YouTuber settles on a $30 million jet, then sees the staggering cost to keep it flying

A YouTuber documented his search for a private jet, finding one on the used market that cost about $30 million.

Then came the part that made the whole exercise feel especially jarring: a private jet consultant said it would cost roughly $9,700 an hour to keep in service — or over $3.4 million a year. 

Here's what to know

Iman Gadzhi (@ImanGadzhi) featured in a video for The Jet Business (@TheJetBusiness), and his requirements for the plane were fairly. As Supercar Blondie reported, Gadzhi said he was looking for a jet with three cabin areas, seating for as many as eight people, and the range to make Dubai-to-London in one hop.

Those requirements narrowed the search to the Gulfstream G500, priced at roughly $40 million new and closer to $30 million on the used market.

Steve Varsano, founder of TheJetBusiness, told Gadzhi that the real shock comes after the purchase. 

"When you have a plane, costs are broken down into two things," Varsano explained. "There are fixed costs, and variable costs. Fixed costs stay the same whether you fly one hour or 400 hours. Pilot salaries, hangar fees, insurance, computer maintenance, recurrent training, and so on. All those things, whether you move the plane or not, you pay."

Variable costs include fuel, airport charges, onboard food, and lodging for pilots and staff.

For a jet used 350 to 400 hours per year, Varsano said, "Fixed costs alone average $4,000 per hour; variable costs you need $5,700 per hour."

More background

The comparison here is less about glamour than about regulatory burden. Supercar Blondie compared private jets with ultra-expensive cars.

A neglected car might lose resale value or warranty protection, but that does not automatically leave it legally off-limits to drive. Aircraft are subject to a stricter standard, because the maintenance required to keep them airworthy is mandatory.

That means the money keeps flowing whether the aircraft becomes a practical transportation tool or simply an extravagant symbol of personal convenience.

So what Gadzhi was really getting was not just a purchase estimate, but also a live lesson in the cost of operating a long-range jet capable of moving a small group between continents.

Varsano's numbers operate on a scale far beyond monthly car payments, fuel, and repair bills, illustrating a level of private consumption far removed from the costs and tradeoffs most communities face every day.

He added one limited silver lining: Flying more hours can lower the effective hourly figure by spreading fixed overhead across additional trips. Varsano also pointed to the cost of cosmetic changes. Pointing to the cabin layout, Varsano said, "If you want to replace this couch with two chairs, that's $400,000."

That said, anyone preoccupied with ongoing costs probably shouldn't buy a jet outright.

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