Yacht

The magnificent yacht is said to have cost fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, more known as Jho Low, a hefty  $250 million.

Despite being named after the word meaning ‘a mental calmness, even in a difficult situation’, the Equanimity has become the symbol of quite the opposite. The superyacht at the centre of Malaysia’s 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) investment fund scandal, is now up for sale.

The magnificent yacht is said to have cost fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, more known as Jho Low, a hefty  $250 million. Almost one of its kind, it has plush luxuries to boast:  a helipad (certified for an Airbus EC-135 or equivalent), gym, Turkish bath, jacuzzi, pool, beach club, spa, a beauty salon and even a hospital.

According to yacht specialist Burgess, the sole broker for the sale, there are few boats equal in size currently on the market, and only one or two is sold in a year.

Plush Interior

Equanimity has been designed to comfortably accommodate 18 to 22 guests in its 9 cabins of master suite, four VIP staterooms, 2 double cabin and 2 twin cabins. It can also carry up to 31 crew onboard for a complete luxurious yacht experience.

Its Asian inspired interior was designed by Winch Design using a variety of exotic materials in a beautiful combination of wenge wood, bamboo, marble and designs of gold leaf.

Balance of Luxury and Safety

The 91.5 meter (300-foot) superyacht was built in 2014 in the Netherlands and has an exterior design created by Oceanco, a privately owned custom yacht builder. Its exterior is steel hull strengthened to Ice Class E. The luxury motor yacht features a displacement steel hull and aluminium superstructure, with teak decks.

Equanimity is powered by two MTU 20v 4000M73L engines providing a maximum speed of up to 18.5 knots. At cruising speed of 15 knots, its range is 5,000nm. It also comes with ‘zero speed stabilisers’ which work at anchor, increasing on-board comfort when stationary, particularly in rough waters.

It is built to comply with the Passenger Yacht Code (PYC).

Equanimity, said to have been bought with money belonging to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) investment fund, is to be sold to the highest bidder in efforts to recoup funds. The yacht gained some notoriety last year when it was impounded during the investigation into the 1MDB scandal, in which $4.5 billion from the 1MDB fund was misappropriated. The Malaysian government said that $500,000 a month is needed to maintain the glitzy vessel.

There as many as 20 interested buyers for the vessel, according to lead broker for the sale Rupert Nelson, with interest coming from the Middle East, Russia and other parts of Asia. It has been on the market for sale since October 2018.  It is said only one to two yachts of this value sell globally each year and that it takes 12 to 24 months for them to sell.

Photos: Burgess