Revolut CEO Storonsky Faces Lawsuit Over €350 Million Yacht Purchase

Cecil Wright, a broker specializing in the sale of luxury yachts, has filed a €17.5 million lawsuit against Nick Storonsky, the founder and CEO of the British fintech company Revolut, in the High Court in London. The company alleges that the billionaire attempted to avoid paying commissions on a yacht valued at €350 million, according to the Financial Times (FT), citing court documents.

Cecil Wright & Partners has filed a lawsuit against Storonsky in connection with his purchase of a yacht in January of this year. According to the case file, the story began in October 2024, when an advisor to Storonsky’s family office approached the broker to request assistance in building a new yacht, and a few months later—in 2025—inquired whether the broker had a vessel that Storonsky could purchase. Cecil Wright offered the businessman a 102-meter yacht that was under construction at the time at the German superyacht shipyard Lürssen. According to Robb Report magazine, the yacht in question was equipped with a 25-foot infinity pool with a glass bottom and a gym featuring a cryochamber.

However, in January 2026, Storonsky’s advisor informed the brokerage’s founder, Chris Cecil-Wright, that the billionaire had already purchased the yacht without Cecil Wright’s involvement, from its new direct owner—Canadian businessman and former hockey player Patrick Dovidji. In his lawsuit, Cecil Wright claims that he is entitled to a 5% commission on the transaction amount under the brokerage agreement as the “actual initiator” of the sale, despite the fact that his company was ultimately excluded from the deal.

Chris Cecil-Wright told the FT: “Brokers very rarely find themselves in this kind of situation, and this is the first time it has happened to me, but I am determined and am therefore taking the necessary steps.”

A representative of the Storonsky family office stated that the lawsuit “is without merit and will be contested.”

Among other things, the broker was involved in the construction of some of the world’s largest and most expensive yachts, the newspaper reports. Among them is the 99-meter yacht Madame Gu, built for Russian billionaire Andrei Skoch, who is now subject to Western sanctions, as well as the yacht Tango, which was confiscated by Spanish authorities because it belonged to Russian-Israeli businessman Viktor Vekselberg (who is also subject to Western sanctions), the FT reports.

Nick Storonsky is the co-founder and CEO of the British fintech company Revolut. The company offers a wide range of services, from currency exchange and commission-free ATM withdrawals to international money transfers and budget planning tools. According to Forbes, as of March 2026, Storonsky’s net worth is estimated at $18.8 billion.

On July 26, Revolut launched a new round of secondary sales of employee shares at a company valuation of $115 billion—53% higher than the $75 billion valuation in November. The company is also continuing to prepare for its IPO: it expects to reach a valuation of up to $200 billion before going public. Stronsky himself has previously stated that Revolut’s IPO is not planned until at least 2028.

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor