A former superyacht captain has lifted the lid on the secretive world of billionaire boat owners, describing a culture of sexism, drug use, and prostitution. The captain, who worked for 15 years on vessels in the Caribbean and Mediterranean, spoke out as Western sanctions target oligarchs' yachts following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The captain, who requested anonymity due to non-disclosure agreements, said owners hide behind shell companies in secrecy jurisdictions like the Marshall Islands or Cayman Islands. He described weekly food orders exceeding €40,000 flown in from Paris, and regular deep cleaning to remove traces of cocaine before customs inspections.
Prostitution is an 'open secret', with women regularly transported to boats, he claimed. The industry is 'very sexist and ageist and racist', with non-white crew rarely hired and female staff required to send full-length photos. Some female crew are forced to test for STDs, and some owners exchange sex for luxury gifts.
Employment contracts often include lifetime confidentiality clauses barring disclosure of owner or guest identities, and employees may face polygraph tests. Posting photos on social media can be a firing offence. Despite this, young people flock to yacht hotspots like Antibes for well-paid, tax-free jobs, with junior deck hands earning €2,500 monthly and senior crew up to €40,000.
