Before Saudi royalty bought it, Bill Gates rented this $400m yacht just to helicopter to tennis courts
Published on Jun 22, 2025 at 8:12 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Jun 19, 2025 at 3:28 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
Bill Gates chartered one of the most opulent yachts in the world – the 439-foot superyacht Serene – in 2014 for $5 million per week before it was sold to Saudi royalty – however, he left by helicopter daily to play tennis.
The yacht, which was chartered off the coast of Sardinia, was owned at the time by Russian billionaire Yuri Shefler, the owner of Stolichnaya vodka.
The stunning vessel inspired Gates to invest in his own yacht.
While many of us would soak up every second onboard for the unbelievable charter cost – the American tech business billionaire and philanthropist ventured offboard once a day to play tennis on an island.
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The Microsoft mogul and his family were enjoying the waters and scenic views around Porto Cervo, a billionaire hotspot in northern Sardinia.
Bill Gates has a strict tennis routine that saw him fly by helicopter every morning from the yacht to a private court onshore before returning for leisure activities like watersports later in the day with his then-wife, Melinda French Gates, and their children.
Choppering in and out wasn’t an issue, with the behemoth vessel featuring two helipads, a personal submarine, an underwater viewing room, spas, a cinema, and that’s just scratching the surface.
Designed by Fincantieri and Reymond Langton, Serene spans seven decks and includes 12 suites for 24 guests and over 50 crew members.
While Gates, who is at the time of writing worth over $116 billion, didn’t buy a yacht immediately after, it’s said that his über-luxury break made quite the impression.
Gates later commissioned a hydrogen-powered superyacht, named Breakthrough, reflecting his commitment to sustainability, which is reflected in his real-estate portfolio.
However, he never fully used or kept the yacht, reportedly selling it after his divorce from Melinda in 2021.
Serene is now owned by Saudi royalty: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who bought it on a whim during a holiday in the South of France.
The yacht is rumored to house Salvator Mundi, the $450 million Leonardo da Vinci painting, as part of the royal family’s collection.
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All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
