Flash, secretive and moveable: Why Russian oligarchs just love a mega-yacht

Tom Keatinge, director of the Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies at the Royal United Services Institute, told Metro.co.uk they provide two priceless commodities: seclusion and clout. He said: ‘Obviously, these people value their privacy, they value the exclusive lifestyle and so of course, a mega-yacht ticks a lot of boxes. ‘It’s a sort of a status symbol and it’s a tool of influence. ‘If you invite politicians – like politicians from the UK have done in the past – to go and spend a few days or have dinner on these yachts in the south of France, it’s a very effective tool.’