Dimitri Rybolovlev, the Monaco-based Russian billionaire and majority stakeholder in AS Monaco, has taken delivery of a very fine racing yacht, Bloomberg reports.
The 43-metre Skorpios took four years to build at a cost of $20 million, a source close to the deal said. The vessel’s name reflects the purchase of the Greek island of Skorpios by daughter Ekaterina in 2013.
Although his legal troubles have calmed in recent months, the 54 year-old billionaire faces an ongoing investigation by the Swiss Attorney-General’s office into accusations that he orchestrated the arrest in Monaco in 2015 of art dealer Yves Bouvier. The affair ballooned into a major scandal that saw the then head of Monaco’s judicial services leave his post under a cloud.
Meanwhile, the Russian’s trust companies brought a court case against auction house Sotheby’s related to the Bouvier case, which centred on allegations that the art dealer deliberately overcharged Rybolovlev for valuable art works.
Mr Rybolovlev’s current net worth is reported to be $10.9 billion.
