who owns game changer yacht

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Boat of the Week: Meet ‘Game Changer,’ a 227-Foot Explorer Yacht With the World’s Best Dive Center

The impressive vessel also has an airbus h130 chopper and a deep-dive u-boat worx cr3 submarine., julia zaltzman, julia zaltzman's most recent stories.

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Game Changer is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. She’s an explorer yacht underpinned by a support vessel platform. She was launched in 2017 as the fourth hull in Damen Yachting’s 227-foot yacht support range. But it’s the incredible onboard amenities where her strengths lie, from the custom Airbus H130 and PADI five-star dive center to the all-new U-Boat Worx CR3 submarine collected last month from Curaçao.

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Like many explorers, Game Changer has circumnavigated the world once already since her delivery. But unlike most new builds, she has already completed two refits. It’s all part of the owner’s plan. Having bought the yacht after completion, he tweaked her on delivery, then test ran her for a year before deciding on further changes in a second refit, says Captain Mike Rouse.

“It was always the plan to do the refit in two stages,” Rouse told Robb Report . “The owner wanted to work out what they did and didn’t like, and the only real way of doing that is to experience the boat firsthand for at least a year.”

Launched in 2017, Game Changer has already done one cruise around the world, spending most of her time in colder climates like Patagonia.  Courtesy Edmiston

The first 2018 refit fully upgraded the galley and extended the main salon. The most significant installment was the state-of-the-art dive center, with a custom air compressor. It contains 48 dive cylinders and a Hyperlite Recompression Chamber to facilitate extreme diving operations in the most remote locations. Game Changer ’s ability to function as a true expedition yacht and undertake technical diving expeditions with both scuba and submarine was central to the owner’s motivations behind buying the yacht.

In 2019, Game Changer covered 48,000 miles, much of which was spent off the beaten track in colder climates. The world tour took in South Georgia, Patagonia, the Pacific and Indonesia; areas largely driven by research-led dive expeditions. In Antarctica, the boat was joined by a British Antarctic Survey Scientist who studied fjord ice retreat patterns using the yacht’s submarine. Alongside guest experts, the crew comprises dive instructors, dive masters and a rebreather diver to carry out underwater filming, as well as submarine and helicopter pilots.

In terms of toys and equipment, Game Changer stocks some serious gear. An ROV underwater electric robotic capable of diving to 3,280-feet operates alongside the three-person submersible. But it was the six onboard tenders and a desire for better access to the water that drove some of the larger changes in the 2020 refit.

The yacht was designed as the ultimate dive and exploration yacht, with a PADI-certified dive center, submersible and, of course, an onboard helicopter.  Courtesy Edmiston

“We definitely needed a bigger swim platform, because we carry some large tenders and the setup just didn’t work,” says Rouse. A 10-foot extension on the aft deck increased Game Changer ’s overall length to 236 feet and delivered an all-new beach club with larger swim platform.

Dynamic positioning has also been fitted, which allows the yacht to stay in a specific spot with anchoring. They also installed sonar systems on both Game Changer and her 38-foot Intrepid tender to map the sea floor at depths of 3,900 feet.

“We did a lot of noise and vibration insulation throughout the entire boat and a ton of engineering upgrades to make it more efficient and easier to maintain,” he adds. Many of the changes have also helped to make the boat more charter friendly, including fully refurbished guest cabins, bathrooms and larger windows. The yacht can be chartered through Edmiston.

Only four years old, the yacht has gone through two refits to create a beach club as well as expanding and refining its main salon.  Courtesy Edmiston

“We’ve had a lot of inquiries for heli-skiing and the gyro-stabilized camera that hangs off the front of our helicopter means we can do a lot of filming in remote locations,” says Rouse.

Thanks to its outstanding dive center and submersible, Game Changer has been called upon to serve as a support vessel three times for other chartered yachts. It would also make a reliable platform for researchers who want to explore the depths.

But for anyone who chooses to charter Game Changer on her own, it’s the five-star dive center and submarine capable of reaching 3,600 feet below the surface that is the big draw. “Unlike most other charter yachts, we don’t have to do rendezvous diving, which means guests aren’t reliant on what the local dive company can provide,” says Captain Rouse. “We have everything in place to run the boat as a fully licensed dive center from anywhere in the world.”

The PADI-certified dive center includes 48 dive cylinders and a Hyperlite Recompression Chamber to facilitate extreme diving operations in the most remote locations.  Courtesy Edmiston

For the owner, the next stop is Central America and the Caribbean while he waits to see when the rest of the world will open back up. “He bought a boat that he can go around the world in, and that’s what he intends on doing,” says Rouse.

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Sint Maarten has built quite a reputation for attracting superyachts of the rich and famous. The more radical the design, or technically advanced, the more heads turn.

That’s been the case over the years, starting with Limitless which wasn’t a radical design but caused a minor sensation when she squeezed through the Simpson Bay Bridge, the biggest vessel to do so at that time.

Since then, the island has played host to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich’s Eclipse , the cut-glass perfection of Apple co-founder Steve Job’s Venus and the flat-topped around- the-world Turanor solar-powered vessel that docked in Marigot.

And who could forget the one-off transport ship that brought the massive swing section for the Simpson Bay Causeway Bridge from the Netherlands, another heart-stopping moment when it entered the Lagoon with inches to spare. No wonder perfectly situated Sint Maarten Yacht Club is the yacht-watching capital.

The latest vessel to pique curiosity was the aptly-named Game Changer , a 69-metre superyacht support vessel that arrived on December 3rd, looking as far removed from a luxury vessel as one could get. But that’s not her purpose. She’s the largest and most recent offering from the Damen shipyard in the Netherlands, serving a growing trend for superyachts to downsize and have their own support vessel accompany them with all the toys.

“What I love about this ship is its speed, maneuverability and responsiveness with four engines and two bow thrusters,” enthuses Game Changer ’s Captain Brendan O’Brien.

O’ Brien, a burly Australian who lives in the Netherlands; comes from a background in the Merchant Navy, 15 years with superyachts and the last two years with support vessels or shadow boats.

He’s only been on Game Changer for two weeks ( December 2017 – Ed ) but is no stranger to St. Maarten having spent time here on yachts between 2006 and 2009. He is meeting an itinerary change as per instructions from the owners, and here to do some engine maintenance and refuel.

“We came here from the Turks and Caicos and were on our way to Patagonia but that changed and now we are heading back to Rotterdam in the Netherlands,” he explains. “It’s nice to be back to bring some money into the island. I must say I was saddened to see the damage, but I hope the recovery continues. Everything that I’m hearing is at least positive.

The concept of the support vessel, he says, is not new, but it has become more refined.

“Instead of going extra-large where you can’t get into small bays and anchorages you have this vessel with you that takes all the water toys, helicopter, submarine, provisioning, extra fuel etcetera so back on the mother ship your guests have more deck space and less clutter,” O’Brien explains. “When the yacht arrives somewhere it’s nice for the owner or guests to have the beach set up for them and the water sports and other services ready.

“Damen saw a niche in the market. They make support boats for the North Sea and the Dutch Navy. They’re very efficient at it. Other companies have tried it, but I don’t think those companies thought about it enough as far as layout and the intentions. With this vessel they got the concept right. The other ones were a bit frustrating.”

Game Changer left the Damen ship yard in September 2017.  She has a top speed of 21 knots and a range of 4,500 nautical miles and carries 340 cubic liters of fuel, double the amount a yacht of this size would carry, says O’Brien.

The vessel’s most striking feature is its axe-shaped bow, to slice through the waves, and the helicopter pad perched above the transom. Eight thousand liters of A1 jet fuel for the helicopter and another 4,000 liters for the jet skis and tenders are also stored on board.

The helicopter disappears down into a giant hangar below deck, with rotors folded. All maintenance on the helicopter can be done for the owner on board.

Game Changer has no accommodation for guests, only for crew and officers of which there are 16 on board for this trip. There is a small infirmary, a day room and gym for the crew, and, of course, a galley. One of the jobs of the chef is to liaise with the chef on the mother ship to coordinate catering, as was done on the vessels first two charters in Barbados and the Bahamas.

The bridge has the latest navigation gadgetry and even a Captain Kirk-type armchair with toggles and switches to steer and control maneuvers while seated.

“I’m more old-school, so I like to stand. But I like the wrap-around windows which give great visibility. No blind spots at all,” O’Brien points out.

Game Changer was built on speculation, is available for charter and on sale for a cool US$40 million.

Robert Luckock is a British journalist and freelance writer residing in St. Maarten. He is currently The Daily Herald ’s correspondent for French St. Martin and was one of All At Sea ’s very first contributors.

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By SuperyachtNews 17 May 2017

On board Damen's 'Game Changer'

Yacht support vessel 'game changer' has left the shipyard for london, where amels and damen formally introduce the 69m vessel to the market….

As superyacht technology and design evolves, is seems more and more owners are wanting to breach the confines of the superyacht cruising circuit for those less accessible locations, which of course call for more functional and purpose-built vessels. As a result, the last five years has belonged to the upsurge of the explorer vessel.

However, for existing superyacht owners who wish to travel further afield, selling their ‘conventional’ superyacht for a more capable explorer is no longer the only viable option, nor is it the most economical. As Damen has demonstrated with its Yacht Support range, you can completely transform the way you use your superyacht with the addition of a Yacht Support vessel. To communicate this to the market, 69m Game Changer’s maiden voyage was to London, to demonstrate her phenomenal capabilities.

Initially, her hard-hitting exterior clearly showcases the yacht’s primary purpose – it’s a kind of ‘what you see is what you get’ presence. Game Changer’ s exterior design is anything but an aesthetical masterpiece by traditional standards. However, in relation to the growing appreciation of the explorer yacht, there is certainly a place in the market for this functional and appearance. In Game Changer’ s case, there’s no place for frills – just practicality in its rawest form.

“The yacht is all about practicality,” says Victor Caminada, marketing manager at Amels, as he walks SuperyachtNews round the vessel. “The boat is rough and tough, reliable and very professional.”

With a maximum take-off weight of 5,000 kg, arguably one of the most impressive exterior features, alongside the 250sqm of deck space and 12-ton deck crane, is its high safety LY3- and MCA-certified helideck. “This arrangement derives form the offshore industry, where this is the standard practice,” Caminda says of the helideck, whcih includes a full drainage system and fire-fighting equipment, enhancing its safety standards further.

While Game Changer is an intrinsically functional vessel, the interior is still a very welcome environment for owners and crew alike. “The nickname of Yacht Support vessel Garçon among crewmembers is actually ‘crew paradise’, as there is more space, and the atmosphere is much more relaxed when there’s no owner on board,” explains Caminada. The yacht has the capacity to carry 21 crewmembers, including pilots, massage therapists and additional staff for the mothership.

The Yacht Support solution offers something which superyachts below 75m can’t really achieve without compromising valuable space on board. According to Damen, the cost of a 75m new build in comparison to an owner’s existing 55m superyacht will incur an increase in capital investment of 225 per cent, whereas the owner’s existing 55m+ superyacht with a support vessel will see a capital investment increase of only 120 per cent. But the major difference is the latter will result in a considerably larger tender and toy storage of 225sqm, in comparison to 130sqm of a 75m superyacht, as well as a combined LOA of 100m.

Overall, the level to which the yacht’s finished is more than impressive from the perspective of both crew and owner. While Game Changer isn’t faired to the same level as an Amels superyacht would be, its demonstration of sheer functionality and resilience is a truly impressive spectacle. For more information on the exploration and support sector, take a look as issue 177 of The Superyacht Report .

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GAME CHANGER

Yacht Support -

69.15 METRES -

Delivered in 2017 -

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Sold following her appearance at the Monaco Yacht Show in 2017, GAME CHANGER returned to Damen for modifications. Since being redelivered, the customised vessel has been used by her owners around the world for marine conservation, ocean research, documenting ocean biodiversity and luxury dive expeditions.

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A Game Changer: On Board A Support Vessel in London

By Ben Roberts

It’s not a sight often witnessed in London; a large, intimidating support vessel packed to the rafters with toys and potential for owners looking to explore the world in style. Sat effortlessly on the Thames in the shadow of HMS Belfast, Superyachts.com steps on board the 70-metre (227 ft) Support Vessel Game Changer for a closer inspection.

DAMEN’s brand-new support vessel - built from the popular Sea Axe range - has had its fair share of interest since passing Tower Bridge this week. With events on board and brokers coming to see exactly what’s available to owners, we were given an insight into the potential of owning a vessel to support your superyacht.

Toys Game Changer, and the whole Sea Axe range for that matter, is built for the superyacht adventure that requires an arsenal of toys, teams and tenacity. With submarines, large tenders, 20-ton crane, helicopter hangar and large landing pad alongside all forms of jet skis to water toys, this is the boat for an owner looking to explore the world while making the most of the ‘mother yacht’.

“Our clients want to go to exciting new destinations with less established superyacht infrastructure and they want to have more fun with larger tenders, larger helicopters and submersibles,” comments DAMEN Product Director Mark Vermeulen. “ They also want to take more staff, guides, pilots and security personnel with them. Game Changer is the massive leap forward in capability that they need, but at a much lower cost than a larger yacht.”

Game Changer is built to speed ahead (thanks to its 22 knot capabilities) in complete ease and sets up the ideal escape for those on board the mother yacht in search of the best destinations, anywhere in the world.

“This is a very fast vessel, we can even go faster with bigger engines,” explains Victor Caminada, Marketing Director for AMELS when contemplating the toys on board, as well as the biggest toy in question, Game Changer. “This would fit typically a 70-110-metre superyacht, there are a lot of toys but it’s a serious boat.”

Space Game Changer has 250 square metres of open deck space for tenders and toys. The large deck crane makes logistics and handling simple, fast and safe. Below deck there is a further 110 square-metre storage space/dive centre. The YS 6911 has offices, facilities and accommodation for 22 crew and staff. It can carry a huge amount of extra provisions, fuel (marine, aviation and petrol), luggage and spare parts.

With no accommodation for owners, an additional attraction is the possibility of having anyone from helicopter pilots, submarine experts, rotational crew and myriad experts on board to fill any vacation with limitless possibilities.

“The crew has a good life. It’s important," adds Victor Caminada . "If you want the best crew you have to offer them the best working conditions and living space, and in a competitive crew market this is ideal for larger boats with crew that rotate. You’re always under tension as crew, and here you can relax and go to the gym and do things you can’t do on the mother yacht.”

For owners searching for the accommodation included in the exploration vessels, AMELS & DAMEN worked together to bring the answer forward, the SeaXplorer. Read more about the first vessel, which is begins first phases of construction tomorrow, here .

Technology Having just finished the sea trial programme, Game Changer crossed the 100 mile stretch from The Netherlands to London, testing the 22 knot speed as well as the comfort, quiet and capabilities of the Sea Axe range. Named for its innovative bow, there is extremely reduced feedback from the water at high-speeds meaning lower fuel costs and added economic benefits.

In fact, the Total Cost of Ownership on board Game Changer is significantly lower per square metre thanks to functional nature of the boat itself. Proving its popularity, Game Changer is the fourth Yacht Support vessel in the 70-metre segment following the delivery of Intrepid, ‘6711’ and Garçon.

The launch of Game Changer also follows last year’s delivery and sale of the 55-metre showcase vessel Fast & Furious (181 ft).

With its Yacht Support range, DAMEN is now the established leader in this rapidly developing niche. In total, 11 DAMEN Yacht Support vessels have been delivered or are in build.

"If you want the best crew you have to offer them the best working conditions and living space, and in a competitive crew market this is ideal for larger boats with crew that rotate. You’re always under tension as crew, and here you can relax and go to the gym and do things you can’t do on the mother yacht." Victor Caminada - Marketing Director, AMELS

"If you want the best crew you have to offer them the best working conditions and living space, and in a competitive crew market this is ideal for larger boats with crew that rotate. You’re always under tension as crew, and here you can relax and go to the gym and do things you can’t do on the mother yacht."

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Ahoy there! American billionaire's superyacht arrives in Falmouth Marina

• West Country
• Falmouth Harbour
• Friday 15 September 2023 at 7:57pm

An £80million superyacht, owned by an American billionaire, has moored up in Cornwall .

Rocinante, which is 258ft long, arrived in Falmouth Harbour on Thursday 14 September, making everybody else's boats look small in comparison.

Built in 2008 by the Lurssen shipyard in Germany, it was formerly known as TV and Madsummer, before being bought by games developer Gabe Newell.

The billionaire, who is president of the gaming company Valve, was reported to have a net-worth of $4.3billion in 2023.

The luxury vessel costs between £4million and £8million to run, but was renamed by the tech mogul after a less expensive mode of transport — Don Quixote's horse.

Rocinante was in good company this week, with another billionaire's £40million superyacht not far away.

Game Changer is owned by Hong Kong based billionaire heiress Karen Lo.

She was spotted conducting sea trials in Falmouth on 15 September as part of work at Pendennis Shipyard.

Game Changer was initially designed to be a support vessel to allow owners of superyachts to carry more equipment.

But she was later adapted and upgraded to become a superyacht in her own right.

The 230ft Dutch-built vessel not only has a helicopter landing pad, but also a submarine and custom dive centre.

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Support Vessel GAME CHANGER by Damen

Game changer belongs to the yacht support vessels by damen and was presented to the public in london..

Game Changer ‘s most interesting feature is the LY3 certified helicopter hangar to carry the air tender the whole time. The hangar protects it from the environmental. Also for commercial/charter use. Maximum weight of helicopter: 5,000 kg for operations with larger helicopters. There is also a refueling system with a 10,000-liter tank.

After the launch in 2017, GAME CHANGER got extensive modifications like new guest and crew cabins alongside a well-equipped diving center. Moreover, the vessel is now certified for operations in the Arctic and Antarctic area (IMO Polar Code).

GAME CHANGER serves as a vessel for marine conservation, ocean research, documenting ocean biodiversity and luxury dive expeditions. The certified helipad with hangar s the home for a customized Airbus H130 T2 with a state-of-the-art 8K camera by Shotover.

Photos by Tom van Oossanen

Yacht Support Vessels are a growing trend. Game Changer is the fourth unit of DAMEN’s 70m class. The mother company of AMELS offers a range from 43 – 89m.

DAMEN Product Director Mark Vermeulen notes:

“This was a great opportunity to offer a closer look at the Yacht Support concept – which is still a relatively new phenomenon in the industry. A Yacht Support vessel is a massive leap forward in capability for the growing number of owners who want to do more with more equipment, more toys, and more staff. Our vessels are perfectly equipped to support wide-ranging superyacht operations, but with a significantly lower Total Cost of Ownership than acquiring a larger yacht. Plus, owners get all the benefits of flexible operations and privacy. That’s why we call it the Smart Stretch.”

Rose Damen continues:

“Being so close to London – Tower Bridge is just 150 miles from AMELS – makes visiting the city very easy. London is an important superyacht center in its own right with a large number of clients as well as the brokerage community. We really noticed that when visitors came on board to judge the solution for themselves, they left very enthusiastic about all the possibilities that a Yacht Support vessel opens up. Last year we successfully exhibited a Yacht Support vessel in Fort Lauderdale and we hope to bring another vessel to Monaco later this year.”

Photos before the modifications in 2018

Animation of the helicopter hangar

Profile & deck layout.

Main Specifications

Impressions from london.

Captured by Jeff Brown of Breed Media

Captured by Michal Bageensky

Launch Footage from 2017

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GAME CHANGER Damen | From EUR€ 450,000/wk

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• GAME CHANGER

GAME CHANGER Damen | From EUR€ 450,000 /wk

GAME CHANGER is a 72 metre (236'22") support vessel built in 2017 by the Dutch shipbuilder DAMEN. She is the fourth hull in Damen's 70-metre segment and can accommodate up to 17 guests in 8 luxurious cabins. She has received a significant update in 2020 and was extended from 69m to 72m in length.

NOTABLE FEATURES: ~Fully certified Helideck and hangar ~250m² of open deck space ~Dive centre with decompression chamber ~Lift system ~Offices ~Stabilizers ~Deck crane ~Long range cruising capabilities

GAME CHANGER is an impressive support vessel that provides the ultimate experience for guests who wish to have fun off the beaten track while significantly reducing the usual cost of ownership for a yacht this size.

She has a huge storage and guest capacity and really offers the ultimate yachting solution for professional helicopter operations. With her 237 ft LOA and 820 square feet of deck space, she is the ideal yacht for those who want to do more with more equipment, toys and staff. She is perfectly equipped to support wide-ranging operations with the benefits of flexible operations and privacy. Her interior is bright, with use of neutral fabrics and light wooden panels.

With an additional interior 110 square metres of indoor space, needless to say, she offers guests plenty of room for any activity on board as well as storage for large water toys.

Her certified helipad on the aft deck allows a large helicopter to be lowered below deck into the safety of an enclosed hangar. She has onboard refueling capabilities also.

Another great feature of this yacht is the dive centre below deck, complete with decompression chamber.

Overall, GAME CHANGER is a massive leap forward in capability, allowing guests to go to exciting new destinations with less established superyacht infrastructure but larger tenders, helicopters and submersibles. With quarters for 22 crew, she also allows for more staff, be they guides, pilots or security personnel.

2018 modifications and an extensive update to the vessel: ~ addition of new guest and crew areas ~ an exceptionally well-equipped dive centre with a custom set-up and tri-mix facilities by Moondog Diving ~ certification for Arctic and Antarctic operations in compliance with the IMO Polar Code.

GAME CHANGER Specifications

2020 - 10 month refit upgrades including visible exterior cosmetic changes like the new paint scheme all the way down to vibration and noise control as well as: 1. Entire stern remodelled with an extension that includes a new swim platform, bringing the overall length extended to 72 metres. 2. Beach club area optimised as a comprehensive toy store. The entire space is now heated for chilly mornings in Antarctica, and a new Feebe passerelle has been installed to give more mooring flexibility. 3. Exterior: inner superstructure finished in jet black, plus enlarged portholes for more natural light in the cabins. 4. New sound insulation frames and dampened floorboards to mitigate structural-born vibrations 5. New interior theme throughout the yacht by the interior masters at Struik & Hammerslag

GAME CHANGER is built with a steel hull and Aluminium superstructure. She cruises at speeds of 15 knots with a maximum speed of 20 knots.

Yacht Charter Accommodation

GAME CHANGER can accommodate up to 17 guests in 8 luxurious cabins.

Charter Amenities and Extras

TENDERS 1. Intrepid: T-10 - 12m 375 Centre Console, 3 Yamaha Engines x 300hp Outboard (12 pax) 2. Landing Craft: T-3 - 8m Custom Build, 2 Volvo Penta Engines x 220hp Stern drive, a/c generator and crane (capable of carrying the ROV) (12 pax) 3. Rupert: T-8 - 8m RIB, 1 Volvo Penta Engines x 220hp Stern drive (10 pax) 4. Fassmer: Cocoon - 6m Rescue boat, 1 Steyr Engine x 230hp Jet drive (8 pax) 5. Zodiac 1: 5m - 40hp Yamaha Engine Outboard 6. Zodiac 2: 5m - 40hp Yamaha Engine Outboard TOYS Submarine - custom-built C-Researcher by U-Boat Worx 3 PAX (1140m) Helicopter - custom Airbus H130 T2 for 6 PAX + 1 Pilot 1 x Saab Seaeye 1000m ROV underwater electric robotic system 4 x 10'6 red paddle co- Stand up paddleboards 3 x 2 Person Gumotex Inflatable Kayaks 2 x 1 Person Gumotex Inflatable Kayaks 3 x Seabobs S5 S 4 x Deep-sea fishing rods 12 x Scuba Pro Diving Sets A selection of JOBE Towable inflatables (please enquire for the full list) Water sports apparel Wake Surf Liquid Force 5" 2 Water Skis, Mono- O'brien X9 Series, Twin- X7 Series Wakeboard Liquid Force 139cm GAME CHANGER DIVE STORE PADI 5* DIVE RESORT Custom-built air compressor with built-in banking system for Nitrox, Trimix and up to 96% O2 capabilities 48 DIN valve dive cylinders with options for aluminium or steel 12L and smaller stage cylinders able to go with both DIN & Yoke dive equipment Hyperlite Recompression Chamber onboard A range of Scubapro dive equipment for 12 divers including: 12 x MK2 EVO (DIN)/R195 Regulators along with Cobra 3 integrated Dive computers 12 x Seahawk BCDs with integrated weight pockets (S x3, M x 3, L x3, XL x3) 12 x Seawing Nova 2 Open foot fins (S x3, M x3, L x3, XL x3) 12 x Seawing Nova Full foot fins (S x3, M x3, L x3, XL x3) 12 x Spectra dive masks & Snorkels 16 x 7mm Everflex wetsuits (S x2, M x2, L x2, XL x2) 16 x 3mm Everflex wetsuits (S x2, M x2, L x2, XL x2) 16 x 2mm Steamer wetsuits (S x2, M x2, L x2, XL x2) Various accessories such as: 6 x Suunto Viper Dive Computers 6 x Metalsub dive torches 6 x Scubapro Nova dive torches 6 x ScubaPro FS2 Wrist Compass 3 x EIIO2 Nitrox Analyser 2 x Analox Trimix Analyser 12 x Cylinder LED Flashies 12 x Titanium Mako dive knives 12 x 5mm ScubaPro G-Flex Gloves (XS x2, S x2, M x2, L x2, XL x2, 2XL x2) 12 x 2mm ScubaPro D-Flex Gloves (2XS x2, XS x2, S x2, M x2, L x2, XL x2) 6 x 5mm ScubaPro Everflex Hoods (S x2, M x2, L x2) 6 x 2mm ScubaPro Everflex Hoods (S x2, M x2, L x2) 14 x 5mm ScubaPro Delta 5.0 Booties (2XS x2, XS x2, S x2, M x2, L x2, XL x2, 2XL x2) 16 x Reef Hooks 18 x Nautilus Lifelines 20 x ScubaPro Currents Pro Snorkel Sets Audio Visual Equipment and Deck Facilities: Wifi: Yes Pulse entertainment system Via VBH that is controlled via Crestron, including iPad Mini Remote Controls Central Movie Server Apple TV for air Play Central Music Server Satellite TV Each Room Has Local HDMI connectivity 1 Play station 4 1 Xbox one Music on the exterior bridge deck with additional party speakers 2 Off. Guest Lounge. Sony 77” OLED TV ON Swivel Mount. Salon: Sony 55” OLED Master Cabin: Sony 55” OLED Guest Cabin 1 2 x Samsung 28” Guest Cabin 2 Sony 49” OLED with TV Lift. Guest 3 2 x Samsung 28” Guest 4 1 x Samsung 28” and 1 x Sony 40” Communications: VSAT, VoiP, Fleet Broadband, GSM, Iridium, Began & internal calling. Guest cabins have different levels of access to external lines. GAME CHANGER is also equipped with a modern telephone system including access to VOIP, GSM, Fleet and Iridium Trunk Lines and a conference calling phone. Gym equipment: Yes - please enquire

Charter Yacht Disclaimer

This document is not contractual. The yacht charters and their particulars displayed in the results above are displayed in good faith and whilst believed to be correct are not guaranteed. CharterWorld Limited does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information and/or images displayed. All information is subject to change without notice and is without warrantee. A professional CharterWorld yacht charter consultant will discuss each charter during your charter selection process. Starting prices are shown in a range of currencies for a one-week charter, unless otherwise marked. Exact pricing and other details will be confirmed on the particular charter contract. Just follow the "reserve this yacht charter" link for your chosen yacht charter or contact us and someone from the CharterWorld team will be in touch shortly.

GAME CHANGER Enquiry

M/Y COME TOGETHER | From US$ 450,000/wk

61M FULL CUSTOM | From US$ 450,000/wk

63M LUXURY YACHT | From US$ 455,000/wk

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72.24m  /  237'   damen yachting   2017 / 2020.

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On board with Parsifal III owner Kim Vibe-Petersen

The owner of 54 metre superyacht Parsifal III – a star cast member of hit TV show Below Deck – tells David Edwards the origin story of his innovative sailing yacht...

Kim Vibe-Petersen likes to call his pride and joy, the 54 metre sailing yacht Parsifal III , a “game-changer”. He likes to call the TopBrewer coffee maker he designed and manufactures a game-changer as well. But coming from him this is no lazy cliché. The Dane, with almost perfect English, chooses his words carefully and changing the game is simply what he does. In fact it completely defines him.

For if you ask the 65-year-old CEO of coffee firm Scanomat how he would describe himself, he replies without hesitation: “I’m an inventor.” Although he quickly corrects himself: “I’m as much a businessman as I am an inventor. When you run a small business, like we did in the beginning, you have to be able to do everything.” That may be true but you don’t need to spend long in his company to see that, at heart, he’s an ideas man, a restless bundle of thoughts and ambitions, many of which he’s been able to realise.

Even a conventional education wasn’t for him – “I didn’t fit in to the school system. I got pretty bored, I couldn’t enjoy myself going that slow” – and he couldn’t wait to leave and join his parents’ vending machine business, in which he’d already been working since the age of 14.

He set about transforming this simple firm. “I started my own business within their business. We were importers of machines from abroad. I started to invent products. I invented the first fully automatic cappuccino machine in the world. It went from zero to 95 per cent of the business within two years.”

Vibe-Petersen was off and running, doing everything, as he says. But the business would have been nothing without the product, the invention. Where does that creative spark come from? He doesn’t know. Not from his father, a salesman who clearly passed on the business sense. “I’m only interested in doing something that no one else has done,” he explains. “I’ve always wanted to do things differently. I’m interested in new things, in developing this world and hopefully doing things better and more easily than they were done before.”

That approach goes a long way to explaining Parsifal III and how that remarkable yacht came about. Kim and his wife Nina had owned and chartered out two Parsifals : the 34 metre Valdettaro now called Unplugged and her sister ship now known as Ree . But the inventor in him wanted to do something new. “ Parsifal III was a game-changer in the sailing yacht industry,” says the game-changer. “We were one of the first to use (designer) Rémi Tessier and we did the complete boat with him. That made his business grow.”

Boat interiors at the time (2004) were, in Vibe-Petersen’s words, like 16th century castles or English pubs. Even though they own a 300-year-old house five minutes’ drive from Scanomat’s HQ in Kokkedal, north of Copenhagen, he and Nina didn’t want that tired, traditional style. “All the other boats had a lot of small rooms, which I couldn’t see any use for. We made Parsifal III open, so you could see 360 degrees around from the main saloon. There was no special dining room, or special pantry, or anything that disturbs your sight. I wanted it to be one big thing. That was new. Also, we wanted the outside to correspond to the inside of the boat, with a very modern look.”

It was a meeting of minds between owner and designer. “Me and Rémi are very close, yes. When I visited him in Lyons for the first time, his showroom was full of Danish furniture. There was Poul Kjærholm and Arne Jacobsen and all these famous Danish designers. He was in love with Danish design. But he was very talented because he understood what we wanted to do, so in combination with me and Nina, we developed the curved, round design. Minimalism was the key word and luxury was the next. We liked the luxury, with the chrome and so forth, but we liked it in a lower-key way.”

Charter customers and awards judges liked it, too. Long before the boat emerged from Perini Navi’s yard, one client booked it for 17 straight weeks. “From 2006 to 2009 we didn’t use the boat ourselves because it was totally chartered out: 25 weeks a year, which is unheard of,” says Vibe-Petersen. “We could have got five times the amount of bookings for it.” Among the five awards Parsifal III won in 2006 was Sailing Superyacht of the Year at the Boat International   World Superyacht Awards .

“We inspired the whole industry,” says Vibe-Petersen proudly. That same pride is evident when he asks, as I arrive, if I’d like a cup of coffee. We are in the light and airy foyer of the Scanomat building in Kokkedal, north of Copenhagen, with several glass-topped plinths around us.

He takes a glass from one and places it below a stainless steel tap. Next to the tap is an iPad, with the TopBrewer app open on its screen. He asks what coffee I’d like; how strong and how much milk. I could have specified the tamper pressure I’d like applied to the coffee that is being ground behind the counter. He slides a few gauges and taps a button and 25 seconds later I have my espresso. And it’s really good.

“You get a lot of lousy coffee around the world,” Vibe-Petersen says. “You have to give quality coffee every time and that’s why people have to use our coffee with our machines, so we make sure they don’t put bad coffee in them.” Again, as he talks, the inventor in him is so apparent and so appealing. He is completely immersed in this product, and is responsible for every element, particularly the machine itself hidden under the counter. If, as he says, he wants to do things better and more easily than they were done before, then TopBrewer is a roaring success.

Just like with Parsifal III , customers and judges are agreeing. Apple has installed TopBrewers in its Caffé Macs employee cafeteria in Cupertino; Bloomberg has done the same, as has Level39 in London. McDonald’s is testing a bespoke TopBrewer system that will cut the time it takes to serve coffee by two-thirds. Beyoncé and Jay-Z have one, Steven Spielberg has one. “TopBrewer is getting very big. It’s very trendy to use our product,” says the proud inventor.

The original TopBrewer, costing from £5,000, was launched in 2012, but a new model will be able to make iced drinks thanks to a second, adjacent swan-neck tap, as well as deliver whipped cream for hot chocolate and provide all kinds of soft drinks.

But the really clever part of the product is revealed in the TopBrewer Café in Copenhagen, which I visit on my way home. There, via my phone I can order and pay for my very own customised coffee. Malou, who works there giving demonstrations to intrigued customers, says people are rapidly getting used to it. “We can change people’s coffee habit,” says Vibe-Petersen. “If you want to compete with Starbucks, which everyone wants to do, then you have to come up with a game-changer like ours, to do that kind of quality of coffee. This is about the best you can get.

“And can you imagine what kind of potential that has on a worldwide scale? You don’t have to have staff. At the airport you don’t want to wait in a queue. If you are in Hong Kong, Singapore, London or Copenhagen, you can always get the same coffee, your favourite. The one you love.”

Clearly for Vibe-Petersen, it is not just about the invention itself. Its application and the joy and benefits it brings to people complete the process. In this, making a coffee machine is the same as chartering out a boat: done well, they both bring great pleasure.

Business and life for the Vibe-Petersens is a family affair. Their sons Sebastian and Frederik work for the company: Frederik is involved in the IT department, and worked on TopBrewer’s integration with the app; Sebastian, like his father, is more technical and product-focused. Nina, 10 years Kim’s junior, is a central figure in their charter business.

“It was always the whole family who created the atmosphere of our businesses,” says Vibe-Petersen. “One thing is that the boat looks nice, the interior looks nice. But you have to have a good crew and you have to train them how to operate; how to take care of the people and make them feel good. “All my family are very service-minded, they all have that service gene. This is so important in the charter business. You have to understand what you like yourself and whether other people will like the same thing. If they don’t, you have to find out quickly what they do like.”

Vibe-Petersen’s formula for what charter customers like – and his record indicates that it’s a winning one – is to gently encourage them to try new activities. “Make them active, make them do things they didn’t know they would like to do. Get them out on a Hobie, a top jet ski , a Laser, get them out on a paddleboard, on a kayak. Try to convince them to try other things that they wouldn’t normally do. Then they are so happy for themselves if they take a step into a new world they maybe were afraid of. There’s a lot of teaching that the crew can do: talk to people, swim with them...

“People like to be pushed a little bit. But don’t push them too much! When it works you get a big reward for it. These people are so happy and they want to come back; [the company] gave me a good holiday. That’s basically what we’re selling. On top of that, you always have to have the best chef. You can repair a lot with good food!”

Vibe-Petersen’s 60 plus years have taught him many things but there are two principles that he believes are central to who he is and what he has done – and may still do. “You have to be prepared to make mistakes. If you do not make mistakes you do not invent. And it’s important that you get bored. When you are bored your brain works behind the scenes. When you are busy and stressed and on your phone too much and on the internet too much you do not develop many things. I love it when I’m bored and can just walk around, that’s when I create ideas.”

At his age many people’s thoughts turn towards home and the garden but Vibe-Petersen says he could never retire. “I work 24/7. I do not have weekends like others. I relax, I have fun and we go to parties and this and that, but in my mind I always work. And that’s not a problem for me.” That’s how you change the game.

First published by BOAT International in 2015.

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Qatari royal invested about $50 million in pro-Trump network Newsmax

Before and after the investment, senior newsroom leaders urged newsmax staff to soften coverage of qatar, current and former employees said.

A member of the Qatari royal family invested roughly $50 million in Newsmax, according to documents and representatives for the media company and the royal, in a moment of acute Middle East tensions during the Trump administration. The investment bolstered a key conservative media outlet at a time when Qatar was facing intense diplomatic pressure from its neighbors and seeking allies in the United States.

At the time the investment was made, a coalition of countries led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had established a diplomatic and economic blockade against Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorist groups across the Middle East. Qatar had counted on its relationship with the United States for protection, but President Donald Trump initially sided with its regional rivals, praising their move in 2017 and criticizing Qatar for funding terrorism.

In 2019 and 2020, Sheikh Sultan bin Jassim Al Thani, a former Qatari government official and the owner of a London-based investment fund, Heritage Advisors, invested in Newsmax. The investment has not been previously reported.

Newsmax had been looking for outside investors to better compete with its much larger rival, Fox News, according to people who spoke at the time with its founder and CEO, Christopher Ruddy. Before and after the investment, senior newsroom leaders urged Newsmax staff to soften coverage of Qatar, current and former employees said. A representative for Newsmax strongly disputed that the network “slanted coverage to be favorable to Qatar,” and that Ruddy had told staff not to criticize the country.

Newsmax and Heritage Advisors confirmed the investment after being presented with documents detailing the transaction, which show that Sultan subsequently transferred his stake to a Cayman Islands-based corporate structure. The $50 million investment represents a significant minority stake in Newsmax, a privately held media company estimated to be worth between $100 million and $200 million, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.

The documents came from a trove of roughly 100,000 leaked files from Genesis Trust, a Cayman Islands-based financial services provider, which were obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and reviewed by The Washington Post.

Schillings, a London-based law firm and representative for Heritage, said that Sultan bought the stake because he “saw potential for the investment to be profitable” and had not acted on behalf of the Qatari state.

Among the documents were internal forms prepared by Genesis that proposed the corporate structure would be “set up with the intention of benefiting the State of Qatar.” They depicted Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani, the younger brother of the ruler of Qatar and vice chairman of the country’s sovereign wealth fund (QIA), as the “option beneficiary,” a term for a person who would take control of the structure under certain circumstances. The documents also state the structure’s funds “will be used as directed by Sheikh Mohammed (on behalf of the Emir), most likely for the Qatar state pension fund.”

Sultan and Mohammed are both members of Qatar’s ruling Al Thani family, which numbers in the thousands.

Schillings said that the forms were erroneous and that neither Sultan nor anyone from Heritage had seen those documents before The Post and ICIJ reached out for comment. It said that the structure never had an option beneficiary and was not set up with the intention of benefiting Qatar. A spokesperson for the financial services firm Highvern, which acquired Genesis Trust in 2022, said that Sultan has always been the sole owner and beneficiary of the Caymans corporate structure.

Highvern director Roger Priaulx wrote in an affidavit in response to questions from The Post and ICIJ that the error on the forms was made without Sultan’s knowledge and resulted from preliminary estate planning discussions during which Mohammed was considered as the option beneficiary, who could make decisions regarding Heritage’s investments in the event of Sultan’s incapacity or death. The documents summarized these ideas but the plans were never put in place, the affidavit states.

“We operate independently of any government and make investment decisions based exclusively on our goal of creating value,” said a Heritage representative. “Where we invest in media, we have no editorial or management control. Any suggestion that our investments are driven by ulterior motives is simply false.”

Though it was not mentioned by name, Heritage was described in the January federal indictment of Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) as having “ties to the Government of Qatar.” The indictment alleges that a Qatari government official associated with the investment firm provided Menendez’s family members with tickets to the Formula One race in Miami. The Post has previously reported that the unnamed firm in the indictment matches the description of Heritage. The firm is not accused of wrongdoing. Schillings did not answer a question about the indictment’s characterization of the firm.

Newsmax had been in conversations in 2017 and 2018 with QIA, Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, about buying into the company, according to people familiar with the matter. A Politico report at the time said that Mohammed was the Qatari official overseeing those talks and noted that Ruddy denied that Qatar was going to invest in his company.

Newsmax representatives confirmed that the outlet approached Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund about a potential investment “around 2017,” and the fund ultimately passed.

Representatives for Heritage Advisors and Newsmax stated that Sultan’s 2019 investment was a separate transaction from the earlier talks with the Qatari government.

Other investments by Heritage Advisors in recent years include a Miami-based real estate developer, a professional soccer team in Indiana, and The News Movement, a media entity launched in 2020 to target a Gen Z audience and co-founded by William Lewis, who became publisher of The Post this year.

Ruddy, a longtime media executive with deep ties to Republican politics, has long been a fixture at Trump’s private Mar-a-Lago Club and spent much of Trump’s presidency positioning himself in close proximity to the former president, according to club members and former Trump aides. In the months following Trump’s 2020 defeat, Newsmax amplified Trump’s false claims that the election had been stolen from him.

Newsmax’s coverage denying Trump’s loss helped briefly lift ratings, so much so that for one night in December 2020, Newsmax bested cable news giant Fox News among the key demographic of 25- to 54- year-old viewers during its 7 p.m. hour. “We’re here to stay,” Ruddy said at the time. “The ratings are showing that.” But Newsmax’s viewership, as measured by Nielsen, a media analytics company, plateaued and then quickly shrank.

Before and after Sultan’s investment, the outlet’s top editorial brass urged staff to soften on-air coverage of Qatar, including by avoiding discussion of the nation’s human rights record and treatment of migrant labor ahead of it hosting the World Cup in 2022, according to two Newsmax employees at the time who witnessed the exchanges and spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid angering the Newsmax CEO.

“We were not allowed to criticize Qatar,” one of these people said. “We were told very clearly from the top down, no touching this.” Ruddy verbally reprimanded a female host in 2018 for her on-air comments about Qatar, according to two other people who saw the exchange.

A Newsmax representative, Bill Daddi, said that Newsmax has published “numerous critical items about Qatar” and largely tracks with major wire and news outlet reports. He pointed to several examples on Newsmax.com , including an interview with a former Israeli ambassador who attacked Qatar for having ties with Iran and Hamas. He also provided examples on Newsmax’s TV channel since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel, in which the outlet’s hosts and guests frequently condemned Qatar for funding Hamas and allowing the movement’s leaders to reside in the country, among other things.

Ruddy “categorically denies he told any host to not criticize Qatar,” Daddi added. “While he is involved in coverage from a general perspective, Mr. Ruddy never tells hosts or correspondents what to say on air.”

A ‘great company’

In early 2018, a lawyer working on behalf of Newsmax to raise money, Christopher Nixon Cox, described a potential Qatari investment as a way to improve the emirate’s standing in Washington. Joey Allaham, a businessman and lobbyist working on the investment for Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund and Mohammed, shared with ICIJ and The Post WhatsApp messages between himself and Cox, and said that he introduced Ruddy and the Qatari officials but was eventually frozen out. Allaham said he was not informed of the subsequent deal involving Sultan.

Cox wrote an opinion article for Newsmax — the publication of which was approved by Ruddy, Cox told Allaham — praising Qatar’s cooperation with the United States in fighting terrorism. That article “will help me make the case” to the Qataris, Allaham wrote Cox.

“Newsmax deal is incredible for Qs,” Cox wrote to Allaham roughly two weeks after the article appeared online. “Literally is a game changer.”

When asked about his WhatsApp messages, Cox did not directly address them but he told The Post that he had approached the Qatari sovereign wealth fund “approximately six years ago” about an investment in Newsmax, and that “they decided not to invest.” He added that “Newsmax has proven itself a great company and investment and worthy of any major fund’s investment.”

Allaham also showed The Post and ICIJ his WhatsApp messages with Ruddy. The two met at a steakhouse in Florida, where Allaham says they discussed a potential Qatari investment.

“That was the deal Chris [Ruddy] wanted to make: By not criticizing, we’ll be positive,” Allaham said. “That was the whole plan.”

For much of Trump’s time in office, Ruddy was a rare on-the-record source for journalists about the president’s views. In doing so, he became a recognizable Trump “insider” even though some people close to the former president, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share private conversations, said that Ruddy’s influence with Trump was always more of an illusion cultivated by the Newsmax CEO than a reality.

Nevertheless, Ruddy’s relationship with Trump was a major selling point as his representatives attempted to secure a large investment from Qatar. A short biography of Ruddy sent by Cox to Allaham in advance of a dinner with the Qatari defense minister in January 2018 describes Ruddy as “one of President Trump’s best friends and the President’s most trusted private advisor,” and goes on to say that Ruddy “maintain[s] walk in privileges at the Oval Office and he privately dines with the President several times a month.”

Former Trump aides say that the characterization of Ruddy as Trump’s “most trusted private advisor” is false, and that while the two men see each other frequently at Mar-a-Lago, Trump is well-known for having highly transactional relationships outside his immediate family rather than close friendships.

The Washington charm offensive

For Qatar, then isolated by the Saudi-UAE blockade, gaining access to those close to Trump represented a key priority. “The Qataris were saying, ‘Of course we have to work on both sides of the aisle, but we have to particularly win over the conservatives and the far right, because these are the guys who are calling the shots,’” said Andreas Krieg, a senior lecturer at King’s College London who studies Qatari security policy.

Qatar launched an expensive and wide-ranging effort to convince the Trump administration of its value as a regional partner. It paid for a $1.8 billion expansion of Al Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. military facility in the Middle East, and signed a $12 billion deal with U.S. defense contractor Boeing to buy F-15 fighter jets. Qatar’s emir visited Washington in April 2018 and July 2019, where he met with Trump and signed billions of dollars in business deals.

“They are investing very heavily in our country,” Trump said of Qatar during the 2019 White House meeting. “They’re creating lots of jobs.”

Qatar routinely touts its tens of billions of dollars in investments in American businesses, which serve to both diversify its economy and bolster its stature and influence in the U.S. capital. Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, for example, has made major investments in U.S. real estate and bought a 5 percent stake last year in the company that owns Washington’s professional basketball and ice hockey teams.

According to a report released on Jan. 4 by House Democrats , the Qatari government paid over $460,000 during Trump’s presidency to Trump World Tower in New York City for properties it owned, and in 2018 members of Qatar’s ruling family spent more than $280,000 at Washington, D.C.’s Trump International Hotel. In August 2018, a firm that had received significant financial backing from Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund also bailed out a company controlled by the family of Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and close adviser, on a troubled Manhattan real estate investment.

Trump’s company has said it did not market properties to foreign governments during Trump’s time in the White House and that it donated profits from foreign leaders to the Treasury Department. The company that took over Kushner’s building, Brookfield Asset Management, has said that Qatar had no involvement in that transaction.

Even after Trump had backed away from his earlier criticisms, Qatar remained anxious about its standing within the administration, according to former U.S. officials and those close to the emirate.

“They were under enormous pressure,” said David Schenker, assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs during the Trump administration. Schenker pointed to mobile truck billboards commissioned by Qatar in Washington and New York as part of its influence campaign. “I think that highlights some of their insecurity.”

A person familiar with Qatar’s strategy at the time said that it wanted to cultivate a sympathetic conservative outlet in the United States and considered Fox News too close to Saudi Arabia, as a Saudi prince previously held a 6 percent stake in the outlet’s parent company. This person said they were told by a Qatari official that the emirate “wanted to push every lever they had to establish better relations in Washington.”

Qatar is also the primary funder of Al Jazeera, one of the most influential media networks in the Arab world. In February 2021, following Sultan’s investment in Newsmax, Al Jazeera launched a right-leaning outlet called “Rightly,” which was meant to attract American conservative viewers. The outlet ended operations in December 2021.

Sultan’s investment in Newsmax was not listed on Heritage Advisors’s website. A representative for Heritage said that the firm’s website only lists roughly one-third of its investments.

Heritage Advisors’s investments include the News Movement, a digital media platform aimed at Gen Z audiences that Lewis co-founded. The firm’s website listed its investment in the News Movement as recently as January, but it was subsequently removed from the site. A spokesperson for the News Movement said it is a “founder-owned business” and that the “several outside minority investors that have provided additional funding” since its launch in 2020 “are passive with no operational or editorial involvement.”

In a statement, Kathy Baird, a spokesperson for The Post, said, “When William Lewis joined The Washington Post, he stepped down from his role as CEO and Publisher of The News Movement and has no operational involvement. He remains a proud shareholder.” Neither the News Movement nor Baird responded to other questions about the Heritage investment.

The Caymans haven

Sultan reaped economic benefits from holding the investment in the Cayman Islands, one of the world’s most prominent offshore havens. The Caribbean nation does not impose taxes on corporations – a key reason that more than 100,000 companies have established operations there. The country also has extensive corporate secrecy laws, and does not publish information on the ownership of corporate entities.

“If you have a network of companies that pass through the Caymans, it is a bit like drawing a veil over the ownership,” said Graham Barrow, a former banker who has worked as a consultant for several NGOs to advocate for policies that combat money laundering.

The leaked documents show that Heritage Advisors employees began preparations to transfer the Newsmax stake into the Cayman Islands corporate structure on Nov. 10, 2020, one week after Trump’s election loss.

Representatives for Heritage Advisors said there was no attempt to conceal the investment. They said the transfer was done for convenience following the establishment of the London-based firm, and was a common practice for entities investing in the United States.

The Saudi-UAE blockade of Qatar fizzled out just as Trump was leaving the White House – and while Sultan was in the process of putting his stake in Newsmax in the Cayman Islands.

Three years since he left office, Trump has continued to praise Newsmax. “You’re really going up like a rocket ship,” he said during an interview on the channel in May. “And that’s a fantastic thing for a conservative movement.”

David Kenner is a reporter with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. Josh Dawsey contributed to this report. The Post and ICIJ collaborated on this report.