Revolut founder and CEO Nik Storonsky (who is on track to become the richest person in the United Kingdom, with an estimated net worth of about $20.4 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index), is facing a €17.5 million lawsuit filed by Cecil Wright & Partners, one of the world’s leading luxury yacht brokerage firms. The lawsuit, filed on July 13 in the High Court in London, accuses the Russian-born billionaire of having finalized the purchase of a superyacht valued at 350 million euros without going through the brokerage firm, thereby avoiding payment of the agreed-upon commission.
As reported by marineindustrynews.co.uk, court documents indicate that an advisor to Storonsky’s family office first contacted Cecil Wright in October 2024 to explore the construction of a custom-built yacht. In July 2025, the same advisor reached out to the firm again to ask if there was a vessel already available that Storonsky could use while construction of the custom yacht was underway. “As we move full steam ahead with the construction project, we want to explore the possibility of acquiring a vessel while we wait for construction to be completed,” Storonsky’s family office wrote to Cecil Wright, according to court documents. “We would be delighted to assist with this,” the brokerage replied.
Cecil Wright then identified the 102-meter-long yacht Nixie, which was under construction at the time by the German shipyard Lürssen and was finally delivered in June 2026. The yacht features a glass-bottomed infinity pool, a beach club, and a gym with a cryotherapy chamber.
Storonsky inspected the yacht at a shipyard in Schacht-Audorf, Germany, and his office went so far as to offer about 300 million euros, according to court documents. However, in January 2026, Storonsky’s advisor informed Chris Cecil-Wright that the billionaire had purchased the yacht directly from the seller, Canadian businessman and former professional ice hockey player Patrick Dovigi, who had originally commissioned its construction, thereby excluding the brokerage firm from the final phase of the transaction.
Cecil Wright argues that his role in identifying the yacht makes him the “effective cause” of the sale and that, therefore, he retains the right to collect a 5% commission on the price, pursuant to the brokerage agreement signed by both parties. “The defendant and Mr. Dovigi attempted to close the purchase without the involvement of any intermediary in order to reduce the price the defendant would pay for the yacht,” Cecil Wright’s attorneys allege in the complaint.
Storonsky Rejects the Lawsuit as Revolut’s Valuation Soars
“We are aware of the claim. It is baseless and will be contested. Since this is now a legal matter, we will not comment further,” said a spokesperson for Storonsky’s family office. In the proceedings, Storonsky is represented by Hannaford Turner, while Cecil Wright & Partners has retained Dentons to handle its defense.
Chris Cecil-Wright, founder of the brokerage—who previously worked on the construction of some of the world’s largest yachts, including the 99-meter Madame Gu and the 78-meter Tango—told the Financial Times: “It is very unusual for a broker to find themselves in this situation, and this is the first time it has happened to me, but I have strong convictions on this matter, which is why I am taking legal action.”
The lawsuit comes at a time when Revolut is experiencing rapid growth. The fintech company, founded by Storonsky in 2015 alongside Vlad Yatsenko, reported a profit of $2.3 billion on revenue of $6 billion in 2025, and now has some 75 million customers worldwide after obtaining authorization from British regulators to operate as a full-fledged bank. A secondary share offering completed on July 22 raised its valuation to $115 billion, up from the $75 billion reached in 2025.
The case is still pending in the London courts, and as of now, there has been no court ruling recognizing the debt in question.