Why Nigerian-Lebanese Telecom Billionaire Bassim Haidar is Selling his Bash Yacht for $10 Million

Telecom billionaire, Bassim Haidar, was born to Lebanese parents in Nigeria. In 1991, he was one of the co-founders of Intercomm Ltd., a company that specialises in radio communications and telecom equipment. After this he launched GMT.

In West Africa, GMT is currently the top integrated provider of procurement, finance, and logistics. 

Bassim didn’t stop at GMT, in 2003 he launched Channel IT to provide and offer products and services to Nigeria’s telecom industry. In 2011, he founded Channel VAS, a business that would go on to dominate the market for mobile financial services, virtual assistants, and big data analytics in developing nations.

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Bassim Haider selling his boat “Bash”

Recently reported by Architectural Digest the Nigerian-Lebanese telecom billionaire listed his 208-foot yacht “Bash” for sale.  

A wealthy Egyptian businessman, Mohamed Al-Fayed, was the previous owner of Harrods and the father of Princess Diana’s lover Dodi Al-Fayed, was the first owner of the opulent ship, which was first known as “Jonikal” and subsequently “Sokar.”

Mohamed Al-Fayed made numerous attempts to sell the boat after the terrible deaths of the couple before finding a buyer in 2014. It was most recently purchased by Bassim Haidar in June 2021. Just over a year later, he is selling it because he supposedly wants to buy a bigger boat.

The yacht, currently known as “Bash,” was built by the superyacht building company Codecasa in the 1980s after being designed by naval architect Vincenzo Ruggiero. It was formally launched in 1990.

Nine bedrooms on the opulent ship can sleep up to 18 passengers, and there are spaces for 26 crew members. The yacht has features of a swim platform, jacuzzi, sun deck, main saloon, formal dining room, bar, and office space. 

The interiors are reminiscent of the Arts and Crafts design of the early 1900s because of their extensive use of dark wood paneling and vaulted ceilings.

The yacht can travel at a top speed of 20 knots and a cruising speed of 15 knots due to its Wartsila engines. Its prior listing price was $10 million, though no precise price has yet been made public.

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