Well, well, well. Not everyday does a $300 million dollar mega yacht stop by the San Francisco Bay Area! The creatively named “A” yacht is owned by 38 year old Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko and his lovely supermodel wife Aleksandra! Andrey made his money in fertilizer, banking, and energy and is worth a reported $4.4 billion dollars. Interest alone on $4.4 billion at 4% is over $178 million a year!
The “A” looks like something out of a James Bond movie. Can you imagine all the crazy parties on this bad boy? Wow! I rode my bike to the very north end of San Francisco to take a look and boy oh boy is it big.
Some nice mouth watering yacht stats for all you billionaire wannabes out there!
* 25,000 square feet of total living space
* 2,500 square foot master bedroom suite
* 160 foot long main hallway
* 62 feet wide
* 6 cabins in addition to the owner’s master bedroom suite
* 3 speed boats
* 3 mini swimming pools
* A crew of 37 and staff of 5
* Can outrun pirates (or the Russian IRS) with a top speed of 24 knots
* Costs $500,000 to fill up the tank of gas
* Costs $20 million a year to operate
* A secret escape pod to outrun the pirates or the Russian IRS
* A secret “nookie” room for indiscretions with other super models
TOTAL INSPIRATION
Some people might say this $300 million yacht is an absolute monstrosity and that $300 million could have been spent helping save the world. Yes, Andrey could have spent the $300 million on someone else, but shouldn’t he have the right to occasionally indulge? Andrey already donates millions of dollars a year to charity and he’s living the dream because he can.
I used to drive to the toniest of neighborhoods in San Francisco and walk around the neighborhood just admiring the mansions. Whenever I felt down and out, these mansions would pick me up. If you happen to be in San Francisco, tell the cab driver to drop you off at Broadway St. and Lyon. Bring your running shoes too as you’ll arrive at one of San Francisco’s most popular workout routine.
The street is littered with $25-50 million houses and I just gawk in amazement. Do I envy these mega millionaires? Not at all. They give me inspiration to work harder and make it on my own.
YOU KNOW YOU WOULD TO
I don’t know about you, but if I was worth $4.4 billion dollars I’d happily own this mega yacht as well. Furthermore, I’d probably own 20 different properties around the world where I’d sail to for 6 months of the year. Of course, for the other 6 months of the year I’d be building my online blogging endeavors so I can diversify my income stream (I kid)!
Oh yeah, I forgot one thing. If I were a billionaire and owned this mega yacht, I’d immediately fly over all the members of The Yakezie Network and party it up all weekend long! OK, all month long!
Readers, if you were a billionaire, what kind of indulgences would you splurge on? What are some of the things the rich do to inspire you? To look at more pictures of the “A” yacht, check out the WSJ’s feature!
Regards,
Sam @ Financial Samurai – “Slicing Through Money’s Mysteries”
Follow on Twitter @FinancialSamura and subscribe to our RSS or E-mail feed.
Any chance you can provide analysis with regard to someone that wants to buy a $1.5 M yacht?
Thanks
The man earned it. Let him be. The rule is that if you earned the money, you should have the right to spend it as you wish…I wish I can afford that kind of luxury…
Owning a luxury yacht no matter how capacious it might be is a privilege that a few people can afford. If you worked hard for the money that’s financing the purchase then I don’t see why you cannot splurge.
Owning multiple homes is a headache you DO NOT want.
Owning a well-buillt home is nice. I didn’t find it necessary to spend over $20million, and it would have been one quarter of that had I not built in Maui.
Owning a capacious yacht is… nice, but some people do go overboard. (Pun intended.)
The trust fund comment is the best way to ensure what you want to give keeps on giving long after you are dust, but if your investment return is only four percent then you need a new consultant – NOW.
Cheers! – Oleander
You are probably right, however I just realized that owning multiple homes is the cure for homesickness when vacationing the world!!
Cool yatch. If i have that kind of money, i’ll get myself a Jet to travel the world and ease my business trips. I’ll also drive say a maybach (my dream ride).
Nice boat :-) .. although I must say the yachts at wally.com are beyond luxury .. and priced accordingly.
you are one shallow guy and will never be satisfied in life. lets you get $10mil, then you want $100 mil, then you want $1bil, then $2bil, and so on and so on.
how old are you? still haven’t figured it out?
Yes, enjoy the fruits of your labor. But be generous and give a lot away. The best way to get more of something is to give it away freely (e.g. love, wisdom, money, etc.).
cool post! I love reading about what the ultra wealthy spend their money on!
If i were a billionaire… hmm… Well, I’d prolly try to use a lot of that money for good. I feel like if more ultra wealthy individuals where to investigate, truly look deeper into different parts poor and impoverished areas, they would be able to find so many ways to help them, with a lot less money than one might thing. For instance, supplying every public school in the inner city with actual computer for children to learn on. I remember I used a computer in elementary school ages ago, and yet I was in a public, inner city school a few months back delivering them free computers from my company because they had none. yes, none. What a world we live in!
AND I’d play tennis, wake board, surf, and go 4 wheelin alllll day:)
If I were a billionaire (although I’d be happy with multimillionaire, too!), I’d buy a home in Hawaii that had its own private beach! And I’d also purchase a larger home for myself and my family, but not as big as the mansion featured in this post! I’d love to do the interior design on a mansion — that could be a full-time job in and of itself.
wow. It’s hard to imagine what kind of life that guy lives. I think I’d get home sick being on a yacht for so many days but it would be fun to sail around the world! The design of the yacht reminds me of the Nautilus in the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
An old colleague who was ex-army told me:
“Hey college boy, remember this: If it floats, flies, or f***ks, then rent… don’t buy!”
8% upkeep a year on an asset is a terrible investment- it’s the opposite of the rosy stock market predictions of 8% gains a year… the only faster way to destroy wealth is getting divorced on that yacht.
-Mike
That’s a good saying! However, you he can make $170 million a year risk free, and still have $4.4 billion left over every year… so why not?
This will not sound like your typical indulgence. However, if I was a billionaire, I would purchase a big production company
Thats a huge boat. You know something just happened to fall into that guys lap to get a boat that big. Some day things will be different for most of us if we change things on a personal and financial level.
I think rarely things just fall into one’s lap. We’ve got to hustle and work hard to hopefully be in the right place at the right time. This guy certainly was!
Gas guzzler indeed. $500,000 to fill the tank up!
Frankly, the billionaire is employing 37+ people for his boat, and helping the economy!
How far can he go on one tank of gas?
Hi Sam,
Great post! This reminds me of my college experience (not the yacht, the inspiration!).
I come from a low-income background (mom is a school nurse and dad is on medical “retirement”), but had strong grades and got accepted to a private, expensive, liberal arts school. I wanted to save the world, but I was surrounded by oil kids and telco kids. (It’s texas, after all!) Some of my other normie friends, the non-rich, continuously hated on the rich kids. They would complain about the bmw’s, the ferrari’s, and the two-story fancy frat houses that daddy paid for. But I didn’t. I saw what my friends had, and I realized that I could give my kids all that my friends’ parents gave them. I realized that I could have this life if I worked smart and got a little bit lucky.
The lives they lived inspired me.
Now I travel, make money, and love my life. Those normie friends that complained still complain about their lot in life, still live in poor neighborhoods, and still work at tiny companies making 15$ / hour. They accepted the life they were born in to, while I was inspired to earn the life I deserved.
When i am a billionaire, I will splurge on condos throughout the world. Im lazy to clean and cheap to pay staff, so Ill get condos to have a place to stay throughout the world. Capital cities and such. In addition, i’d want a really nice sound system for my house and a pool.
CG
Craig – love the attitude man! We can sit around and complain, or we can go out there and do something about our lives. That’s what I hope some of the writing here can help instill. There’s bagillions of dollars out there and great careers.
Let’s got out and get them ourselves and not rely on handouts from the government or others if we can avoid it. And we are called upon to help others out, let’s do it, and with great persistence!
Sam
I can’t imagine. Even the master bedroom is bigger than my home + my mom’s home. Ridiculous.
I wouldn’t want any of that if I had that much money. I’d want nicer things than I have now, but not that extravagant.
I was thinking the same as Rob. That master bedroom is 50% bigger than my entire home.
Although I would love to party on the yacht with the rest of the Yakezie, I wouldn’t want this yacht or a $50 million home if I had that option. i would want to live more modestly (although upscale) and give a little more to others.
@ Investor Junkie
If I’m not mistaken, I believe that house is author Danielle Steel’s mansion in Pacific Heights which can be found here:
https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=&vps=1&jsv=268b&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=41.496446,93.076172&ie=UTF8&geocode=FZisQAIdreez-A&split=0
Washington/Octavia in Pacific Heights, SF
Wow that is insane. The master bedroom alone is almost three times as big as my house! But, of course that is what $300 million can buy you.
As for my indulgences, I don’t think I would have a yacht. But I would definitely have a plane (or two or three…I’m kind of obsessed with flying).
What about “Airwolf”? I love flying, but I’m always a little fearful of the plane exploding.
Just remember that you are safer in a plane than a car.
True, which is why I walk everywhere. j/k.
That yacht looks like it’s half submarine. All set to take a dive from the Russian IRS.
Well, if I had a ton of dough at the moment I would probably spend it on traveling. I’d go back to Africa for a long long safari. Then I’d hit Egypt. My favorite art is Egyptian so I’d check that out up and down the Nile. Then off to China to see that great terracotta army of the Qin Dynasty ruler Shihuangdi. I saw a few of those statues at the Met and they were amazingly powerful. With billions left after that I’m sure I’ll think of something interesting to do…
Definitely does look like a sub that’s able to do a deep dive! Xi’an is great. Definitely check it out and eat a lot of spicy food!
I honestly have no idea what I would buy. I know who I would want to help out, but I can’t think of anything outlandish that I would buy. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t, but maybe I need to have a bit of that cash before my imagination gets going ;-)
Come on man, ya gotta grow some imagination! There are tons of things out there to buy! Like perhaps a nice pet Flemish rabbit!
A flemish rabbit? Hahaha!
I know it sounds weird, but I really can’t think of anything. My house would probably have 5 bedrooms, tops!
I’ve just never been attracted to anything like that, but as I said, my imagination might get sparked by getting that type of money!
LOL. thanks for including the Yakezie members to party it up! BTW, there is a beautiful yacht named Mercedes that is located in the Newport harbor that I would dearly love to own! ;)
Of course C, everyone is invited! But, I’d only have 6 guest rooms, so people would have to bunk.
Sammy,
I’m a bit shy of the Billionaire status but I formally announce the opening of the Yakezie mega year long Los Angeles party. Anyone in LA call me up and we’ll party down anytime. Who needs fertilizer? We got Yakezie.
Neal-san, I have full confidence you will be our first Yakezie Billionaire soon!
Everybody needs fertilizer. Just look at the huge bid by BHP for Potash! Population growth = lots of agri and fertilizer needs.
Hmmm. We’d have to say that we’d build an Oprah Winfrey-like school in one or several impoverished area where girls face many learning adversities. We’d also build a series of linked orphanages around the world. After reaching certain philanthropy landmarks, we would consider buying a private island.
All admirable things to do! I would love to hear more about indulgences though :)
I haven’t gone jogging in the Mansion filled area in a while, and plan to do so this weekend. I love getting inspired and seeing what the possibilities are! What’s are the sayings?
“It is never easy to keep reaching for dreams. Strength and courage can sometimes be lonely friends. But those who do reach the stars, walk in stardust.”
“Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp–or what’s a heaven for?”
– Robert Browning
“Reach for the moon, ’cause even if you miss you land among the stars.”
Fight on, forever!
Sam
If i had billions, I’d buy a solid gold house with a room for my tiny giraffe. Kidding of course. I think if I had that much money I’d really want to help as many people as I could, so I’d look into ways that the money could be used to best help the most people possible. And I’d buy a tiny giraffe.
I think we’d all help people, and one of the ways is to simply set up a trust. $1 billion trust throwing off $40 million in tax free income a year helps a lot of people FOREVER!
I’d probably rent a yacht, not own one. Too much of a hassle to manage.
I’d love to have that kind of cash. I think giving is one of the hardest parts. How do you give without people feeling entitled to your cash just because they’re family or friends. I have certain family members who wouldn’t get a cent and others I’d give freely to. But what about those people that you like but not that close to? Decisions, decisions. Any way you slice it, I think it’s a problem I wouldn’t mind having.
Not a problem I wouldn’t mind having either. Renting is a practical application, but you are a bagillionaire! You don’t have hassles b/c you hire others to deal with the hassles for you.
That is one sweet yacht… though $300 mill seems rather excessive when you are getting into cruise ship territory?
I don’t think it’s a monstrosity… it’s pretty sweet… but if I had that kind of money, I’d personally would have what IMO are better uses! ;)
Share with us your better uses! Only $20 million a year to operate, not bad!
Since we’re talking about the ocean…
https://www.seasteading.org/
Now there’s 300 million that could make a difference.
I’m all for the Yakezie party on the Yacht. Bring it on!
As for what I’d do with my millions or billions, well I’d move to Ojai and live like a hippie / artist. I’d still write for my blog, but venture into children’s books (instead of teaching directly!) I’d donate my time to personal finance seminars for high school students.
Oh wait, am I suppose to say what I’d spend my money on? I know my husband would like a boat and a few high-end cars- so that’s a no-brainer. I’d like a few cool dutch bicycles; maybe a cargo bike. Of course, I could indulge in my bicycle fleet without being a millionaire. I guess I’d like to travel in a personal jet; that way my husband would actually come with me (he hates flying.)
I think I’d have trouble spending my money. ;)
Ojai huh? Gonna have to look that up bc I have no idea where that is!
P
Definitely a good idea to splurge on he hubble. It’s the way things shud always be even if u were a billionaire right? ;
S
:)
I’d fly out to party on a yacht like that or even a fourth of what that is!!!
I didn’t realize how big it was until you said it was 25,000 sq ft, and then I saw the tiny boat beside it.
I wonder when such yachts should just be called a ship instead?
I blogged a few months ago about getting a yacht if I were plain rich and decided against it. But if I were super mega rich… well then sure, why not! Probably not near that big though… At least for a few years, just to get it out of my system.
Like Everyday Tips, I think I rather have a nice house on the ocean somewhere in California or maybe the Hamptons… Then again there is always Europe :)
Don’t worry Don-san, I’d send over one of my private jets to pick you up! And then of course send my private Airwolf Helicopter to pick you up from the airport to land on my Yacht Helipad.
We be living large!
I am with you buddy. I don’t get depressed when I look at wealth I get inspired! My buddies and I launch a boat off the north shore of Long Island. The houses are UNREAL,
Here is an example of one of the houses we see everytime we go out:
https://www.blogcdn.com/www.luxist.com/media/2006/09/centreisland.jpg
It was Billy Joel’s not sure it still is
Being inspired is the proper feeling. Feeling jealous, lust, depressed, angry is not.
I only get inspired! Yes, the east coast houses are unreal indeed. Things are relatively cheap out there, but still obviously in the multi millions.
I’m always so pumped when I see these things. I don’t desire one myself, I just desire the ability to be able to live it up if I want to.
Woah….”relatively cheap” Dude you hate the east coast!
We can start with out of the 11 most expensive cities in American 5 are on the East Coast (and 2 are in New York)
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/13/the-11-most-expensive-cit_n_643909.html#s113273
Then we have the mansions of JP Morgan, Vanderbilt, etc in Newport Rhode Island
https://www.newportmansions.org/page7016.cfm
Then we have my home island – The Hamptons!
You are killing me Sam
Alright, alright, alright, I’m just “taking the piss” as the English would say. The mansions on the East Coast are CRAZY!!! Love the old money places. They are just so incredible.
I mean, if I had all that money, I too would have to build something so large, with selfcontained AC if I was stuck on the East Coast! :P
Ironically, my post tomorrow is about the owning an island.
If I were mega-rich, I don’t think I would own an island or a yacht. I would have a huge house on the ocean, although not sure which coast. I too would probably own multiple properties.
I don’t know. I think I would donate a lot of it. It is hard to even envision having that amount of money. I am sure travel would take up a lot of my time.
Cool! Well, I’ll cruise on over to your private island with my mega yacht! Hope you don’t charge a docking fee, since we’re in the same network and all.
Is that your house Sam?
I love that area of SF you must have great taste like me. :-) I would buy that house. I have an idea where that house is located, but can’t find it on google maps. What’s the cross streets?
Maybe…… as that portion of the house to the left is a tennis court. And since maybe it is my house as I type on the top balcony overlooking the bay, I can’t give out the exact address since I might invite some stalkers hanging out in the trees! :)
Speaking of expensive houses…
Here is one I would NOT want to own:
https://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2010/08/23/40-million-mansion-sells-for-76-million/
https://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/08/21/us/20100822-house.html?ref=us
Has to be one of the ugliest mansions I’ve ever seen.
The pool was awesome in the second link! Sign me up!
I am in great awe now. Look at what money can buy!
yeah right,after visiting miami florida i have become a big lover of yacht’s … money can buy anything in this world except life. wish i could buy one. uff those are all rich people business.