The brokerage firm Cecil Wright & Partners has filed a lawsuit against Nik Storonsky. The Revolut founder purchased a 102-metre superyacht from the Canadian entrepreneur Patrick Dovigi in January 2026. According to rumours circulating in the industry, it is said to be the The 102.4-metre-long “Nixie” which was delivered just a few weeks ago and is on display at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show. The purchase price is reported to be around 350 million euros. The brokers are now claiming a five per cent commission, amounting to 17.5 million euros. The claim was filed with the High Court in London, as reported by the Financial Times according to court documents. According to the broker, the deal was ultimately concluded directly between the buyer and the seller, without the broker’s involvement. An adviser to the Storonsky family’s family office had first contacted Cecil Wright in October 2024. Initially, the brokerage firm was to oversee the construction of a new yacht.
From a new build to the finished yacht
In 2025, the plans changed. The adviser enquired about a vessel that was already available, which Storonsky could purchase until the completion of a potential new build. Cecil Wright then suggested the superyacht still under construction at the German shipyard Lürssen. In January 2026, the adviser informed the founder of the brokerage firm, Chris Cecil-Wright, that Storonsky had purchased the vessel directly from Dovigi. In the statement of claim, the broker argues that his company played a decisive role in bringing about the deal. He therefore claims that, under the brokerage agreement, he is entitled to the agreed commission. A spokesperson for Storonsky’s family office rejected the allegations. The claim is said to be completely without foundation and will be contested. No court ruling has yet been issued.
Exceptional facilities across 102 metres
The 102.4-metre-long RWD design marked Lürssen’s sixth delivery in 2026 – A record for the North German gigayacht experts. “Nixie”, previously developed and built under the project name JASSJ, was conceived entirely by a design studio. For the exterior, the British team at RWD adopted a fluid, organic design philosophy: gentle waves with deep contours meet broad, convex forms. The design allows light to glide across the surfaces in such a way that the structure appears to visually disappear into itself. The structural glazing enhances this effect. Each pane is individually shaped and tinted with a colour gradient. The six-metre-wide glass pool is designed as a semi-floating architectural space. The The five-deck yacht is available for charter through Edmiston. The weekly fee amounts to 2.4 million euros. However, it has not yet been publicly confirmed that ‘Nixie’ is Storonsky’s ship.
A rare occurrence in the industry
The yacht’s history is unusual. Dovigi had originally commissioned the yacht. It was subsequently sold whilst still under construction. Former professional NHL ice hockey player Patrick Dovigi is said to have The 118.8-metre-long Feadship “Breakthrough” purchased for 570 million euros, which Bill Gates had commissioned in 2019. The most expensive yacht deal in history to date.
Chris Cecil-Wright told the Financial Times that brokers very rarely find themselves in such a situation. For him personally, this was the first such case. However, he considered his claim to be so clear-cut that he was taking legal action. Whilst the industry is no stranger to commission disputes, lawsuits on this scale are unusual. The case could set a precedent for future transactions in the luxury yacht sector.
Revolut has 75 million customers worldwide
Nik Storonsky co-founded the digital financial services provider Revolut with Vlad Yatsenko in 2015, at the age of 31. In June 2026, the financial firm announced that it now had more than 75 million customers across 40 markets. Following a share placement, Revolut was most recently valued at US$75 billion. The company thus describes itself as Europe’s most valuable unlisted technology firm.
Martin Hager
Editor in Chief YACHT