What Are the Most Expensive Yachts in the World?

The world's wealthy billionaires are spending small fortunes on expensive superyachts that they can use as their personal toys. This has sparked a competition among superyacht designers and builders to outdo each other in scale, design, and amenities. Today's most expensive superyachts have all the amenities of a mansion and even more. Here's everything you need to know about the world's most expensive yachts.

The World’s Most Expensive Yacht is Solid Gold

Many sources state that the most expensive yacht in the world is History Supreme, worth $4.8 billion. That includes the website of luxury designer Stuart Hughes, who provides some extraordinary details about the project. While the yacht is only 100 feet long, it was reportedly built using some of the most expensive materials on the planet. 

The most notable fact about the design of the History Supreme is the quantity of gold and precious metals used in the construction of this superyacht. According to reports, gold and platinum adorn the yacht in a wide variety of places, including the deck, rails, staircase, and dining area. 

In the master suite, an Aquavista Panoramic Wall Aquarium made with 24-carat gold takes the place of one wall while another wall is reportedly made from meteorite rock. The yacht also contains one of the most expensive liquor bottles in the world, which reportedly has a rare 18.5-carat diamond embedded in it. Rounding out the extravagant features is a statue made with authentic Tyrannosaurus Rex bones.

We’re still waiting to see detailed photos of this extraordinary yacht.

Photo credit: stuarthughes.com

Who owns the most expensive yacht?

The History Supreme is reportedly owned by the richest man in Malaysia, Robert Kuok. He is best known for founding the Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts chain in 1971. Today, he owns the Kuok Group, which focuses on hotels, real estate, and commodities. Kuok's net worth as of April 2023 was estimated at $17.5 billion.

Top 12 Most Expensive Yachts

#1 - Eclipse ($1.5 Billion)

Eclipse is both the second most expensive yacht in the world and the second largest in length. This 533-foot yacht, designed by Terence Disdale and built by Blohm+Voss of Germany, features 24 guest cabins and additional accommodations for about 100 crew members. This billion-dollar yacht has a disco hall, a swimming pool that can be converted to a dance floor, and a mini-submarine. It also has the latest in security tech, including a system to detect missiles and a laser shield to thwart paparazzi.

#2 - Streets of Monaco ($1 Billion)

Streets of Monaco is a concept luxury yacht by Yacht Island Design with an exterior designed by Opulent Yacht and an interior decorated by Filthy Rich Boaters. Along with miniatures of renowned landmarks of Monaco, this billion-dollar yacht has seven suites for guests and a luxurious main suite spread over three floors. Its most notable amenities include private massage suites, a barbecue facility, and an onboard cafe and bar with spectacular underwater views.

Photo credit: Yacht Island Design

#3 – Azzam ($600 Million)

While not the most expensive superyacht on the list, Azzam is the largest with a length of roughly 590 feet. Built by Lürssen in Germany for the late Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the UAE, this yacht has an exterior designed by Nauta Yacht and sophisticated, early 19th-century interiors created by French designer Christophe Leoni. Along with accommodations for up to 36 passengers and 80 crew members, Azzam has a 95-foot-long main saloon, which features full-height windows and a chandelier, plus a special golf training room for swing practice.

#4 - A+ ($527 Million)

A+, formerly known as Topaz, is another German-built Lürssen yacht with an exterior created by Tim Heywood Design Ltd. and interiors decorated by Terence Disdale Design. At 480 feet, it is one of the longest luxury yachts on the water today, and it has room for up to 62 guests and 79 crew members. Its most notable feature is a glass-bottom swimming pool that overlooks the disco below. It also has dual helicopter landing pads, a 30-foot speedboat tender, and a movie theater.

Photo credit: Lurssen

#5 - Motor Yacht A ($440 Million)

Built by the Blohm+Voss shipyard for Russian tycoon Andrey Melnichenko, Motor Yacht A is a 400-foot-long yacht designed by Philippe Stark, with architect Martin Francis overseeing its construction. It has accommodations for 14 guests and 42 crew members and is decorated with many mirrored surfaces on the furniture and interior walls. It also features a helicopter hangar, three swimming pools, a disco, and a 30-foot-long speedboat.

Photo credit: Christoffer Rudquist

#6 – Dubai ($400 Million)

Also built by the Blohm+Voss shipyard, Dubai is one of the longest yachts in the world at 531 feet long. The exterior was designed by Andrew Winch, and Platinum Yachts designed the interior. This yacht's most notable features include a pool inlaid with handmade mosaic tiles, a disco, squash courts, a movie theater, a helipad, and a submarine.

Photo credit: Platinum Yachts

#7 - Radiant ($320 Million)

Another entry from the Lürssen shipyards, Radiant is one of the smaller luxury yachts on the list with a length of roughly 260 feet. It can accommodate 20 passengers in its 10 cabins and also has room for 44 crew members. The yacht's interior was furnished by Glenn Pushelberg in a tasteful contemporary style, but many of its specific details remain a mystery. 

Photo credit: Lurssen

#8 - Al Said ($300 Million)

Reportedly sold to Qatar in 2022 after being owned by a member of Oman's royal family, Al Said is one of the most massive yachts in the world. The vessel has room for 70 passengers and 154 crew members along its 508-foot length. It also has many notable amenities, including a concert hall for a 50-piece orchestra, a movie theater, and an expansive swimming pool.

Photo credit: Lurssen

#9 - Serene ($300 Million)

Serene was built by Fincantieri shipbuilders with a design by Espen Øino International and an interior appointed by Reymond Langton Design. This nearly 440-foot-long superyacht has 12 cabins to accommodate 24 guests as well as sleeping quarters for a crew of 62. In addition to a beach club with one of the most advanced swimming pools ever placed on a yacht, the Serene has two helicopter pads, a business conference room, a health spa, an underwater viewing room, seven swimming pools, and a children’s playroom.

Photo credit: Fincantieri Yachts

#10 - Pelorus ($300 Million)

Currently owned by Hong Kong billionaire Samuel Tak Lee, the superyacht Pelorus has a length of just under 380 feet with room for 18 guests and 41 crew members. Built at the Lürssen shipyard, it was originally designed by Tim Heywood and has undergone several renovations under new owners. Tak Lee listed the vessel for sale in September 2022, but no reports confirming a sale have been released. 

Photo credit: Lurssen

#11 – Dilbar ($256 Million)

Dilbar is another of the most expensive megayachts built by the German Lürssen shipyard. Built for Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov with an interior designed by Andrew Winch’s studio in London, the vessel accommodates 40 guests and more than 80 crew members. Dilbar has the biggest swimming pool ever installed in a yacht, along with a gym, an elevator system, a beauty salon, a custom seven-passenger helicopter, and helipads.

Photo credit: Getty Images

#12 - Al Mirqab ($250 Million)

Al Mirqab was designed by Tim Heywood and built by Peters Schiffbau in Wewelsfleth, Germany for Qatar's former Prime Minister, Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani. Each of the 10 large suites on the yacht has its own bathroom, living room, and double bedroom. There are also accommodations for 55 crew members. Other notable features include a cinema, a helipad, an indoor swimming pool, and myriad watersports equipment. 

Why Yachts Are So Expensive

While it may seem as if all yachts are extremely expensive, different types of yachts can vary widely in price. This is because of the numerous factors that go into building a yacht, including the size of the vessel, the price of the materials used, and the amenities added. When purchasing a preowned yacht, the age of the vessel and its condition will also often affect its price. 

Related article: What Is the Biggest Yacht in the World?