded $6 million dollars for its embattled ally. 

In April 2022, just two months after Russia invaded Ukraine, President Joe Biden announced that the United States would seize the assets of Russian oligarchs and liquidate them to help fund Ukraine’s defense.

"We’re going to seize their yachts, their luxury homes, and other ill-begotten gains," Biden said during an April 28th briefing. However, the process hasn’t been so straightforward. 

U.S. federal law prohibits the government from liquidating any seized assets over $500,000 without a court’s permission unless the asset has been used in a federal crime. The Amadea's current situation is something The Washington Post noted could take years to sort out while the vessel's seizure is litigated in court.

In the meantime, U.S. taxpayers are footing the bill for the maintenance costs of seized assets like the Amadea, which is believed to be owned by the Russian billionaire Suleyman Kerimov. 

Kermov reportedly made his roughly $10 billion dollar fortune investing in the Russian gold mining firm Polyus. Reuters reported in 2024 that Kermov was sanctioned in 2014 and again in 2018 in response to Russian actions in Syria and Ukraine. 

In May 2022, Kermov’s 348-foot Amadea superyacht was seized by U.S. authorities. Kermov has been accused of using bank accounts to hide his ownership of the luxury vessel. 

Russian billionaire Eduard Khudainatov has claimed he is actually the rightful owner of the Amadea. However, the ship remains in U.S. custody and its maintenance costs are still being paid by the U.S. government. These costs can be recouped if Washington is eventually allowed to liquidate the Amadea. 

“Until litigation is resolved, U.S. taxpayers are legally required to pay for the ship’s upkeep,” The Washington Post reported. “If federal prosecutors lose in court, taxpayers will have shouldered the cost of the Amadea’s maintenance with no compensation.”