Manchester City's Sheikh Mansour owns £500m superyacht, world's fourth largest

As Manchester City continue their unprecedented dominance of English football, Sheikh Mansour is fully committed to supporting the club in the transfer market.

But even the billionaire owner of the Premier League club likes to treat himself to a gift every now and then, having bought one of the world's most expensive superyachts for £500million.

Billionaires tend to live in luxury that only a handful of people in the world can afford. But what do you do when supercars, mansions, and luxury watches lose their exhilarating value? Acquire the biggest yacht money can buy.

As a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family, Sheikh Mansour is used to living the high life with a net worth of £30 billion. And in 2022, he finally joined the superyacht club after finding the perfect cruiser for him.

While some ultra-wealthy owners prefer to bask in the limelight and make their presence known, others retreat to private oceanfront locations for maximum privacy. And to achieve this, the Manchester City owner dug into his chequebook to pay £500 million for the gigantic 525ft superyacht 'Blue'.

Built by Lurssen shipyard and reputed to be the fourth largest yacht in the world, the Emirati royal family’s yacht is named after the eight-time Premier League winner. It has 40 cabins accommodating 48 guests and four entertainment decks, including a large alfresco area connected to a swim platform and club.

The cabin balconies were designed by London designer Terence Disdale. The ship also has two helipads to transport passengers to and from dry land with ease.

Manufacturer Lurssen has never officially revealed the Blue's fuel tank capacity. But it's estimated to be around 300,000 gallons, meaning it could cost around £488,000 just to fill up.

It is also estimated that it would cost around £50million to maintain the yacht and all its features, which is likely to be inexpensive for the 53-year-old, whose family is collectively worth £30billion.

Blue is equipped with a state-of-the-art exhaust gas aftertreatment system and a wastewater treatment mechanism that can safely dispose of wastewater and make it “drinking water quality”.

Mansour's magnificent yacht may not be on a par with Alisher Usmanov's 'Dilbar', which is widely considered the world's largest yacht. But it dwarfs the £130 million vessel owned by British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

The INEOS CEO and Manchester United investor owns the majestic £130million schooner Hampshire II, which can accommodate up to 14 passengers.

The yacht features luxurious bathrooms and carefully appointed bedrooms, as well as a luxurious dining area and spacious lounge. There is also a beach club aft with sundecks and ocean views, as well as a helipad.

As the last decade of Premier League football has proven, Manchester is blue – even in the world of sailing ships.