Nik Storonsky, the billionaire founder of digital bank Revolut, is being sued by luxury ship broker Cecil Wright & Partners, which accuses him of going "behind its back" to avoid paying commission on a £300million superyacht.
In January, Storonsky bought the 334-foot vessel, which comes with a 25-foot glass-bottomed infinity pool, a beach club and a cryotherapy chamber.
In a claim filed with the High Court, Cecil Wright said it was entitled to a 5 per cent fee from the deal, equivalent to around £15million.
How the dispute began
The brokerage alleges that an adviser to Storonsky's family office first approached it in October 2024 to commission a custom-built yacht. In 2025, his advisers asked whether there was a yacht he could buy in the meantime, and Cecil Wright recommended the superyacht, which was still under construction at the time.
The firm's lawyers claim that Storonsky, who is worth an estimated £15billion thanks to his stake in Revolut, then went behind Cecil Wright's back to buy the boat directly from Canadian billionaire and former ice hockey player Patrick Dovigi, according to the Financial Times.
The filings argue that Cecil Wright is entitled to a 5 per cent commission as the "effective cause" of the sale, despite allegedly being cut out of the transaction.
Broker and Revolut respond
Chris Cecil-Wright, the broker's founder, told the FT: "It's very rare for brokers to find themselves in this situation and it's the first time I have done so, but I feel strongly about it, hence am taking action."
A spokesperson for Storonsky's family office said the claims were "without merit and will be defended."
The yacht's history
The superyacht was originally commissioned by Dovigi, a former goalkeeper for the Edmonton Oilers ice hockey team, before it was sold to a Brazilian banker who was arrested for alleged fraud in 2025. Dovigi, who runs a waste management firm, then bought the boat back before selling it on to the Revolut founder.
Revolut's growth
Storonsky started Revolut in 2013 with £300,000 of his own savings, and it has since grown into one of Britain's most successful fintech firms, now valued at £56billion. The valuation, based on a funding round last October, places it among the biggest companies of its kind.
The company is reportedly eyeing a stock market float in the coming years, with London top of its list of possible destinations. Earlier this year, Revolut secured a UK banking licence, five years after first applying to the regulator, and has also set its sights on expansion into the United States.
