The 72-metre Dunya-built superyacht Axioma sold at auction in Gibraltar for $37,500,000.
In total there were 63 bids placed for the seized Russian-owned superyacht, and the leading bidders were subject to KYC (Know Your Customer) checks, which took just under a month to complete. 
According to an official report by the Office of the Admiralty Marshal, first published by the British news outlet The Guardian;
“The Admiralty Marshal has today sold the MY Axioma following payment into court of $37.5m by the successful bidder,” the court said in a statement on Tuesday. “The bid was selected after completion of an enhanced due diligence process, but the Admiralty Marshal will not be disclosing the identity of the buyer.”
Axioma was delivered in 2013 and features an exterior design by Sterling / Scott and interior by Alberto Pinto. She is the second largest yacht built by the Turkish shipyard, offering 1,620 GT of interior volume and accommodation for 12 guests and 20 crew.
Photo: Quin Bisset
Photo: Quin BissetHer condition is unknown and she was sold during an “as is, where is” auction handled by Howe Robinson for JPMorgan Chase. Nigel Hollyer, Partner at Howe Robinson Partners, explained previously that “any surplus after JP Morgan’s mortgage has been paid off and the cost of arrest will go into an account at the Supreme Court of Gibraltar, and frozen until the sanctions are sorted.”
(Update 23-08-22 13:42) Bidding has closed for the 72m superyacht Axioma
After much controversy, the 72-metre superyacht Axioma went under the hammer in Gibraltar this morning. Bidding closed at 12:00 CET and after a quick call with Nigel Hollyer, Partner at Howe Robinson Partners, it’s clear there was great enthusiasm and interest about her sale, as “the bids were mounting up”.
Hollyer confirmed that a decision will not be made today – and perhaps not until next week – about who the successful bidder is. “We may well find the right buyer amongst the paperwork but we have to sort out due diligence documents and KYC (Know Your Customer) documents first, so I don’t think there’ll be any positive results until the end of this week. Maybe not even till the beginning of next week.” 
A contentious issue was whether Americans would be barred from the auction house, as not only is the owner of Axioma on the U.S. sanction list, but so also is the yacht herself. However, “recently the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) granted a license to JP Morgan that facilitated the Americans being able to bid and pay with U.S. dollars,” if they so wished, as Hollyer explained. Photo: Quin Bisset“Any surplus after JP Morgan’s mortgage has been paid off and the cost of arrest will go into an account at the Supreme Court of Gibraltar, and frozen until the sanctions are sorted. It’s not going to Ukraine because the law doesn’t allow it. It is going to be put into an account and frozen.”
(Update 29-07-22 15:45) 72m superyacht Axioma will be first seized Russian-owned yacht put up for auction)
Photo: Ralph Dazert / SuperYacht TimesIt has been reported that the 72-metre superyacht Axioma will be the first seized Russian superyacht to go to auction to repay the debts of her owner. The auction is set to take place on 23 August 2022, with there being no set reserve price.
The Supreme Court in Gibraltar has ordered that the Admiralty Marshall should proceed with the judicial auction despite the lack of communication from other regulatory bodies. Axioma will be sold by the Admiralty Court in Gibraltar under an ‘as is, where is’ private auction. Allegedly the Admiralty Marshall’s standing broker is the privately owned London-based company, Howe Robinson.
The auction will take place over just one day and a website with more details and an online bidding platform is expected soon.
Photo: Maarten Janssen(01-07-22 16:00) Sale of seized Russian-owned superyacht Axioma mandated)
It has been widely reported that the sale of the seized 72-metre superyacht Axioma has been mandated by the Supreme Court in Gibraltar. The superyacht is allegedly owned by Dmitry Pumpyansky, a Russian billionaire on the sanction list, and a shareholder of the Pyrene Investments. It is Pumpyansky's involvement with Pyrene Investments that has resulted in this mandate. 
Photo: Léandre Loyseau / SuperYacht TimesPyrene Investments took out a $22 million loan with JPMorgan Chase & Co., a major American financier and investment banker, however, Pumpyansky’s involvement with Pyrene Investments breaches the loan agreement. Pyrene Investments is owned by Furdberg Holding of Cyprus and, at the time of the loan agreement, Pumpyansky was the sole shareholder. As Pumpyansky was on the sanction list his assets were frozen and it was illegal for the bank to accept any repayments from him. With his superyacht Axioma seized in Gibraltar, JPMorgan Chase & Co. pursued an opportunity to see a return on their investment.
Photo: JP Morgan"JPMorgan is acting pursuant to its mortgage rights," a spokesperson for the Gibraltar government reported to Business Insider. "Her Majesty's Government of Gibraltar is exercising rights to enforce freezing sanctions also." Business Insider also wrote that on the day of seizure, Gibraltar’s government stated that the superyacht was “confirmed to be the subject of arrest action by a leading international bank in the Supreme Court of Gibraltar.” 
Photo: Dunya YachtsAxioma is a relatively new superyacht, as she was launched only nine years ago. She was built in Istanbul, Turkey by Dunya Yachts and is the shipbuilder’s flagship superyacht. Axioma was custom-built and is believed to have had only one owner. Her exterior design was commissioned by Sterling / Scott and her interior by Alberto Pinto. 
With 1,620 GT and six staterooms, Axioma can accommodate as many as 12 guests. The superyacht also carries 20 crew members. Axioma is brimming with amenities, including a large pool on her aft deck and a screening room on the lower deck. 
Read: Seized Russian-owned 106m superyacht Amadea arrives in San Diego
As it stands Axioma is not the only seized Russian–owned superyacht that could be soon under the hammer. The 106.1-metre Lürssen-built superyacht Amadea arrived in San Diego earlier this week, flying a U.S. flag.