A few days back we posted a story about a custom built Airbus A380 that was being built for Saudi prince al-Waleed bin Talal. With a steam room, a Turkish bath, and a concert hall (complete with baby grand piano), not to mention a full garage for the prince’s Rolls Royce, the plane clocked in at a cool half-billion dollars. Not to be outdone by this lavish vehicle, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has ordered a new Yacht that, when completed next year, will be the largest, and most expensive, private ship ever built.
The new ship is named the Eclipse and comes equipped with two helipads, an onboard luxury spa, swimming pool, and a mini submarine designed to work as an escape pod should the need arise. The 557-foot boat even has its own missile defense system and bullet proof windows, while the master cabin is surrounded in armor plating.
The Eclipse will only be the newest addition to Abramovich’s navy when it hits the high seas next year. He already has three other yachts, but they only range in size from 161 to 377 feet. Clearly he needed something larger. Experts believe that this newest vessel was designed with the intent of overshadowing, eclipsing if you will, the 525-foot yacht owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the leader of Dubai. And what does this wonderful new ship cost? Approximately $495 million.
Lets see. Russian businessman? Check! Massive private yacht equipped with missile system? Check! Seems like we have our villain for the next James Bond movie.
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