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Indebted financier Lars Windhorst denies living ‘billionaire lifestyle’

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German financier Lars Windhorst has denied living a “billionaire lifestyle” while large debts to creditors remain outstanding, during a London high court hearing where he struggled to answer questions about his finances.

At the hearing, which related to a claim brought by investment firms linked to Monaco-based cruise magnate Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, Windhorst said it was “complicated” to give an estimate of his net worth and “difficult” to answer whether he was “balance sheet solvent”.

A barrister representing the claimant told the court that shortly after his client won a €172mn judgment against Windhorst in 2021, the German financier racked up thousands of pounds of bar and restaurant bills and spent more than €15,000 buying wine.

The barrister asked Windhorst whether he had “continued to live a very lavish lifestyle, apparently without alteration”, adding that he appeared to be “continuing to live a billionaire lifestyle while owing over €130mn to my client”.

Windhorst told the court that “all these activities are related to business” adding he worked “seven days a week” and that all his entertainment expenses were client related.

“I want to get rid of my personal debt, I never want to have personal debt again,” he told the hearing at the end of a day when his assets were pored over in court, disclosing cash and investments in bank accounts in Germany, Switzerland and Lichtenstein.

Windhorst, who in recent years has been at the centre of a an investment scandal at France’s H2O Asset Management , was asked about private jet fees and other expenses paid out by companies in his Tennor group.

“My lifestyle is to a very large extent linked to my business activities and therefore the majority of my lifestyle expenses are funded by companies of the group,” he told the court.

He disclosed some of his financial arrangements with creditors, including that he had provided a “personal guarantee” to H2O Asset Management for an “initial nominal amount” of liabilities of around €2.5bn.

A judge last month found Windhorst in contempt of court for failing to appear at a previous enforcement hearing in the case. The judge acknowledged, however, that the financier had provided a “sincere” apology to the court.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Windhorst was questioned about loan agreements and other transactions with businessmen including Nigerian oil magnate Segun Adebutu, Swiss-Turkish financier Henry Gabay and German entrepreneur Friedrich Knapp. He also confirmed that he had pledged his art collection to one of Knapp’s companies.

Windhorst struggled to answer questions about the complicated series of trusts through which he holds his assets, but confirmed that his companies have a wine collection consisting of over 1,000 bottles and that he owns watches worth more than €600,000.

He confirmed to court that he no longer owns a 74-meter superyacht called Global, having sold it to an undisclosed party a number of years ago. He said that he still owns a smaller “Wajer 55” boat, which is typically used as a transport vessel to larger superyachts.

Windhorst also confirmed that his trusts owned two Bombardier private jets, but claimed that people “inside and outside” his businesses were also able to use them, including Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio.

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Facing bankruptcy, this enterprising tycoon, nicknamed the German Bill Gates, is selling his Lürssen superyacht at an unheard discount of $30 million. Longer than an Olympic-sized swimming pool, the six-decker luxury vessel has a spa, a massive master suite, and a helipad.

Most affluent businessmen are written about for their incredible shopping sprees, but German multi-millionaire Lars Windhorst is on a selling-spree. After getting rid of his German football team Hertha BSC, the tycoon is selling his stunner-of-a- superyacht Global. What is alarming is the price at which he is willing to let go of this Lurssen beauty. For $85 million, the co-founder of Tennor Group will bid adieu to a luxury vessel that was valued at $115 million only a year ago. The $30 million discount does aerate news of his bankruptcy, and the sale may be a buoy that would help the German Bill Gates, as he is famously nicknamed, stay afloat in the financial turmoil.

Global superyacht, a pleasure for sea-farers around the globe-

Originally commissioned by Shahid Khan, the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, the yacht named Global (formerly known as Kismet) was delivered in 2007. It underwent a refit in 2024, making Global a truly sought-after yacht that was opulently designed.

Who is the man nicknamed ‘German Bill Gates?’

The 48-year-old Lars Windhorst became a household name in Germany as a teenage entrepreneur which earned him the moniker. Windhorst was the co-founder of the Sapinda group that later changed into the Tennor group with investments in lingerie brand La Perla, Hertha Berlin football club, and superyacht builder Nobiskrug, the yard behind greats like Tatoosh, Artefact, and Sailing Yacht A.

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GLOBAL Yacht – Marvelous $115M Superyacht

GLOBAL yacht is a 67.1-meter yacht capable of welcoming 12 guests in her very spacious six cabins and fitting up to 13 qualified onboard crew members.

She was built by Shadow Marine back in 2007 and was refitted a year after her completion.

She can cruise at 10 knots and can go up to a maximum speed of 14 knots; she is also available for charter for both the summer and winter seasons.

GLOBAL yacht interior

Designing the interior of GLOBAL yacht is Shadow Marine, a design studio founded to bring the Shadow Boat concept design and create mega-yachts for the wealthy.

They have tons of experience in interior yacht designs, especially ones in 150-280 feet vessels.

One of these yachts is the NORD yacht, a 141.63-meter superyacht capable of carrying 36 guests in her 20 spacious cabins.

She has a steel hull, a teak deck, and an aluminum superstructure. She can cruise at speeds of 15 knots and can go up to 20 knots.

Another is the AHPO yacht, the 115.1-meter behemoth capable of accommodating 12 guests in her seven cabins. She was built by Lurssen in 2021.

She weighed a hefty 4,850 gross tons and cruises at 14 knots and can go to a top speed of 20 knots.

Aboard the GLOBAL yacht, guests can have full access to her amenities such as the yacht’s swimming pool, underwater lights, deck jacuzzi, helipad, gym, and elevator.

She also has access to SatCom; satellite TV has complete air conditioning and wifi access.

Adding to this, she also has tons of toys to play with, such as her Waverunner, laser sailboats, water skis, kayaks, towable toys, snorkeling equipment, and fishing equipment.

She can comfortably accommodate up to 12 guests in her six cabins with specifications of 1 Master, 4 Doubles, and 1 Twin. 13 qualified crew members can also attend to them.

GLOBAL Yacht specifications

GLOBAL yacht has an overall length that spans 220.2 feet or 67.1 meters, a beam of 40 feet or 12.2 meters, and a draft of 12.2 feet or 3.7 meters. She was engineered to have a teak deck, a steel hull, and an aluminum superstructure.

She weighs approximately 1,303 gross tons and is powered by two diesel-type Caterpillar engines with a model 3512B that can output 3702 hp, which enables her to cruise at speeds of 10 knots and go up to a top speed of 14 knots.

She can also carry 28,000 liters of freshwater and 200,000 liters of fuel in her massive fuel tanks, allowing her to cover over 6000 nautical miles.

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Nobiskrug receives refit order for 120m superyacht

First large contract signed since lars windhorst's takeover….

With one of the largest yachts in the world, the newly positioned Nobiskrug has landed an outstanding initial order. Only eight weeks after Lars Windhorst, founder and owner of the Tennor Group, took over the renowned shipbuilding company in Rendsburg, the first large contract has now been signed. 

Nobiskrug will carry out comprehensive refit works on a more than 120-metre, high volume superyacht, extending across all disciplines of shipbuilding. In parallel, the yard specialists will perform equally demanding repair works onboard the vessel. Within the scope of the contract, both engineering and construction capacities at the Rendsburg facilities will be utilised. The work, scheduled to take several months, will be carried out in a temperature controlled dry dock. The vessel owner wishes to remain unnamed. 

"Following trustful and productive negotiations, we have managed to successfully re-position Nobiskrug on the market in a very short period of time. The customers appreciate our collaborative approach matched with our longstanding high-quality performance. We will continue to work reliably and professionally on all the shipbuilding projects handed over to us in the future," says Nobiskrug CEO Philipp Maracke. 

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Project 798: Nobiskrug signs contract for 80m superyacht by Winch Design

German shipyard Nobiskrug has signed a contract for the build of an 80 metre superyacht designed by Winch Design . 

The unnamed 80 metre project will mark the third collaboration between the shipyard and the British design studio following the 77 metre in-build Nobiskrug 793 , known as Project Black Shark, and the 74 metre Miza , which is due for delivery later this year. 

Little is known about the new construction but it will have five decks with delivery scheduled for 2025. According to the shipyard, the yacht will feature "large interior spaces for relaxation and entertainment" and a "generous beach club all of which underpins Nobiskrug’s tradition to deliver extraordinary superyachts."

The contract was secured by Chris Cecil-Wright and Henry Smith at Cecil Wright & Partners who represented the owner and will project manage the construction. Chris Cecil-Wright, founder of the brokerage firm, said that the joint project would be "the beginning of a long-term relationship". "It further cements our industry standing as experts in Northern European yacht building," he added.

Speaking on the new contract, Lars Windhorst, owner of Nobiskrug, said: "We are excited to be working with Cecil Wright, who, like Nobiskrug, operates at the very top end of the superyacht industry. We have been impressed by the value that Cecil Wright has brought to the process and hope that today’s signing is the start of a long and mutually beneficial relationship.”

The current order book at Nobiskrug currently stands at four new builds, all believed to be in excess of 70 metres. “We prevailed in a highly demanded market. Being a German yard that is striving to deliver the latest technology, highest quality combined with our ability to fulfil the owner’s unique vision made us win this contract”, said Philipp Maracke, CEO of Nobiskrug.

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