Guess who’s staying in Singapore under a new identity?
The super-yacht at the center of the 1MDB financial scandal, the floating monstrosity Jho Low once entertained Miranda Kerr in, has a new name, kids — and wouldn’t you know it, you would have only needed a basic thesaurus to come up with this skillful rebranding.
Meet the Equanimity Tranquility, totally not the same vibe that you may have remembered of infamy past! It’s all above water, now (puns!).
Ship-tracking website Marine Traffic reported that the automatic identification system (AIS) now states that the vessel’s name is indeed, Tranquility, when it sends automatic transmissions to transponders on other ships.
After years of floating in and around Southeast Asia, from Phuket to Bali, Malaysia’s government took control of the yacht after it was seized in Bali. The monstrosity, that included its own helipad and nightclub, was seized among other luxury items and properties in relation to the 1MDB financial scandal.
Allegedly owned by Jho Low, it had been reported to be valued at somewhere in the US$250 million ballpark.
In a deal that would put our own haggling spirit to shame, gaming scions Genting Malaysia, purchased the yacht for the bargain-basement price of US$126 million.
Apparently, they hope that their latest acquisition will give them a “unique and competitive edge” for their VIP clientele.
If that isn’t code for “sitting on Leonardo DiCaprio’s sweat stain,” then we don’t know what is.
Genting Malaysia is part of a wider Genting Group, who own and operate several casinos around the world, including in Genting Highlands, and on Singapore’s luxury Sentosa Island.
Looking for a little bit of Tranquility? Here it is making its way to the Loyang Jetty near the Changi Boardwalk.
