In the world of luxury yachts, one name has captivated the internet for years: History Supreme, the supposed most expensive yacht in history.
Despite all the news about Jeff Bezos‘ superyacht that has been making headlines of late — from the controversial $723m vessel finally being seen under sail for the first time, before its dark and bloody secrets were quickly unveiled — you might be surprised to hear that his extravagant vessel is far from being the most expensive ever to grace the high seas… or so we’ve been told.
Said to be priced at a jaw-dropping $7 billion AUD (~$4.8 billion USD), History Supreme was designed by the renowned Stuart Hughes, a man known for elevating everyday objects to the epitome of opulence. From diamond-studded iPhones to gold-plated iPads, Hughes’ creations have long garnered attention worldwide and this superyacht was no exception, as reported by Boat Safe.
WATCH: The History Supreme almost makes Jeff Bezos’ $720m Superyacht look paltry…
According to Hughes himself, the History Supreme was commissioned by an anonymous Malaysian businessman back in 2011, much to the excitement of media around the world. Hughes really let loose with its design, making mind-boggling extravagance part and parcel of the vessel. From wall art made from meteoric stone to interior design detailing made from genuine dinosaur bones — shaved from a Tyrannosaurus Rex uncovered in Arizona, USA — Hughes took the notion of ‘no expense spared’ to a whole new level.
The real show-stopper, however, was the liberal — some might say excessive to the point of sickly — use of solid gold and platinum throughout the yacht. Hughes claimed to have used a staggering 10,000 kg of precious metals across pretty much every inch of the boat, from the railings and deck to the dining area and even the hull. It was even rumoured that the anchor was set to be cast in gold.
As fascinating as the story of the History Supreme may be, we’re sad to say that it may have turned out to be nothing more than a rich man’s fantasy. All information about the yacht, including the measly four photos in existence, came exclusively from Hughes’ own website, and no other images of the boat have surfaced since 2011. In fact, no one has ever reported seeing the yacht, while its supposed owner — the wealthiest man in Malaysia, Robert Kuok — has never actually confirmed his association with it.
Despite this, the yacht still regularly tops lists of the most expensive yachts in Asia or around the world, such as this one at SCMP. And still, the plot thickens: as doubts began to emerge about the authenticity of the History Supreme, online obsessives took things into their own hands and discovered that the few photos of the yacht that do exist bear an uncanny resemblance to the Baia One Hundred, a yacht manufactured by Italian yacht makers Baia in 2008.
A quick call to Baia’s sales manager cleared things up: He revealed that the photos were stolen from their website and manipulated, meaning that History Supreme was nothing more than a photoshop-phantom. Moreover, the ability of a yacht plated in so much beautiful but exceptionally heavy gold, as well as the more practical issues of keeping such a vessel in good condition and secure from potential thieves, caused yet more doubts.
In short, the History Supreme appears to be nothing more than an elaborate hoax. With no sightings or credible evidence to support its existence, its legacy is a mythical one, left to float forever in the sea of online intrigue and healthy scepticism.