Gulfstream G650 resets the market for business aircraft

[DALLAS] Ed Dahlberg got 40 calls in one day when he put a Gulfstream G650 up for sale in February. That's unusual for a private jet - especially when the asking price tops the US$64.5 million on the sticker.

"We believe this plane's going to bring north of US$75 million," said Mr Dahlberg, president of Manassas, Virginia-based Emerald Aviation Inc and part-owner of the G650.

Barely 15 months after its debut, the world's biggest and fastest business jet is a corporate status symbol, with owners as high profile as Exxon Mobil Corp, Wal-Mart Stores Inc and Qualcomm Inc. The waiting list is almost four years long for a factory-fresh model, whetting appetites among tycoons and chief executive officers when a used G650 hits the market. "It's the must-have airplane if you're in the top end of the spectrum," said Steve Varsano, founder of London-based Jet Business, who's sold two pre-owned G650s since November for more than US$70 million each to buyers he wouldn't identify.