The superyachts of the ultra-rich
What the world's richest people paid for their boats, from the reported price or the closest comparable value.
Illustration: a superyacht. Not the actual vessel. Photo: Photo: Sukkoria / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Usmanov's $600M Yacht
$600 million · Alisher Usmanov · May 2016
The custom-built 512-foot Dilbar was delivered in May 2016 after a 52-month build.
It could have saved about 109,091 lives from malaria.
Source: The Guardian, April 2022 · The full story →
Koru at sea, 2024. Photo: Photo: Conmat13 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Bezos' $500M Yacht
$575 million · Jeff Bezos · April 2023
Koru, 417 feet, delivered in 2023. Its support ship Abeona carries the helicopter.
To Bezos, that felt like $495. It could have saved about 104,545 lives from malaria.
Source: Fortune, Nov 2025 · The full story →
Illustration. Not the actual vessel. Photo: Photo: Jan-Tore Egge / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Storonsky's $400M Yacht
About $400 million · Nik Storonsky · August 2026
The Wall Street Journal reported Revolut cofounder Nik Storonsky recently bought the 102-meter superyacht Nixie, valued at an estimated $400 million.
It could have saved about 72,727 lives from malaria.
Illustration: a superyacht. Not the actual vessel. Photo: Photo: Sukkoria / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Khan's $360M Yacht
About $360 million · Shahid Khan · April 2024
Forbes reported Khan spent nearly $360 million building the new 400-foot Kismet, delivered in April 2024.
It could have saved about 65,455 lives from malaria.
Source: Forbes, October 2024 · The full story →
Illustration. Not the actual vessel. Photo: Photo: Jan-Tore Egge / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Zuckerberg's $300M Yacht
About $300 million · Mark Zuckerberg · April 2024
South China Morning Post reported Zuckerberg as the new owner of Launchpad, one of the largest-volume Dutch-built superyachts.
To Zuckerberg, that felt like $261. It could have saved about 54,545 lives from malaria.
Source: South China Morning Post, April 2024 · The full story →
Charles Simonyi. Photo: Photo: NASA / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain. Simonyi's $250M Yacht
About $250 million · Charles Simonyi · May 2023
The 295-foot Lürssen yacht Norn was delivered to Microsoft software billionaire Charles Simonyi after its maiden voyage.
It could have saved about 45,455 lives from malaria.
Source: South China Morning Post, May 2023 · The full story →
Bravo Eugenia, the yacht itself, in 2018. Photo: Photo: Nicolas SYT / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Jerry Jones' $250M Superyacht
$250 million · Jerry Jones · December 2018
Bravo Eugenia: 357 feet, built by Oceanco, delivered in late 2018 to the Dallas Cowboys owner.
It could have saved about 45,455 lives from malaria.
Source: Houston Chronicle, Jan 2019 · The full story →
Illustration: a superyacht. Not the actual vessel. Photo: Photo: Sukkoria / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Allen's $200M Yacht
About $200 million · Paul Allen · August 2003
Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen's Octopus launched in August 2003 at a reported cost of about $200 million.
It could have saved about 36,364 lives from malaria.
Source: ABC News, February 2007 · The full story →
Illustration. Not the actual vessel. Photo: Photo: Jan-Tore Egge / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Snyder's $192M Yacht
$192 million · Dan Snyder · April 2019
Forbes reported Snyder's newly launched 305-foot Lady S cost $192 million.
It could have saved about 34,909 lives from malaria.
Source: Forbes, April 2019 · The full story →
Amadea in Antibes, 2019. Photo: Photo: Sukkoria / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. 27-Year-Old Buys Seized $187M Yacht
$187 million · Abbas Sajwani · August 2026
Amadea, 348 feet, was seized by the U.S. in 2022. In 2026 a 27-year-old Dubai billionaire bought it for $187 million.
To Sajwani, that felt like $18,985. It could have saved about 34,000 lives from malaria.
Source: CNBC, Aug 2026 · The full story →
Arthur Blank. Photo: Photo: Thomson200 / Wikimedia Commons, CC0. Blank's $180M Yacht
At least $180 million · Arthur Blank · February 2019
Blank spent more than $180 million on the 295-foot DreAMBoat.
It could have saved about 32,727 lives from malaria.
Source: UPI, February 2019 · The full story →
Illustration. Not the actual vessel. Photo: Photo: Jan-Tore Egge / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Schmidt's $159M Yacht
$159 million · Eric Schmidt · September 2023
Forbes reported former Google CEO Eric Schmidt bought Shahid Khan's previous Kismet for $159 million in September 2023.
To Schmidt, that felt like $864. It could have saved about 28,909 lives from malaria.
Source: Forbes, October 2024 · The full story →
Illustration. Not the actual vessel. Photo: Photo: Jan-Tore Egge / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Zekelman's $150M Yacht
$150 million · Barry Zekelman · November 2021
Canadian steel billionaire Barry Zekelman bought Spielberg's 282-foot yacht Seven Seas for $150 million.
It could have saved about 27,273 lives from malaria.
Source: Forbes, November 2021 · The full story →
Illustration. Not the actual vessel. Photo: Photo: Jan-Tore Egge / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Schmidt's $67.6M Yacht
$67.6 million · Eric Schmidt · June 2023
Schmidt won an Antigua government auction for the 267-foot Alfa Nero at $67.6 million.
To Schmidt, that felt like $367. It could have saved about 12,291 lives from malaria.
Source: Bloomberg, July 2023 · The full story →
Illustration: a superyacht. Not the actual vessel. Photo: Photo: Sukkoria / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Brady's $6M Yacht
About $6 million · Tom Brady · May 2021
Brady appeared by video at Wajer Yachts' launch and confirmed he would be among the first to take delivery of the 77-foot model.
It could have saved about 1,091 lives from malaria.
Source: Forbes, May 2021 · The full story →
Conor McGregor. Photo: Photo: Andrius Petrucenia / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0. McGregor's $3.6M Yacht
$3.6 million · Conor McGregor · July 2021
McGregor publicly showed the newly delivered 63-foot Tecnomar for Lamborghini yacht.
It could have saved about 655 lives from malaria.
Source: Forbes Brasil, July 2021 · The full story →
Illustration: a superyacht. Not the actual vessel. Photo: Photo: Sukkoria / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Brady's $2M Yacht
About $2 million · Tom Brady · December 2020
Forbes reported Brady purchased the custom 53-foot Wajer 55S in December 2020.
It could have saved about 364 lives from malaria.
Source: Forbes, February 2021 · The full story →
Questions
What is the most expensive yacht a billionaire has bought?
Usmanov's $600M Yacht: Alisher Usmanov paid $600 million (May 2016), according to The Guardian, April 2022.
How much do billionaires spend on a yacht?
Across the 17 yachts documented here, the middle price is $192 million, and together they cost $3.88 billion.
Which billionaire has spent the most on yachts?
Alisher Usmanov, with $600 million across the yachts listed here.
What could the money spent on these yachts have done instead?
$3.88 billion could have saved about 705,855 lives from malaria, at GiveWell's estimate of $5,500 per life saved.