A Russian oligarch's superyacht could soon be yours for a knockdown price - so long as you have a few tens of million spare.
The 255-megayacht, named TANGO and belonging to billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, is likely to be sent to auction because it costs so much to run, it has been reported.
It was seized by the US Department of Justice earlier this month in Palma de Mallorca, Spain by Task Force KleptoCapture, a US bid to go after Russian individuals' assets who are accused of enabling the war in Ukraine.
The yacht is thought to have been bought for the equivalent of £75million originally, but the flash sale may knock a significant chunk off that price tag.
Tango's luxury features include a spa, swimming pool and a beauty salon, as well as seven cabins for up to 14 guests.
It has four 1,730hp diesel engines and can reach speeds of 22 knots.
The seizure of the yacht three weeks ago was the the first time the United States has taken property belonging to a Russian oligarch since its invasion of Ukraine in February.
Spanish police, who helped the US take the yacht, said that documents and data storage devices were also seized from the ship.
Vekselberg was placed under U.S. sanctions in 2018 over alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election and then included on a list of members of the inner circle of President Vladimir Putin targeted in retaliation for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
According to the seizure warrant, Vekselberg is accused of conspiring with others to commit bank fraud by "structuring transactions about the Tango in such a manner as to obfuscate Vekselberg’s ownership interest" in the vessel, thereby tricking U.S. banks into processing transactions.
Vekselberg is a Ukrainian-born aluminium baron who made his first fortune selling scrap copper from worn-out cables.
According to Forbes the yacht was registered in the Cook Islands and owned via offshore companies in the British Virgin Islands and Panama.
The publication reports that Vekselberg has also been linked to two private jets, an Airbus A319 and a Bombardier BD700.
They are said to be worth £70million and £12million respectively.
According to The Superyacht Agency, since March 2 - when the first superyacht Amore Vero was arrested - there has been roughly £10 Billion worth of superyachts which have been frozen.
The average value of the 13 superyachts arrested so far equates to roughly £135 million.
M/Y Dilbar, which was owned by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, is the most expensive vessel seized as it cost around £377million to buy.
