December 26, 2024

His Yacht, America's Problem


His Yacht, America's Problem
The "Amadea" herself.  Pjotr Mahhonin, Wikimedia Commons

The Amadea, a $325-million superyacht that used to belong to Russian oligarch Suleyman Kerimov, has cost the U.S. $30 million dollars since 2022.

The yacht was detained and confiscated by the US Department of Justice in June 2022, as part of sanctions on Russian billionaires after the country's invasion of Ukraine. About $15 million was spent just transporting the yacht from its dock in Fiji to the port of San Diego. The U.S. government was on the hook for cleaning and fueling the yacht, as well as feeding and paying over 30 crew members. The remaining sum has gone towards maintaining and housing the yacht in San Diego.

Kerimov was named the 200th Richest Person in the World by Forbes in 2024, with a net worth of $10.7 billion dollars. His yacht remains in U.S. custody, but cannot be liquidated until a court rules on whether the yacht is implicated in Kerimov's federal crime charges. 

You Might Also Like

Is
  • August 05, 2024

Is "Putin's Architect" Back?

The Italian architect behind "Putin's Palace," brought to light by Alexey Navalny, is resuming business ties with Russia.
Medvedev Emerges from His Den
  • March 01, 2008

Medvedev Emerges from His Den

In the 2002 film Oligarch, by Russian director Pavel Lungin, the main character predicts his own downfall, saying, "Russia is a bear. You think you are playing with it and it devours you."
Follow the Money
  • September 26, 2021

Follow the Money

Russia's independent press faces innumerable pressures. Former Russian Life Editor Mikhail Ivanov (1995–2003) describes how economic issues have long plagued the Russian media system.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955