Malibu’s Giant Yacht Display
09.09.10
38-year-old Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko owns an almost 400 foot-long yacht that cost $300 million to build.
The yacht anchored a little east of the Malibu Pier but got the attention of onlookers from many miles away. Melnichenko has made his money through steel, banking, and fertilizer industries. He calls the yacht the “A”. Philippe Starck designed the unusual hull of the yacht causing several companies involved with the customized construction of the yacht into bankruptcy because of its unique design. The yacht contains three pools, including a high-powered jet swimming pool that can be switched from salt to fresh water. The ship is roughly about 23,600 square feet with a 2,583-square-foot master suite incased in bomb-proof, 44-milimeter glass. Finishes like sink and bath knobs range at about $40,000 each. Some of it’s interior design includes Baccarat crystal tables, alligator-hide chairs, and mahogany walls. 24,000-horsepower engines run on gas tanks that cost over $500,000 to fill, but that is nothing compared to the maintenance of the ship which is about $20 million per year. And who is to do the maintaining of the ship? There are approximately 35 crew members aboard the “A”. Melnichenko is very particular about who is lets on his prized yacht. It makes for a very secluded tour at sea with his wife Serbian model Aleksandra Nikolic Melnichenkoor. Many tourists and locals stopped by the ocean just to catch a glimpse of the large piece of real estate at sea. The “A” made for a great show for Malibu visitors from all ends of the coast.
