British billionaire Joe Lewis, a major shareholder of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, owns several ships named Aviva. His latest, the third Aviva, is a 323-foot marvel from the celebrated Abeking & Rasmussen yard, valued at a hefty $250 million. More astonishing than the fact that this colossal yacht was designed around a padel tennis court is the artwork adorning its walls. The boat showcases Francis Bacon’s “Triptych 1974 – 1977” on its lower deck, encased in golden frames. The 86-year-old owns an extensive art collection, worth nearly $1 billion, including works by Picasso, Matisse, Freud, and Bacon.
“People often put art on yachts, but usually not their most valuable pieces,” states Katja Zigerlig, Vice President of Art, Wine, and Collectibles at Berkley One, to Bloomberg. “From a conservation standpoint, it’s not ideal,” akin to “taking a newborn on a safari trip to Africa.” Lewis’s choice of decoration for his superyacht was not only an expensive artwork worth $75 million, but also happens to be Bacon’s last triptych.
This multi-million-dollar macabre piece, influenced by grief over his lover George Dyer’s suicide in 1971, has graced the walls of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Tokyo’s National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto’s National Museum of Modern Art, the Tate Gallery in London, among others, before finding a permanent place on the Aviva.
It’s not unusual for tycoons to adorn their ultra-expensive luxury vessels with costly paintings and renowned artwork. This trend of displaying possessions is as much a status symbol as the sailing goliaths themselves. For instance, it’s believed that Saudi Crown Prince MBS housed Leonardo da Vinci’s world-famous Salvator Mundi on his Serene superyacht, a masterpiece purchased for $450 million and displayed on a $400 million megayacht. Similarly, Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov kept rare paintings worth $5 million aboard his $600 million Dilbar Yacht.
Japanese fashion billionaire Yusaku Maezawa carried his prized $110 million Basquiat painting while vacationing on a chartered superyacht. Despite the perils of natural elements, inability to care for expensive artworks, or plain bad luck (like Maezawa’s kids throwing cornflakes on his Basquiat), affluent billionaires continue to showcase their treasures, which are as much a status symbol as their impressive yachts.
Aviva superyacht, a marvel in its own right-
Aviva stands out for its ambitious goals and swift completion. “Building a big yacht around a padel tennis court was the main brief, I guess,” says Andreas Hering, the yard’s project manager, “in just three years.” Normally, such a project would take at least five years, but Aviva is no ordinary yacht.
The 5000 GT vessel features elegant profiles, skillfully concealing its scale with aesthetics. The padel tennis court, a crucial part of the owner’s daily routine, is an innovative inclusion in this grand design.
In addition to the action-packed area, the 323-foot boat includes several concealed pantries and crew entrances, three massive dumbwaiters, and a lower deck entrance for loading supplies. Its cozy family room, complete with large sofas, game tables, and a sculptural Bogányi piano, rivals the master suite. Located on the main deck for extra stability, the full-beam suite includes an ensuite with a monolithic Corian bathtub and a walk-in wardrobe inspired by Chanel boutiques.
Designer Andrew Langton describes the space as ‘bigger than my house in France’. The Aviva yacht also boasts luxurious amenities such as a beach club, a gym, a swimming pool, and a spa.
Who is billionaire Joe Lewis?
This high-profile magnate, born above a London pub, is worth $6.2 billion and started his career helping his family in a catering business. He later became a currency trader, with fortunes changing in the 90s due to bets against the British pound and Mexican peso. As the founder of the investment firm Tavistock Group, he invested heavily in real estate, sports, luxury hotels, and biotech. Lewis acquired Tottenham Hotspur Football Club from Alan Sugar for $28 million in 2001. This self-made billionaire enjoys watching matches on the numerous screens aboard Aviva. Besides football and padel tennis, he is an avid golfer. The businessman resides in the Bahamas, where he created the golf community Albany.
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