Deion Sanders Regrets His $45M Yacht Tied Up at a Puerto Rico Dock — There Could Be $4.5M Reasons a Year Why

Deion Sanders may excel at many things — most people know football, baseball, and coaching. But he hasn’t always made the best financial investments — and, according to the NFL Hall of Famer, his yacht was one of the worst purchases he ever made.

Not only was it costly, it takes a small fortune to maintain.

For What It’s Worth

The Colorado Buffaloes head coach, who amassed a $45 million fortune through his extraordinary dual-sport career, coaching, and savvy business moves, recently revealed the one purchase that continues to haunt his otherwise impressive financial portfolio.

It’s seemingly a rare misstep for “Coach Prime,” whose real estate investments have typically multiplied in value while his coaching career continues to flourish at the collegiate level.

During a candid conversation on the “Reach The People Media” YouTube channel last month, Sanders reflected on his investment history, highlighting his mostly successful financial journey while pinpointing one particular acquisition that stands out as his most regrettable expenditure.

Despite his considerable wealth accumulated through professional sports and coaching, this luxury purchase has become more burden than benefit.

“You just don’t use it enough. You don’t go out enough. You’re not there enough. You would be better off renting like whenever you go,” Sanders explained about his yacht, which currently sits largely unused in Puerto Rico.

The admission offers a practical perspective from someone who could seemingly afford any luxury but has discovered the hidden costs and impracticality of certain high-end possessions.

Financial experts frequently caution about luxury boat ownership’s concealed expenses, including substantial maintenance fees, docking costs, insurance premiums, and rapid depreciation.

While there is no specific source attributing this exact figure to Sanders’ yacht “Dos Uno,” industry estimates suggest that annual maintenance expenses for luxury yachts typically range from 5 percent to 10 cent of the yacht’s original purchase price, according to Moonen Yachts, which specializes in luxury yachts.

So, if “Dos Uno” is valued at $45 million, the annual maintenance costs would be approximately $2.25 million to $4.5 million, according to ABYS Yachting, another broker for luxury yachts.

These ongoing burdens make yachts notably poor investments compared to real estate, which Sanders praised for appreciating “tenfold” in the current market.

Sanders’ property portfolio has included impressive residences like “Chateau Montclair,” a custom-built 30,000-square-foot mansion in Dallas that originally spanned 112 acres.

The property featured extravagant amenities including a ten-car garage, movie theater, bowling alley, basketball court, and a twelve-acre lake. After selling it to developers for $15 million in 2014, Sanders purchased a $3.97 million mansion near the University of Colorado after accepting his current coaching position.

While Coach Prime has generally navigated his finances successfully, his son Shilo Sanders has encountered financial challenges that present a stark contrast.

The 25-year-old Colorado football safety recently faced legal issues when Mercedes-Benz Financial Services sought court approval to repossess his 2023 vehicle after he defaulted on payments of $6,877 per month, accumulating an outstanding balance of $97,239.

The repossession request compounds Shilo’s existing financial difficulties, which include a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing in October 2023 attempting to clear over $11 million in debt. Most of this debt stems from a lawsuit filed by John Darjean, a former security guard injured during a confrontation with then-15-year-old Shilo over a cellphone at his Texas high school.

Despite these family financial challenges, father continues to thrive professionally at the University of Colorado. Under his leadership, the Buffaloes have risen near the top of the Big 12 Conference standings while achieving the highest combined GPA in program history this past academic year. Sanders recently secured his future with the program through a $54 million contract extension.

As Sanders prepares for the 2025 season without his sons Shedeur and Shilo, who have entered this month’s NFL draft, his yacht remains docked and underutilized — a persistent reminder that even the most successful individuals can make investment missteps.

Yet while Sanders may regret his yacht purchase, his investment in Colorado’s football program continues paying dividends both on and off the field, reinforcing that sometimes the most valuable assets aren’t possessions but rather the opportunities to create lasting impact.