How AI Fortunes Are Quietly Buying Up the World's Biggest Yachts

The superyacht market is no longer running on public listings, according to brokers who cater to the ultra-wealthy. Monaco-based broker Tomek Wrzesinski says the strongest sales often begin with a deliberately vague weekend message: a hint that something is available, off-market, and likely to be gone soon. That scarcity signal is usually enough to secure a buyer within minutes.

The trend is being powered by a wave of newly minted billionaires from the AI boom, alongside large gains in stock and crypto markets. Brokers and data providers describe rising demand for boats so large and opulent that they are rarely advertised: vessels with glass-walled pools, beach clubs, saunas, helipads and custom amenities. Known off-market transactions are on track to rise about 5% this year compared with 2025, according to Super Yacht Times Intelligence, while Fraser Yachts CEO Anders Kurtén estimates off-market activity has roughly doubled since 2019.

The boom is concentrated at the top. Overall yacht sales have been declining in publicly available broker data, but sales of superyachts over 30 metres reached 442 in 2025, up 12% from the prior year, according to BOATPro. The very largest categories are even stronger: final asking prices for megayachts and gigayachts rose 33% and 38% respectively last year, per Camper & Nicholsons.

Inside the Off-Market Superyacht Economy

AI and market wealth are the demand engine

The surge tracks astonishing wealth creation. The world added 400 billionaires this year, bringing the total to 3,428 people holding more than $20 trillion in combined wealth. Brokers such as John Hermanson in Kuwait say the AI boom and the recent run-up in stocks and crypto are the fuel. When fortunes are made quickly, a small number of buyers move into trophy assets that signal arrival, and a yacht longer than a football field is one of the loudest signals available.

Off-market buying is a relationship business, not a database

The off-market model works because supply is deliberately scarce and hidden. Brokers rely on decades of contacts, word of mouth and cold approaches to owners who are not officially selling. Hermanson says off-market listings do not exist in a database but in relationships, and Wrzesinski reports inbound business up about 300% since 2019. For buyers, discretion is part of the product: proof of funds is required, NDAs are common, and communications are often encrypted.

The top of the market is decoupling from the broader yacht trade

The data points to a split market. While ordinary yacht sales are softening, the 60-to-100-metre megayacht and 100-metre-plus gigayacht segments are the strongest, with rising sales and faster absorption. That suggests the boom is not broad-based consumer demand but a narrow, wealth-concentrated phenomenon. High-net-worth buyers also upgrade quickly; Wrzesinski says yachts typically stay with an owner for about three years before the desire for a bigger boat takes over.

The main risk is the AI cycle itself

Brokers are bullish but aware that the boom depends on paper wealth. Kurtén acknowledges that a sudden market drop could erase a large amount of wealth, though he expects underlying demand for large yachts to recover within a few years. That is an opinion, not a forecast: off-market sales are hard to quantify, and the current strength may reflect the same AI-driven asset inflation that could unwind.

What the Superyacht Rush Means for Buyers and Brokers

  • For wealthy buyers, treat access as the real filter: off-market yachts are found through established brokers, not public listings, and sellers usually expect proof of funds and an NDA before details are shared.
  • Budget for a top-tier premium. Megayacht and gigayacht asking prices rose 33% and 38% last year, while beach club conversions alone can cost $1.7 million to $3.4 million.
  • If you are selling, expect a broker-led off-market approach: owners who are not officially selling may still receive cold offers, and the right price can turn a non-listed yacht into a sale.
  • For yacht professionals, the opportunity is concentrated in the 60-metre-plus segment and in discreet buyer representation; the wider yacht market is not sharing the boom equally.