The $1 billion superyacht

There’s big. And then there’s bigger.

Introducing ‘Triple Deuce,’ set to be the world’s biggest superyacht at a whopping 222 meters long. At $1 billion, it will also be the most expensive private yacht ever built, costing more than the annual GDP of Western Sahara, the British Virgin Islands, and Micronesia.

The identity of ‘Triple Deuce’s’ owner remains secret. Nonetheless, building a yacht of this size is all about “boasting rights,” said Craig Timm of 4Yacht, broker of the record-breaking project.

“It’s just like the competition to build the world’s tallest building,” he said of the commission, due to be completed in spring 2018. “Project Deuce will cost $1.1 billion to $1.2 billion. And don’t forget to add in annual operating costs — on a yacht of this size, it will run the owner up an additional $20 to $30 million per year.”

The boat will be over 40 meters longer than the world’s current biggest superyacht, ‘Azzam’, believed to be owned by the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. It will also trump Russian businessman Roman Abramovich’s ‘Eclipse’ by 58.5 meters.

“Our client was concerned that if we built the yacht to 200 meters, then someone would come along like Roman Abramovich when he built ‘Eclipse’ at 163.5 meters, and outdid Sheikh Maktoum’s yacht, the 162 meter ‘Dubai,’ by only 1.5 meters,” explained Timm.

“By building the yacht to 222 meters, the owner wants to make it difficult, if not impossible, to be ‘eclipsed’ himself.” – CNN, full story