Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Dec 10, 2025

Saudi prince MBS bought this $400 million megayacht from a Russian Oligarch and immediately kicked him out. The 439 feet long vessel has two helipads, a submarine, and a nightclub. The royal has also hung a $450M painting in it.

Saudi prince MBS bought this $400 million megayacht from a Russian Oligarch and immediately kicked him out. The 439 feet long vessel has two helipads, a submarine, and a nightclub. The royal has also hung a $450M painting in it.

Serene, the $400 million superyacht initially owned by Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler, then by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and chartered by Bill Gates, is a marvelous creation worth every praise coming its way. The vessel has iconic names attached to it, but it is not the owner that makes this ship. Instead, it is the sheer grandeur of the goliath that complements the stature of its owners.

According to Forbes, serene was the first superyacht built by Italy’s Fincantieri yard and once featured among the world’s three biggest yachts. At 439 feet, it fell behind Roman Abramovich’s 550- feet long Eclipse and steel tycoon Viktor Rashikov’s 459-feet Ocean Victory. Let’s take a closer look at the charm of the Serene superyacht and how it enticed the man who has everything, the Saudi prince:



The spectacular Serene yacht:


Serene, owned by Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s deputy crown prince, may not be the largest yacht in the world. When it comes to striking features and a seemingly endless list of amenities, Serene is a vessel that is tough to beat. With a massive beam of 60 feet, the ship boasts seven decks and 4,500 square meters of interior space designed by Pascale Reymond of Reymond Langton Design.


Made in 2011, Serene comprises a steel hull and aluminum superstructure. Its USP is numerous amenities and luxuries that are hard to find. This aspect has attracted the wealthiest of the world. Paul Ashton, the editor of SuperYacht World, said: ‘The interior is a closely guarded secret, as is often the case with the very private yachts at the top end. But it is the work of Reymond Langton, who is one of the most exclusive design teams in the world, so it will be breathtaking.”


He added, ‘A yacht like this is not really like anything else – a company or a football club and even property is there to make money – a big yacht will only cost money.’ Pretty sure the costing money part is accurate as Serene comes with a giant internal seawater pool, and if that wasn’t enough, one of the two helipads converts to yet another pool or dance floor.


The lavish owner’s suite is a stately double cabin with a private swim platform and private lift. In addition, 12 elegant cabins accommodate 24 guests who can also hop into the yacht’s submarine to explore the world below. The more you learn about the onboard amenities, the more Serene seems like the perfect yacht to charter for a family.


There is much to do from an uncommon snow room, several children’s playrooms, a climbing wall between the decks’ slides, and an exciting underwater viewing room.


Adults too will be kept occupied enjoying a classic in the outdoor cinema, while music and conversations take place in the piano room and bar. The wellness and beauty center is the best spot, outfitted with spas, hammams, and more to unwind and relax. The award-winning Serene flaunts a private beach club with a sheltered sunbathing area.


There are also two Jacuzzis and a sundeck dance floor. Most will fall for the ship’s observational deck, a fully stocked wet bar with extra sun loungers. The yacht that has everything cant be complete without an exhaustive collection of tenders and toys. No wonder even one of the richest men globally, Bill Gates, couldn’t resist its charms and chartered the Serene superyacht for an estimated $5 million per week in 2014. The family enjoyed a week together on the yacht just off the coast of Porto Cervo, Sardinia.

Mohammed Bin Salman


Prince Mohammed bin Salman owns Serene motor yacht:


Speaking of the Serene charm, so taken was the Saudi prince by this superb megayacht that he kicked its Russian oligarch owner off the $400 million yacht immediately after buying it. While on holiday in the south of France, the Saudi prince leveled up the meaning of holiday shopping after spotting this luxury vessel and wasted no time acquiring it.


According to the New York Times, he dispatched an aide to buy the ship, and the deal was supposedly done within hours, with Mr. Yuri Shefler moving out of the yacht on the same day. Billionaire businessman Yuri Shefler is the owner of SPI Group, an international consortium that sells alcohol in 160 countries, most notably the Stolichnaya vodka brand. As of March 2022, his net worth was estimated at $1.5 billion.

The Salvator Mundi


Serene is home to Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi:


As per CNBC, Mohammed bin Salman enjoys a family net worth of over $1 trillion. It is expected he owns a lavish superyacht that will give palaces on and a run for their money. But the sparkle goes beyond the vessel and her umpteen amenities. Inside Serene, one will find the world’s most expensive painting, Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi, purchased for almost half a billion dollars in 2017 (that’s more expensive than the yacht itself).

For the longest time, the whereabouts of this Leonardo Da Vinci masterpiece were a mystery. According to Al Jazeera, Mohammed bin Salman reportedly brought the painting and hung it on a cabin wall on the superyacht Serene. Both purchases together amount to over $1 billion. The painting meant to grace the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi never showed up at the scheduled events. This left people perplexed and wondering about the whereabouts of the expensive painting. All except one!

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
UK Officials Push Back at Trump Saying European Leaders ‘Talk Too Much’ About Ukraine
UK Warns of Escalating Cyber Assault Linked to Putin’s State-Backed Operations
UK Consumer Spending Falters in November as Households Hold Back Ahead of Budget
UK Orders Fresh Review of Prince Harry’s Security Status After Formal Request
U.S. Authorises Nvidia to Sell H200 AI Chips to China Under Security Controls
Trump in Direct Assault: European Leaders Are Weak, Immigration a Disaster. Russia Is Strong and Big — and Will Win
"App recommendation" or disguised advertisement? ChatGPT Premium users are furious
"The Great Filtering": Australia Blocks Hundreds of Thousands of Minors From Social Networks
Mark Zuckerberg Pulls Back From Metaverse After $70 Billion Loss as Meta Shifts Priorities to AI
Nvidia CEO Says U.S. Data-Center Builds Take Years while China ‘Builds a Hospital in a Weekend’
Indian Airports in Turmoil as IndiGo Cancels Over a Thousand Flights, Stranding Thousands
Hollywood Industry on Edge as Netflix Secures Near-$60 Bln Loan for Warner Bros Takeover
Drugs and Assassinations: The Connection Between the Italian Mafia and Football Ultras
Hollywood megadeal: Netflix acquires Warner Bros. Discovery for 83 billion dollars
The Disregard for a Europe ‘in Danger of Erasure,’ the Shift Toward Russia: Trump’s Strategic Policy Document
Two and a Half Weeks After the Major Outage: A Cloudflare Malfunction Brings Down Multiple Sites
UK data-regulator demands urgent clarity on racial bias in police facial-recognition systems
Labour Uses Biscuits to Explain UK Debt — MPs Lean Into Social Media to Reach New Audiences
German President Lays Wreath at Coventry as UK-Germany Reaffirm Unity Against Russia’s Threat
UK Inquiry Finds Putin ‘Morally Responsible’ for 2018 Novichok Death — London Imposes Broad Sanctions on GRU
India backs down on plan to mandate government “Sanchar Saathi” app on all smartphones
King Charles Welcomes German President Steinmeier to UK in First State Visit by Berlin in 27 Years
UK Plans Major Cutback to Jury Trials as Crown Court Backlog Nears 80,000
UK Government to Significantly Limit Jury Trials in England and Wales
U.S. and U.K. Seal Drug-Pricing Deal: Britain Agrees to Pay More, U.S. Lifts Tariffs
UK Postpones Decision Yet Again on China’s Proposed Mega-Embassy in London
Head of UK Budget Watchdog Resigns After Premature Leak of Reeves’ Budget Report
Car-sharing giant Zipcar to exit UK market by end of 2025
Reports of Widespread Drone Deployment Raise Privacy and Security Questions in the UK
UK Signals Security Concerns Over China While Pursuing Stronger Trade Links
Google warns of AI “irrationality” just as Gemini 3 launch rattles markets
Top Consultancies Freeze Starting Salaries as AI Threatens ‘Pyramid’ Model
Macron Says Washington Pressuring EU to Delay Enforcement of Digital-Regulation Probes Against Meta, TikTok and X
UK’s DragonFire Laser Downs High-Speed Drones as £316m Deal Speeds Naval Deployment
UK Chancellor Rejects Claims She Misled Public on Fiscal Outlook Ahead of Budget
Starmer Defends Autumn Budget as Finance Chief Faces Accusations of Misleading Public Finances
EU Firms Struggle with 3,000-Hour Paperwork Load — While Automakers Fear De Facto 2030 Petrol Car Ban
White House launches ‘Hall of Shame’ site to publicly condemn media outlets for alleged bias
UK Budget’s New EV Mileage Tax Undercuts Case for Plug-In Hybrids
UK Government Launches National Inquiry into ‘Grooming Gangs’ After US Warning and Rising Public Outcry
Taylor Swift Extends U.K. Chart Reign as ‘The Fate of Ophelia’ Hits Six Weeks at No. 1
250 Still Missing in the Massive Fire, 94 Killed. One Day After the Disaster: Survivor Rescued on the 16th Floor
Trump: National Guard Soldier Who Was Shot in Washington Has Died; Second Soldier Fighting for His Life
UK Chancellor Reeves Defends Tax Rises as Essential to Reduce Child Poverty and Stabilise Public Finances
No Evidence Found for Claim That UK Schools Are Shifting to Teaching American English
European Powers Urge Israel to Halt West Bank Settler Violence Amid Surge in Attacks
"I Would Have Given Her a Kidney": She Lent Bezos’s Ex-Wife $1,000 — and Received Millions in Return
European States Approve First-ever Military-Grade Surveillance Network via ESA
UK to Slash Key Pension Tax Perk, Targeting High Earners Under New Budget
UK Government Announces £150 Annual Cut to Household Energy Bills Through Levy Reforms
×