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Paul Allen’s Superyacht Octopus: Why It Was Listed for $325 Million

Paul Allen’s 414-foot yacht Octopus was listed for about $325 million in 2019. A 2021 report said it sold after a lower offer, without naming the buyer or final price.
From TheFinanceBase Team3 min to read
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The $325 million figure was Octopus’s reported asking price in September 2019—not its known sale price. The 414-foot explorer yacht was later reported sold in 2021 after being offered for €235 million ($278 million); the buyer and final transaction price were not disclosed in that report.

What the $325 million listing meant

GeekWire reported on September 5, 2019, that Octopus was listed for €295 million, then reported as about $325 million. That was an asking price attached to a brokerage listing, not proof of what a buyer ultimately paid. GeekWire’s 2019 report also said a refit had been completed that year.

In August 2021, Bloomberg Línea reported that the yacht had sold after being offered at €235 million ($278 million). Its report did not identify the buyer or state a final sale price. The €235 million figure is therefore the reported offer/listing price before the sale, not a confirmed closing figure. Bloomberg Línea’s sale report supplies the later chapter, but not the deal’s final terms.

Why Allen called his yachts “too big”

GeekWire quoted Allen describing his fleet this way: “They’re too big, and there are too many of them.” It is a reported comment about the size and number of his yachts; the article does not establish that he was responding to Octopus’s 2019 asking price.

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In a separate account of watching Octopus take shape in Germany, Allen reportedly said: “Oh my gosh, that’s really big. No, no, it’s enormous.” The remarks are distinct, and neither should be treated as a comment on the eventual sale.

What Octopus was built to do

Octopus was unveiled in 2003 as a large explorer yacht commissioned by Allen. Its official history credits Lürssen with construction, Espen Øino with yacht design, and Jonathan Quinn Barnett with the interior design. The yacht’s current official site describes it as 126 metres long; GeekWire rounded the length to 414 feet in its 2019 listing coverage.

It was designed to combine hospitality with expedition equipment. GeekWire’s 2019 account described eight decks, two helipads, a cinema, gym, spa, observation lounge, basketball court, pool, dive center and hyperbaric chamber. It also reported that the Pagoo submarine could carry eight guests and two crew and dive for up to eight hours. Those are specifications reported in 2019, not a guarantee of the yacht’s present equipment or operating configuration.

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Guest capacity: 2019 reporting versus the current site

Capacity figures differ by source and date, so they should not be combined as though they describe one confirmed configuration.

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Source and date Guest capacity Crew capacity
GeekWire, 2019 Up to 26 guests in 13 cabins 63 crew in 30 cabins
Octopus official site, crawled October 8, 2026 12 guests in 13 cabins Not stated on the cited site information

The current site also labels its ROV availability “subject to confirmation.” Official website descriptions are the yacht’s own marketing, while the 2019 figures come from contemporaneous reporting; neither establishes the exact configuration on a particular future voyage.

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Octopus’s expedition history

GeekWire reported that Allen’s research team used Octopus in 2015 to help recover the bell from HMS Hood and locate the wreckage of the Japanese battleship Musashi. The same account said filmmaker James Cameron was aboard for his 2012 Mariana Trench dive. These are reported episodes, rather than details independently documented in the yacht’s official build history.

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GeekWire also reported that Allen bought the research vessel Petrel in 2016, after which Octopus’s dedicated exploration role diminished. That shift helps explain why Octopus’s story is not only one of size and luxury: it also served as a platform for deep-sea exploration.

Who owns Octopus now, and can it be chartered?

The cited 2021 sale report left the buyer undisclosed, so it does not establish the yacht’s current owner. Octopus’s official website, crawled October 8, 2026, promotes expedition and luxury experiences through Big Blue Expeditions. That public-facing marketing does not confirm live availability, prices, booking terms or ownership.

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A Cecil Wright broker press item reported charter availability in May 2023, but that dated notice is not evidence of current dates or rates. Anyone considering a booking would need to confirm availability and terms directly with the relevant operator.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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