Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, known for his lavish New Yearâs parties, is set to make this season a memorable one with a billionaireâs ball aboard his 557-ft. Eclipse, the worldâs largest private yacht. He has invited 300 guests to help celebrate aboard the massive vessel, which will be anchored off his $89 million estate in posh St. Bartâs, the London Daily Mail reports. Rumors have surfaced that Abramovich has hired the Red Hot Chili Peppers to entertain his guests aboard the yacht, which features a military-grade missile defense system, armor plating, bulletproof windows, three helipads, two swimming pools, a wellness center and a âpaparazzi proofâ electronic anti-photo shield.
Abramovich was spotted aboard the yacht in St. Bartâs on Christmas Day and later ventured into town with gorgeous girlfriend Dasha Zhukova to mix with the locals, where he helped to light a giant menorah. The Eclipse, built by Germany’s Blohm + Voss with luxe accommodations for 30 guests and 75 crew members, cost nearly $800 million to build, but thanks to an airtight contract signed long in advance the canny billionaire only paid about $500 million for it. The yacht costs an estimated $50 million a year to maintain and each fill-up at the gas tanks runs about $650,000.
