The government of Antigua and Barbuda has received a deposit from an unnamed person to acquire a long-held superyacht—a superyacht it previously tried to auction. The deposit for the yacht Alfa Nero has come through a private treaty, not another auction.
The initial word about this sale came yesterday. Gaston Browne, the country’s prime minister, confirmed the deposit during a Parliamentary meeting. He did so in responding to Jamale Pringle, the opposition leader, who questioned him over rumors of a sale. Pringle further stated that the public deserved to know, since taxpayer money has been maintaining the 269-footer (82-meter). According to the website Antigua News Room, Browne said, “we are now awaiting the final proceeds, after which we will issue a public statement confirming the amounts paid, the buyer, and how the proceeds will be distributed.” Browne additionally indicated that Darwin Telemaque, the port manager, managed the sale, for $40 million. Then, just today, Northrop & Johnson issued a statement confirming one of its brokers closed the deal in 10 days.
Notably, the $40-million sum was “the best offer to date,” Browne claimed. He stated that the government had received lower offers for the superyacht, which was losing value quickly.
We contacted Telemaque for commentary, but did not receive a response by press time. Browne did, though, further assert, “We have taken steps to settle all legitimate debts associated with the Alfa Nero” and that the buyer has protection against any potential liabilities. A video purports to show the crew and representatives aboard yesterday, with Telemarque, with some unsseen individuals speaking Turkish:
As for the lower offers, they had come in after an initial auction attempt failed. Eric Schmidt, an American venture capitalist and philanthropist, placed the highest bid during a government-held auction in June 2023. The bid was for $67.6 million. Under the terms, full payment was due within seven days, or the superyacht would go to the second-highest bidder. Schmidt did not furnish the funds, instead remaining in negotiations with government officials for several weeks. Schmidt withdrew his winning bid in September 2023. Meanwhile, the runner-up, American real-estate developer Warren Halle, filed an injunction to July 2023 prohibit the sale to anyone except him. A judge dismissed the injunction that same month, and Halle chose not to pursue further action.
If full payment comes from the current depositor, it will be the conclusion to a two-year-old saga. The yacht Alfa Nero arrived in Antigua in early 2022, without guests or owners subsequently arriving or departing. Neither did the yacht leave the port. In fact, Alfa Nero started showing signs of neglect in the ensuing months, and several crewmembers left over unpaid wages. (Nautilus International, which represents crewmembers globally, won them more than a year’s salary this past January thanks to an Antiguan High Court judgement.) The government declared the megayacht abandoned in March 2023, setting into motion the above-mentioned attempt to auction her.
Schmidt didn’t respond to our initial request for comment as to why he withdrew his auction bid. Although Schmidt didn’t speak to other media, either, a government official claimed he was concerned about a lack of a clear title to the yacht. Yulia Guryeva-Matlakhov, a Russian citizen, has repeatedly asserted that she is the owner. She is also the daughter of Andrey Guryev, a Russian fertilizer magnate who the U.S. Department of Justice says bought the yacht in 2014. Guryev has repeatedly denied ever owning Alfa Nero, saying he was just a passenger a few times. Guryeva-Matlakhov filed a few lawsuits to void the auction, losing each one.
The government of Antigua and Barbuda previously revealed it was spending upwards of $100,000 to maintain Alfa Nero. She is in need of repairs and refurbishment, which will have to take place elsewhere. The country doesn’t have facilities capable of drydocking her.
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