U.S. officials believe they may have recovered a priceless Faberge egg from a superyacht seized from a Russian oligarch in Fiji last month.
The rare jeweled egg was discovered aboard the Amadea, a $300 million, 348-foot-long superyacht owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov. U.S. law enforcement officials working with the Justice Department’s “KleptoCapture” task force seized the vessel in June and sailed it to San Diego, where it remains. If the egg is proven to be an authentic Faberge, it could be worth millions.
“We’ve been finding really interesting things,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco told the Aspen Security Forum on Wednesday, noting the potential discovery of the Faberge egg.
RUSSIAN-OWNED SUPERYACHT LEAVES FIJI UNDER US CONTROL
Monaco added that the KleptoCapture task force has “been quite successful” and that she hopes proceeds from the sale of “ill-gotten gains” seized from Russian oligarchs can go to Ukrainians affected by Russia’s invasion.
The rare eggs, prized by museums and collectors, were designed for the Russian royal family by Peter Carl Faberge between the late 19th century and the early 20th century. A total of 50 eggs were made, and 43 are accounted for today. In 2002, a Faberge egg sold for $9.5 million at auction to an anonymous bidder. In 2007, a previously unknown Faberge egg sold for a record-setting 12.6 million at auction.
Kerimov likely would’ve had the means to purchase an authentic Faberge egg. His Delaware-based Heritage Trust holds assets valued at over $1 billion. The assets in the trust were frozen by the Treasury Department last month.
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The U.S. and partner nations have seized billions of dollars worth of Russian assets since sanctions were imposed on Russian oligarchs and government officials after Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, according to the Treasury Department.
