Nik Storonsky, CEO of Revolut, is being sued in London for €17.5 million by yacht broker Cecil Wright & Partners, who allege they enabled the purchase of a €350 million superyacht. Storonsky’s family office denies any obligation to pay.
Nik Storonsky, co-founder and CEO of Revolut, is at the center of a legal dispute in London after yacht brokerage Cecil Wright & Partners filed a €17.5 million claim against him. The case, brought before the High Court, revolves around the purchase of a superyacht valued at €350 million—a transaction the broker says it made possible, only to be excluded from the final deal.
According to court documents cited by British media, the dispute began in October 2024 when an advisor from Storonsky’s family office approached Cecil Wright & Partners to explore building a new yacht. The following year, the advisor returned, seeking an existing vessel to purchase while the new project progressed. The brokerage claims it identified a 102-meter yacht under construction by Lürssen in Germany as a suitable option.
By January 2026, the advisor reportedly informed Cecil Wright & Partners that Storonsky had completed the purchase directly with Canadian businessman and former professional hockey player Patrick Dovigi. The broker argues that its role in identifying the yacht and facilitating the connection entitles it to a 5% commission—amounting to €17.5 million—even though it was not involved in the final negotiations.
The family office representing Storonsky has rejected the claim, stating there is no legal basis for the commission and vowing to contest the case in court. No judgment has yet been issued, and the outcome will depend on whether the court finds that a binding brokerage agreement existed and that the broker’s actions were decisive in closing the deal.
Superyacht at the Heart of the Dispute
The yacht in question is widely believed to be the Nixie, a 102.4-meter vessel built by Lürssen and delivered in 2026. While several industry publications have linked the transaction to this specific yacht, the name does not appear explicitly in the court documents released so far. The Nixie is designed to accommodate 12 guests in ten cabins, with a crew of 34, and features amenities such as a 7.5-meter glass-bottomed infinity pool, helipad, beach club, gym, cryotherapy chamber, sauna, spa, beauty salon, and both indoor and outdoor cinemas. Charter rates for the Nixie reportedly start at €2.4 million per week in the Mediterranean and Caribbean, excluding additional costs.
Legal Battle Amid Revolut’s Rapid Growth
Storonsky’s representatives have dismissed the lawsuit as groundless, emphasizing that the dispute is a private matter unrelated to Revolut’s banking operations. The timing of the case coincides with a period of significant expansion for the fintech company, which now claims over 75 million customers and recently completed its banking rollout in the UK. A secondary share sale in July 2026 valued Revolut at $115 billion, up from $75 billion the previous year.
As the High Court prepares to examine the details of the brokerage agreement and the broker’s involvement, the case highlights the high stakes and complex negotiations that often surround the world’s most expensive private assets. The €17.5 million sum remains a claim, not a confirmed debt or penalty, and its resolution will depend on the court’s interpretation of the facts and agreements between the parties.
