A captain with 15 years' experience working for some of the world's wealthiest superyacht owners has lifted the lid on a secretive world of billionaire excess, where non-disclosure agreements, sexism, and prostitution are rife. Speaking anonymously due to confidentiality clauses, he detailed weekly food orders exceeding €40,000 flown in from Paris, regular deep-cleaning to remove traces of party drugs, and an ingrained culture of prostitution and sexism.
The captain said owners, particularly Russians, hide behind a 'mess of shell companies' in secrecy jurisdictions like the Marshall Islands or Cayman Islands. His revelations come as Western allies target oligarchs' yachts with sanctions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Among vessels impounded are the 86-metre Amore Vero, linked to Rosneft chief Igor Sechin, and the 156-metre Dilbar, reportedly owned by metals billionaire Alisher Usmanov, though both deny ownership.
Employment contracts often include lifetime bans on disclosing owner or guest identities, with polygraph tests possible if confidentiality is breached. Posting yacht photos on social media can lead to instant dismissal. The captain claimed normal laws often do not apply on these floating palaces, with cocaine traces regularly cleaned up before customs inspections.
Prostitution is an 'open secret', with women transported to boats for owners and guests. The industry is 'very sexist and ageist and racist', the captain said, with non-white crew or those from poorer countries rarely hired. Female staff often must send full-length photos and undergo regular STD testing, while some owners exchange luxury watches for sex with stewardesses.
Despite the dark side, young people flock to superyacht hotspots like Antibes, Palma de Mallorca, or Fort Lauderdale for the 'dock walk', seeking well-paid jobs. Junior deckhands earn €2,500 a month tax-free, while senior crew can earn up to €40,000. 'The billionaires, it's their toy,' the captain said. 'The money is just a number to them.'
