A Russian oligarch's megayacht seized by the US is costing taxpayers a fortune, and the government is desperate to sell
- A Russian oligarch's seized megayacht is costing US taxpayers $922,000 a month, a court filing says.
- Officials said last month it costs $600,000 — but there's also insurance and dry-docking fees.
A Russian oligarch's megayacht is costing taxpayers almost $1 million a month after the government seized it, court filings say.
US officials say the $300-million Amadea is owned by Suleiman Kerimov, a sanctioned Russian billionaire. It has a helipad, a swimming pool, and a movie theater on board.
The 348-foot vessel was first seized by authorities in Fiji in April 2022. It's now docked in San Diego, but the government wants to sell it due to huge maintenance costs.
Last month, an assistant chief in the US Marshals Service said the Amadea was costing the government about $600,000 a month.
That's made up of $360,000 for crew salaries; $75,000 for fuel; and $165,000 for maintenance, waste removal, food for the crew, and miscellaneous expenses.
But a Friday court filing seen by Business Insider says there are actually even more costs that bring the total monthly bill up to $922,000.
It costs $144,000 to insure the megayacht, and dry-docking fees of $178,000 a month, the filing says.
The legal battle over the Amadea involves another Russian billionaire, Eduard Khudainatov, who claims he, not Kerimov, is the owner of the yacht.
Lawyers for Khudainatov, who is not sanctioned, have objected to the government's attempts to sell the Amadea.
According to CNBC, which first reported on Friday's filing, Khudainatov has offered to reimburse the government for the $20 million it has already spent maintaining the yacht if it's returned to him.
However, as long as the government continues trying to sell the Amadea, he won't pay the costs, CNBC reported.