Megayacht Amadea sold for $187 million to Dubai billionaire with Trump ties

Cnbc · 🇺🇸 public United States · Aug 06, 2026 · 1145 words · By Robert Frank

Political Connections Government Transparency Asset Forfeiture

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A version of this article first appeared in CNBC's Inside Wealth newsletter with Robert Frank, a weekly guide to the high-net-worth investor and consumer.

Claims checked 21

Techniques found 1

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left12%

Center76%

Right12%

8 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

A version of this article first appeared in CNBC's Inside Wealth newsletter with Robert Frank, a weekly guide to the high-net-worth investor and consumer.

Why it matters

Common ground

A megayacht once valued at more than $300 million was sold by the U.S.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Political Connections story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that To maintain the yacht and crew, and pay insurance and docking fees, the government spent between $600,000 to $1 million a month, or an estimated $36 million in total, during its time under U.S. control?
How does this story connect Political Connections with Government Transparency over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/06/megayacht-amadea-sale-dubai-billionaire-trump-ti…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 70% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 21 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 11

check_circle Corroborated 5

help Insufficient Evidence 2

verified Verified By Reference 2

info Single Source 1

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Claim 1: “To maintain the yacht and crew, and pay insurance and docking fees, the government spent between $600,000 to $1 million a month, or an estimated $36 million in total, during its time under U.S. control.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding the monthly or total maintenance costs spent by the U.S. government.

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Claim 2: “Built in 2017 by Lurssen, the yacht has six decks and accommodates 16 guests and 36 crew.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 3: “In 2013, DAMAC formed a partnership with the Trump Organization to build the first Trump-branded golf course in the Middle East. The course opened in 2017.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 4: “Amadea was ordered to be auctioned on Sept. 10, 2025.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding a specific auction date of September 10, 2025.

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Claim 5: “Early filings by the justice department cited a range of "between $300 million and $500 million" and similarly of "more than $300 million." In a 2024 filing, the Justice Department quoted an independent valuation of $230 million.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 6: “Amadea, a 348-foot yacht seized by federal authorities in 2022, was part of a financial crackdown on Russian oligarchs following the country's invasion of Ukraine.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia explicitly identifies MY Amadea as a 106m (348 ft) motor yacht owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Suleyman Kerimov and notes its seizure by federal authorities.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Amadea is the name of several ships and boats. MS Amadea (1991), a cruise ship operated by Phoenix Reisen, formerly the Asuka (Asuka I) MY Amadea (2016), a 106 m (348 ft) motor yacht built by Lürssen…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amadea_(ship)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The superyacht Amadea was delivered in 2017 by Lürssen of Germany. Since 2025, it has been owned by Emirati real estate developer Abbas Sajwani.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amadea_(yacht)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Suleyman Abusaidovich Kerimov (Russian: Сулейма́н Абусаи́дович Кери́мов; Lezgian: Керимрин Абусаидан хва Сулейман; born 12 March 1966) is a Russian billionaire, oligarch, philanthropist and politician…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suleyman_Kerimov

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 7: “Hussain Sajwani appeared with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago last year to announce a $20 billion investment in U.S. data centers by one of Sajwani's companies.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that Donald Trump announced a $20 billion investment in U.S. data centers by an Emirati company led by Hussain Sajwani.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — DAMAC Properties is an Emirati property development company, based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The company was founded by Hussain Sajwani and listed on the Dubai Financial Market in early 2015. It…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DAMAC_Properties

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Throughout his career as a businessman and politician, Donald Trump has had a relationship with the sport of golf. As a real estate developer, Trump began acquiring and constructing golf courses in 19…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump_and_golf

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Hussain Sajwani (Arabic: حسين سجواني; born 1952–1953) is an Emirati billionaire businessman and the founder of the property development company, DAMAC Properties, and his private investment company, D…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hussain_Sajwani

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 8: “In 2022, the U.S. seized Amadea off the coast of Fiji”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results explicitly state the Amadea was seized in Fiji in 2022 by the Justice Department.

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web search NEUTRAL — The 348-foot Amadea was seized in Fiji in 2022 by the Justice Department. The agency said U.S. dollars and financial institutions were used to pay for maintenance on the luxury vessel, despite sanctio…
https://www.aol.com/u-auction-seized-russian-yacht-143757248…

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web search NEUTRAL — The 106-meter Amadea, owned by Russian billionaire Suleiman Kerimov, was seized in 2022. U.S. prosecutors have been granted the right to auction off the Amadea yacht, which is linked to Russian senato…
https://theins.press/en/news/279714

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web search NEUTRAL — Large yacht 300-foot yacht with name "the Amadea" displayed at the top. According to court documents, Kerimov owned the Amadea after his designation.
https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/300-million-yacht-sa…

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Claim 9: “A megayacht once valued at more than $300 million was sold by the U.S. government for $187 million to an Emirati billionaire whose family has a business partnership with the Trump Organization”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm the yacht Amadea, previously valued at over $300 million, was sold by the U.S. government for $187 million to an Emirati billionaire (Abbas Sajwani) whose family (DAMAC Properties) has a partnership with the Trump Organization.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Donald Trump's second and current tenure as the president of the United States began upon his inauguration as the 47th president on January 20, 2025. Trump, a Republican, previously served as the 45th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_presidency_of_Donald_Tr…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Trump Organization, Inc. is an American conglomerate. Privately owned by Donald Trump, it consists of most of Trump's business ventures and investments, with around 250 of its affiliates and subsi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trump_Organization

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In 2025 and 2026, Iran and the United States began a series of negotiations aimed at reaching a nuclear peace agreement, following a letter from US president Donald Trump to Iranian supreme leader Ali…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025–2026_Iran–United_States_n…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 10: “The director of the Marshals Service is Gadyaces Serralta, who was appointed by Trump and sworn in on Aug. 1”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 11: “Abbas Sajwani's company, called AHS Properties, bought the Shangri-La Hotel in Dubai for a reported $300 million”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 12: “In April 2025, Hussain Sajwani shared photos of a breakfast at the White House, where he mingled with Elon Musk.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 13: “the yacht was auctioned off by order of the Justice Department in September.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While other claims confirm the yacht was sold/auctioned, the provided evidence for claim 2 consists of irrelevant Wikipedia entries about COVID-19 and Eduard Khudaynatov. No specific evidence in the provided set confirms the 'September' date for the auction order.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On December 31, 2019, China announced the discovery of a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan. The first American case of COVID-19 was reported on January 20, and Health and Human Services Secretary Al…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic_in_the_Unite…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Eduard Yurievich Khudaynatov (born September 11, 1960, Shymkent, Kazak SSR) is an entrepreneur and the owner of JSC Independent Oil and Gas Company.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduard_Khudaynatov

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Claim 14: “A U.S. aid package signed into law in May 2024 gave the government the ability to seize Russian state assets located in the U.S. and use the proceeds to benefit Ukraine.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 15: “The buyer was Abbas Sajwani, the 27-year-old son of Dubai property tycoon Hussain Sajwani, whose company DAMAC Properties has partnered with the Trump Organization.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources (Gate News, other web results) confirm Abbas Sajwani, the 27-year-old son of Hussain Sajwani of DAMAC Properties, purchased the yacht.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Holme (Saxon: "river island") is a mansion located on Inner Circle by Regent's Park in the City of Westminster, London, England. It was designed by Decimus Burton, as a residence for the Burton fa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Holme

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of prominent Emirati people who are United Arab Emirates nationals.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Emiratis

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 16: “The Justice Department alleged Amadea was owned by Suleiman Kerimov, a Russian mining tycoon who had been under sanctions since 2018.”

CORROBORATED

Wikipedia and web search results confirm the U.S. government/Justice Department alleged the yacht was owned by sanctioned Russian tycoon Suleyman Kerimov.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 3 days ago · Founded in 1850, The University of Utah is the flagship institution of higher learning in Utah, and offers over 100 undergraduate and more than 90 graduate degree programs to over 30,000 …
https://www.utah.edu/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — U (minuscule: u) is the twenty-first letter and the fifth vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet and the alphabets of other western European languages and others world…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Ú (minuscule: ú), known as U-acute, is a Latin-script character composed of the letter U and an acute accent. It is found in the Czech, Dobrujan Tatar, Faroese, Hungarian, Icelandic, Karakalpak and Sl…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ú

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Claim 17: “Sajwani converted the helipad on the bow deck into a pickleball court.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 18: “Registration documents showed that a month after the $187 million sale, Amadea was registered by Beyond Holding Group Ltd., a British Virgin Islands holding company that lists a headquarters address in Dubai that's the same as DAMAC's.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 19: “Forbes estimates his net worth at $1.9 billion.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 20: “In 2025, sales of preowned yachts of 30 meters or more rose 36%, to $6.44 billion, according to Fraser Yachts.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 21: “The seizure was the highest profile test case for "Task Force KleptoCapture," a program created by the Biden administration to sanction Russian oligarchs and seize the assets of violators.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of medical definitions of 'seizures' (brain activity) rather than the legal seizure of the yacht. No evidence regarding 'Task Force KleptoCapture' was provided in the search results.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — A seizure is a sudden disruption of brain activity caused by excessive, synchronized neuronal firing that results in changes in behavior. [11][12] This neurological condition is common, affecting appr…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seizure

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Nov 1, 2024 · Overview A seizure is a sudden burst of electrical activity in the brain. It can cause changes in behavior, movements, feelings and levels of consciousness. Epilepsy is defined as having…
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seizure/sympt…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Seizure symptoms usually last for a few seconds to minutes, up to 15 minutes. Symptoms can last longer if you have several seizures, one after the other (this is a medical emergency).
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22789-seizure

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.