Inside the secretive network fueling the megayacht boom
The luxury yacht market is experiencing a surge in off-market transactions, driven by a new wave of billionaires seeking exclusive, high-end vessels. Brokers are increasingly using discreet, word-of-mouth networks to facilitate these multi-million dollar sales, bypassing traditional public listings.
Why it matters
This trend highlights the growing concentration of wealth and the increasing desire for privacy among the ultra-wealthy, which complicates market transparency.
Getty Images; Rebecca Zisser/BI Tomek Wrzesinski has spent more than 20 years selling supersized boats to the uberwealthy, and he's found one nearly foolproof way to get a client to bite. It starts with sending a cryptic weekend text message: " Maybe I have something for you. I just need to check if it's still available. It's an off-market offer ." The last three words are usually enough to cinch the deal. "After 20 minutes, you have an answer: Yes, yes, yes," says the Monaco-based yacht broker. Wrzesinski's method takes advantage of his place in a discreet network of off-market brokers who help the rich purchase boats without them being officially listed for sale.
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