A high-ranking banker, a stock deal worth millions and the purchase of a luxury floating villa: these are the elements of a story without which it is difficult to imagine the world of big money. Rich Handler, CEO of the American investment bank Jefferies, has decided to reward himself by purchasing a magnificent yacht, according to the Financial Times.

To fulfill her wish, Handler liquidated a significant part of her stock portfolio: a total of 1.5 million shares at a price of 65 million dollars (about 60.5 million euros). However, this sum equals only seven percent of his total shares in Jefferies, according to the report.

The yacht's previous owner is the owner of the Houston Rockets.

The capital generated by the sale of shares should not only be used for the luxury ship. Handler also plans to use it to settle her tax obligations. Interestingly, there is a connection between the bank boss and the yacht's previous owner, Tilman Fertitta, who is a long-time Jefferies client and has a considerable net worth of around $9 billion. Among other things, Fertitta also owns the NBA basketball team, the Houston Rockets.

Despite selling a significant amount of stock, Handler remains committed to the future of Jefferies. “I remain very optimistic about Jefferies and am committed to building the best-in-class independent, global and comprehensive investment banking firm.” And: “Selling my shares today was a gift to me and my family.” I have no plans to sell any more shares,” he said in a statement.

Rich Handler has worked at Jefferies for more than 30 years.

Rich Handler fought his way to the top. His career at Jefferies began more than three decades ago as a trader and he has served as CEO of the investment bank since 2001.

After Leucadia National acquired Jefferies in 2012, the bank's profile increased and it focused almost exclusively on investment banking, a strategic decision that appears to have paid off.