Dentons acts in Revolut billionaire €17.5m superyacht spat

Dentons has been instructed by superyacht broker Cecil Wright & Partners in a €17.5 million claim over the purchase of a €350 million superyacht by Revolut co-founder and CEO Nikolay Storonsky.

The High Court claim alleges Cecil Wright introduced Storonsky to the vessel, arranged inspections and negotiated with successive potential sellers before he ultimately completed the purchase directly and without paying a brokerage commission.

Storonsky denies he is liable for any commission.  

Dentons is acting for Cecil Wright & Partners, while Storonsky is represented by maritime boutique Hannaford Turner, according to court records.

Extended search

According to the claim, Storonsky's family office first instructed Cecil Wright in October 2024 to assist with a bespoke newbuild yacht project, with the parties agreeing a €1 million flat fee for that work.

While the newbuild was progressing, the family office later asked the broker to source an existing yacht that could be acquired in the meantime.

In the email, “commercial arrangements you would expect from this” and also the word “commission” were mentioned, according to the court filings.

Cecil Wright says that search led it to a 3,300 GT Lürssen yacht, nearing the end of its construction. The broker alleges it was the first to introduce the opportunity to Storonsky, arranged a visit to the German shipyard and facilitated early negotiations.

Ownership dispute

The claim says the yacht was originally contracted by Canadian billionaire Patrick Dovigi before being sold during construction to a Brazilian owner.  

Following that owner's arrest in connection with fraud allegations, Cecil Wright alleges it continued working to secure the transaction as Dovigi re-emerged as the prospective seller.  

According to the claim, Storonsky ultimately contacted Dovigi directly and agreed the purchase without involving Cecil Wright in the final stages. The broker alleges this was done deliberately to avoid paying commission.

Cecil Wright is seeking €17.5 million, representing an alleged market-rate commission of 5% on a purchase price of around €350 million.

As a fallback position, Cecil Wright also argues that, even if no binding brokerage agreement existed, Storonsky should still pay because he benefited from the firm's work in securing the yacht purchase.