SUBSCRIBE for more videos on the WEALTHY, ELITE, BILLIONAIRE LIFESTYLE - http://www.youtube.com/CashMoneyWealth A Look Inside a $300,000,000 ($300 Million Dollar) Russian Billionaire Andrey Melnichenko Yacht His first journey on it was to take delivery of three Claude Monet paintings from Norway. Now four years on, Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko is still clearly enjoying the high life on his £300million superyacht after being spotted near the millionaire's playground of Monaco yesterday. The 400ft-long vessel is said to have its own discotheque featuring a glass roof which is situated directly under the swimming pool. Space race of the seas: When the billionaire's yacht first set sail in 2008, it was 23ft longer than the biggest owned by fellow Russian Roman Abramovich There is a large 'owners' suite' as well as six luxury cabins for up to 14 guests and enough room for a staggering 42 crew members. It is also rumoured to have a helicopter hangar, as well as a 30ft speed boat kept in the hull. Mr Melnichenko, who is worth an estimated $10.8billion (£6.7bn), fuelled something of a 'space race' of the seas when he unveiled the stealth ship in 2008. It was 23ft longer than the 377ft Pelorus, the largest of four superyachts owned by fellow Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, leaving the Chelsea boss feeling rather deflated. But last year, Mr Abramovich went a giant leap further when he shelled out an estimated £1billion on the world's largest private yacht, Eclipse, which measures an eye-straining 557ft long. Mr Abramovich also owns two other mega-yachts, the Ecstasea (282ft) and the Sussurro (161ft). The 40-year-old, currently 81st in the Forbes World's billionaires list, named his yacht, simply called 'A', after his model wife Aleksandra, 35. He was a founder of worldwide MDM Bank and went on to become its president from 1997 to 2001. The billionaire has also invested in a number of Russian industrial businesses including Siberian coal company SUEK and mineral company Eurochem. ndrey Igorevich Melnichenko (Russian: Андрей Игоревич Мельниченко, Belarusian: Андрэй Мельнічэнка, born on March 8, 1972 in Gomel, Belarus) is a Russian businessman and billionaire. With a personal wealth of $US14.4bn, in 2013 he ranked 56st in the Forbes World's billionaires list A" has a crew of between 35 to 37 people, including stewards and stewardesses, mechanical engineers, security staff, housekeepers, deck hands, galley crew and chefs. The crew also has specialists for surfing, jet skiing, water skiing and cycling. All of the crew wear Starck-designed uniforms—crisp white dress shirts and white pants for daytime, and tight, black T-shirts and slacks for evening. The boat costs over $20 million a year to maintain; Filling the gas tank costs more than $500,000. There are many discussion groups and forums about "A" online, with titles like "The Ugliest Yacht in the World" and "Should Philippe Starck Design Boats?" Debates can get heated: On the "Insider's Guide to St. Bart's"—a Web site frequented by vacationers on the upscale Caribbean island—dozens of "A" spotters tracked the boat's daily movements. " If I were a supervillain in an Austin Powers movie, this would be a nice ride (especially with the escape pod). Bring on the sharks with the laser beams! " —Daniel Emery "That's pretty Cool!," wrote one St. Bart's vacationer. "Finally a real designer yacht!". Added another: "Who would call their Yacht 'The A'? Seems like you're setting yourself up big time." ("A" stands for both Andrey and Aleksandra, Mr. Melnichenko's Serbian-born supermodel wife). yacht billionaire design "french designer" sea million dollar "million dollars" military ship yachting interior "first look" inside crystal "baccarat glass" baccarat security "master bedroom" technology gadget wealth wealthy "custom made" stingray designer "swimming pool" pool massage monaco elite "super rich" helipad helicopter "jet ski" "wall street" money cash "wealth management" business control 2013 travel traveling russia russian u.s. "united states" forbes cash money wealth Some yacht designers and brokers describe "A" as too futuristic and aggressive for the leisurely world of yachting. "Initially I was very skeptical," says Jonathan Beckett, chief executive of London-based Burgess, the yacht broker. "When you just see photos, it's a very strange-looking boat. But when I saw it cruising in the Caribbean this year, I have to say I was impressed. It's a very exciting boat to watch. It's simply unlike anything that's ever been done before." Crew members often joke about the Melnichenkos' penchant for the spontaneous, with frequent changes in itinerary or travel. The boat doesn't spend much time in any one port, since Mr. Melnichenko prefers to roam the seas for weeks at a time. Last year he spent several months in the Mediterranean; this year he's mainly in the Caribbean.

• published: 24 Dec 2013
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