It’s true: Maltese Falcon has a new owner.
Well, almost. A few details still need to be addressed before the formal exchange of hands takes place, but American venture capitalist Tom Perkins has confirmed to the UK-based newspaper The Times that the 289-foot, superb sailing superyacht will soon have a new owner. “It has taken a while,” he’s quoted as saying. “It is not the best time in the world to sell it. I can’t tell you anything at all about the buyer. There is confidentiality.”
Naturally. But if The Times is correct, Maltese Falcon sold for close to £60 million ($101 million), the most recent asking price that Perkins had her listed for, down from the original £90 million ($152 million). Now, many people believe that original figure was simply a “testing the waters” amount – a way to see whether anyone might bite, so to speak.
And why wouldn’t they? Besides taking over bragging rights to owning the largest private sailing yacht in the world, they’d gain a yacht whose sails unfurl via the touch of a sophisticated computer control system in a matter of minutes. (See this video for more, plus a real quick peek at the 11,000 square feet of relaxation space.)
One thing apparently excluded from the sale: the two-man personal submarine that Perkins took delivery of a few months ago. The Times reports that Perkins wants to keep it.
Is this the last the megayacht market will see of Perkins? Maybe not. Owners like him don’t typically fade into oblivion.
UPDATE, AUGUST 20: Burgess officially announced today that the yacht sold. Here’s an excerpt from the press release:
Burgess have long enjoyed a close working relationship with Tom Perkins and, according to Burgess CEO Jonathan Beckett, the sale was concluded following a one year process for close to the asking price, with Burgess representing both buyer and seller. Perini Navi USA were Joint Central Agents in the transaction.
The new owner was not merely attracted to the FALCON’s cutting edge technology in its own right, but to the yacht’s “green” credentials that result from an ease of operational functionality, rendering her one of the most environmentally advanced superyachts afloat today….
MALTESE FALCON will remain in charter under her new ownership, with both charter management and full operational management handled by Burgess.
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