A Russian billionaire is reportedly building the world's largest sailing yacht

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Melnichenko Andrey

Wikipedia

Andrey Melnichenko

Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko is reportedly building the largest sailing yacht ever, according to CNBC's Robert Frank.

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The boat will be 482 feet (147 meters) - or about 1.3 times the size of a standard American football field.

That would dwarf the 289-foot-long "Maltese Falcon" unveiled by Silicon Valley venture-capitalist Tom Perkins in 2006 and considered the largest privately owned sailing yacht in the world.

Maltese Falcon perkins

REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

he S.Y. Maltese Falcon, which reportedly cost cost between $150 -$300 million, passes the medieval Fort St. Angelo in Valletta's Grand Harbour, its first port of call on its maiden voyage July 5, 2006.

Construction of the new ship has been "shrouded in secrecy" since 2012, according to Frank, so not too many details about the yacht are available.

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However, it will reportedly be called the "White Pearl," and will have a "soaring, open atrium that will rise three stories," a massive swimming pool, and a "design scheme that, in some sections, will be reminiscent of 'Pirates of the Caribbean.'"

Melnichenko, whose net worth is estimated at $8.4 billion, founded fertilizer producer Eurochem, coal producer Suek, the power generator SGK, and pipe exporter TMK along with Sergei Popov.

This isn't the first mega-yacht Melnichenko has built. He also has a 394-foot motor-yacht, simply named "A," which is filled with advanced technology, Baccarat crystal, and security systems.

Andrey Melnichenko yacht

Wikipedia

The $300 million, 120 metre superyacht 'A', owned by 36 year old Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko.

It's unclear how much "White Pearl" will cost. But as a reference point, "A" cost somewhere between $250-$300 million.

To check out more details on this mega-yacht, head over to CNBC >

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