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Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt won a superyacht at auction this week. Shortly after Russian troops invaded Ukraine, the superyacht was allegedly abandoned in March 2022 in Falmouth Harbour, Antigua.

The Russian superyacht, Alfa Nero is 267 feet long. It features an Olympic-sized swimming pool that turns into a helipad, with a baby grand piano and artwork by renowned Spanish master Joan Miro. 

According to Sir Ronald Sanders, Antigua’s ambassador to the US Schmidt “won the auction in a fully transparent process,” acquiring the vessel for $67.6 million.

The US says Russian fertilizer billionaire Andrey Guryev bought the vessel in 2014 for $120 million. He has denied he is the owner. 

A legal representative for Guryev said that he "neither owns nor controls the Alfa Nero and has simply used the vessel from time to time under commercial charter since 2014."

Bloomberg estimates Guryev to be worth $9.75 billion. He is the co-founder and largest shareholder of fertilizer giant PhosAgro. 

The US Treasury described him as a "known close associate" of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Guryev was also sanctioned by the UK. And his son was sanctioned by the US, the EU, and the UK.

Russian billionaire’s daughter claims she owns superyacht 

On Wednesday, lawyers for Yulia Gurieva-Motlokhov, Guryev’s daughter filed an appeal claiming she’s the legal owner of the luxury vessel.

According to documents filed in the Court of Appeal of Antigua and Barbuda Gurieva-Motlokhov is the “sole adult discretionary beneficiary of the ‘Tyne Trust’ and ‘Flagstaff Trust’, which respectively own two companies which themselves own the Alfa Nero and the artwork aboard it.” 

Gurieva-Motlokhov had filed a previous injunction before the sale which was rejected by Antiqua and the US Treasury.

 Schmidt’s foundation didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Lawyers for Gurieva-Motlokhov said they couldn’t respond to questions until next week. Antigua’s port manager oversaw the auction and was named in the appeal. And he declined to comment at this time.