princess yachts vacancies plymouth

All the jobs available at Princess Yachts - and how much they pay

Luxury boat maker needs dozens of workers to fill vacancies throughout the company, find out more here

• 13:45, 15 JAN 2018
• Updated 14:01, 15 JAN 2018

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Luxury boat-builder Princess Yachts is launching new models and attending the world’s biggest boat shows – and recruiting dozens of new workers.

So if you’ve ever fancied being a de-nibber or a bench joiner or a laminator, now is your opportunity.

The Stonehouse-headquartered company has just been at the London boat show at London ExCel, where it debuted the new Princess 55 and V40, alongside the award-winning S65 Princess 43.

It will follow this by launching three new models – S78, V65, and V50 – at Boot Düsseldorf, in Germany, from January 20 to 28.

The company will also have the largest yacht at the show – the award-winning Princess 35M Superyacht.

And the manufacturer also plans to unveil a “revolutionary” and literally dazzling new vessel in early 2018 – which will look like nothing else on the water.

Princess Yachts has been keeping the final design of the new model under wraps, but said it will be smaller and faster than its usual yachts and push it into a new market.

And it will be brightly coloured with a design influenced by the “dazzle” camouflage used on some naval vessels in the two world wars.

During 2017 Princess Yachts saw its order book hit a record £640million as it embarked on a five-year investment programme.

The manufacturer said the figure represented an 85 per cent hike on the 2016 sum.

Princess Yachts, which already employs 2,500 people in the city, has begun a £100million, five-year investment programme to support ambitious product launch and business development strategies.

It’s order book has been boosted by the weak pound sterling following the UK’s decision to Brexit from the European Union.

The company said: “We are recruiting for skilled craftspeople across our six sites.”

These are the roles that need filling:

Fit Out Carpenter (Grade 6)

Location: Plymouth

Salary: £13.54-plus per hour

Duration: Permanent

Hours of Work: 38 hours per week (four day shift Monday to Thursday, 7am to 5pm)

Princess Yachts is looking for fit out carpenters, ideally from a shopfitting background.

Candidates must be qualified to NVQ Level 3 or have served an apprenticeship.

Significant proven experience (five years plus) will be considered in absence of qualifications.

Production Lead - Carpentry/Engineering

Reports to: Production Manager

Salary: £30,000-£33,000 per annum

Hours of Work: 38hrs per week, Monday to Thursday, 7am to 5pm

The firm needs someone to manage production resources in an efficient, effective and safe manner to produce high quality products in compliance with the prevailing quality standards whilst meeting schedule requirements.

Productivity, discipline, pace, cost, compliance and H&S are critical accountable success factors in the role.

Bench Joiner – Carpenter

Applicants must have a solid, proven background in bench joinery and or cabinet making, have excellent attention to detail, be able to work quickly and accurately from working drawings and be able to resolve constructional and technical problems, combined with a strong work ethic and team player skills.

“This is an immediate start for the right candidate,” a Princess Yachts spokesman said.

Candidates must be qualified to NVQ Level 3 or have served an apprenticeship. Significant proven experience (five years plus) will be considered in absence of qualifications.

Fabricator/Welder

Hours of Work: four day week shift (7am to 5pm Monday to Thursday), three day weekend shift (6am to 6pm Friday/Saturday/Sunday)

The firm needs people to prepare and assemble metal components for welding and subsequent welding, working within a busy metal shop environment.

Fit Out Engineer

Salary: £12.60-plus per hour

This involves installing all mechanical and electrical items in sequence of build.

Must also be able to test all electrical circuits, carry out fault finding and problem solving, and mechanical installation of generators, steering rams, rudders. Also, carry out all critical checks and sign off boat file for compliance, fit air conditioning, as required.

Must have completed a recognised apprenticeship, for example as an auto electrician, car mechanic, installation electrician with City & Guilds/NVQ3. Ideally at least one year post apprenticeship experience. Alternatively at least 10 years experience.

Manufacturing Engineering Manager

Reports to: Director of Production Planning

Hours of Work: 39hrs per week, Monday to Thursday 7.30am to 4.30pm, Friday 7.30am to 12.30pm

Manufacturing Engineering defines how the product will be assembled by production including the work packages. This person will have to review efficiencies and eliminate waste within the manufacturing process, and lead all manufacturing engineering, encompassing capital and process development projects, providing superior technical knowledge.

The person will be responsible for providing leadership, outstanding people skills and management to a team of manufacturing engineers.

And the employee will implement and manage continuous improvement principals by highlighting deficiencies and recommending changes in training, working practices and processes.

Production Lead - Engineering

Salary: £30,000-32,000 pa

Princess Yachts needs someone to manage production resources in an efficient, effective and safe manner to produce high quality products in compliance with the prevailing quality standards whilst meeting schedule requirements. Productivity, discipline, pace, cost, compliance and H&S are critical accountable success factors in the role.

Lead Composites Process Engineer

Reporting to: Operations Manager

Salary: Competitive, five day week (Monday to Thursday 7.30am to 4.30pm, Friday to 12.30pm.

To project manage introduction of composite processes into production and ensure production readiness

Needs a minimum of three years of direct experience with layup, bonding and assembly of prepreg composite structures in a production environment.

Lead Paint Process Engineer

To project manage introduction of painting of composites structures into production and ensure process capability and production readiness.

Must have minimum three years of direct experience with wet spray painting, ideally with training/mentoring experience.

GRP Repairer

Salary: £10.12-plus per hour

Hours of Work: 38 hours per week (four day and three day shifts available)

Would suite Car body repair technicians/panel beaters/paint sprayers.

Duties will include basic gel coat application and laminating skills, identification of basic laminating defects, basic mould repairs and using repair filler.

This position would suit candidates who have a practical hands on background and have a good level of experience of using hand tools in a manufacturing environment.

Duties include prior preparation of furniture before application of finishing coat.

Sanding various high build base coats and carrying out any repairs to damaged paint finishes.

Previous experience of using buffers/polishers/DA sanders is essential. Position would suit candidates from a car body repair background.

Logistics Operator

Location: Plymouth – Various sites across the city

Salary: £10.12 per hour plus potential bonuses

Hours of Work: 38hrs per week (Monday to Thursday, 7am to 5pm)

Staff needed to support the logistics activity by receiving and delivering goods, whilst ensuring stock accuracy and customer focus.

Senior Business Improvement Lead

Salary: circa £45,000, dependent on experience

Responsible for supporting improvement throughout Princess Yachts with overall exposure to all areas of the business.

Look to identify waste and use lean tools to set clear objectives and deliverables for waste reduction.

Specifically to drive change and continuous improvement, at all levels, working alongside the management teams in support and implementation of business transformation. Drive initiatives locally, through project management and develop sustainable processes to share business wide.

Business Improvement Lead

Salary: circa £35,000, dependent on experience

Responsible for supporting Improvement throughout Princess Yachts with overall exposure to all areas of the business.

Specifically to drive change and continuous improvement, at all levels, working closely and alongside the management team in support and implementation of business transformation. Drive initiatives locally, through project management and develop sustainable processes to share business wide.

InfoHUB Technician

Salary: £23,000

Department: Development Engineering

To produce and provide competently, general work instructions, whilst adding to and incentivising a vibrant, creative and forward thinking team.

Under own supervision attend project status meetings and co-ordinate project requirements to the lead.

Engage with other departments and team members in an encouraging and favourable manner, to further the project objectives.

Designer – NSO (Bespoke) Detail

Salary: Competitive

The candidate should have a degree preferably in product/furniture, industrial or transport design.

The role can be adapted to suite the candidates skills and experience which should range from one to six years in a competitive design environment, marine industry experience is not essential.

Designer - Concept

The candidate should have a degree preferably in product, industrial or transport design.

Designer – Detail

The candidate should have a degree preferably in product, industrial or transport design. The role can be adapted to suite the candidates skills and experience which should range from one to six years in a competitive design environment, marine industry experience is not essential.

CAD Designer - Surfacing

The candidate should have a degree preferably in product, 3D visualisation or transport design.

C ompliance Training Instructor

Salary: £28,000 to £32,000

Department: Training

Someone is needed to establish training programmes to be delivered in house, ensuring competency with employees.

The ideal candidate should have sound knowledge in the field of training being instructed and be knowledgeable of the company and its manufacturing processes.

Recruitment Advisor

Grading: £23,000 to £26,000 per annum

Reports To: HR Manager – Operations

Department: HR - Recruitment

Someone is needed to provide general recruitment advice and to support the company with regards to all recruitment activities.

To balance daily operational focus and strategic activity to ensure continuous improvement.

For full details of these jobs, and how to apply visit: https://www.princessyachts.com/recruitment/

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• Most Recent

Luxury boat-maker Princess Yachts confirms it is making redundancies

U p to 90 staff could lose their jobs at Plymouth’s luxury boat maker Princess Yachts after the manufacturer struggled to build enough boats. The company is due to start consultations with workers and their representatives next week.

The people affected are all office-based business support staff or management, across a number of departments including some based in the firm’s Newport Street head quarters. No shop floor manufacturing workers, the bulk of the company’s 3,000-strong workforce, are included.

Princess Yachts said it means fewer than 3% of the total workforce is affected. It said the restructure of parts of the business is vital to build better resilience against future market or global challenges and create a “leaner and more agile organisation”.

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The company said the restructure will ensure it remains sustainable after it was hit by industry-wide supply issues. It has been reported that this has meant it can’t build boats, and therefore sell them, as quickly as it would like.

Last year, Plymouth’s Princess Yachts insisted its future remains bright despite posting a £69m pre-tax loss and blaming inflation and supply chain issues. It is also now stressing it remains commercially strong. A spokesperson said: “From a sales point of view we are among the strongest, if not the strongest, in the industry.”

Will Green, Princess Yachts chief executive, said: “This restructure comes after an extensive business review as we look to improve efficiencies and strengthen our business operations. While we remain commercially strong with a healthy order book, we have not been immune to the industry -wide supply issues, and our ability to meet demand has suffered significantly as a result.

“Making any changes that directly affect people’s roles is always difficult and we have worked hard to ensure this disruption is kept to a minimum. But we have a responsibility to all our staff to ensure we have a profitable and sustainable business that is able to withstand

any future headwinds. I am confident that with the plans we now have in place, together with what remains to be one of the strongest product offerings in the industry, we will have that resilience for the long-term future of the business”.

Last year, Princess Yachts stressed it had orders to manufacture more than £750m of vessels. The Stonehouse-headquartered firm had received deposits for these boats and said the work would stretch through 2025 and into 2026.

The company was taken over by New York-based KPS Capital Partners in March 2023. KPS injected a significant amount of cash into the company to help unlock some of the supply chain and capacity issues. It also approved a multi-million pound investment into the expansion of the firm’s South Yard production facility.

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Recruitment

PRINCESS MOTOR YACHT SALES

Established in 1964, Argo Nautical Limited, t/a Argo Yachting and Princess Motor Yacht Sales now employs over 140 members of staff across the UK, Germany, Spain and the Balearics. As a business, we continue to grow year on year, and so are always on the look out for exceptional and passionate applicants wishing to start their exciting career in marine with us.

Take a look at our current job vacancies below. Our vacancies are updated as and when new positions become available, so if nothing has been listed below do check back often to see if there’s a job for you.

If you would like to contact us with regard to any of these positions, please email [email protected]

2x Experienced Marine Engineers, Saxon Wharf Southampton

Our Argo Nautical aftercare team in Neustadt-in-Holstein, Germany, are recruiting for a German and English speaking experienced Marine Engineer to work as part of our busy servicing team. Reporting to the General Aftercare Manager, you will accurately and skilfully undertake the general and warranty repair, servicing and reconditioning of new and used motor yachts to the highest standards and customer satisfaction.

The ideal candidate must have similar marine experience with a proven record of skills and knowledge within the industry, preferably working with servicing and maintaining pleasure crafts and motor yachts. You should be confident in troubleshooting and being able to work well within a team, but also unsupervised. The candidate must be able to be customer facing, providing a first-class service to our boat owners.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• To ensure customer satisfaction in the service and repair of all vessels
• To carry out pre-delivery inspections and testing of all vessels. To include the rectification and repair of all sub-standard components and systems on board as required and accurately completing the required documentation.
• To undertake all aspects of work to ensure the vessel is in a condition to present to the customer at time of handover, to include cleaning as required.
• To employ such knowledge and skills as may be required to test vessels, their components and diagnose faults.
• To carry out servicing and repairs in a safe and economical manner with a right-first-time philosophy.

1. To ensure customer satisfaction in the service and repair of all vessels 2. To carry out pre-delivery inspections and testing of all vessels. To include the rectification and repair of all sub-standard components and systems on board as required and accurately completing the required documentation. 3. To undertake all aspects of work to ensure the vessel is in a condition to present to the customer at time of handover, to include cleaning as required. 4. To employ such knowledge and skills as may be required to test vessels, their components and diagnose faults. 5. To carry out servicing and repairs in a safe and economical manner with a right-first-time philosophy. 6. To report current and possible future vessel faults and servicing requirements noticed whilst fulfilling a job. 7. To ensure vessels comply with safety standards when returned to the customer and that any faults have been reported and noted on the job card. 8. Carry out and adhere to the approved used checklist, creating an accurate document quoting the works effectively and carrying out the rectification work required. 9. Work closely with sub-contractors to ensure the addition of all retro-fitted items are carried out with the maximum efficiency and the upmost protection of the vessel at all times. 10. Attend customer’s vessels to carry out any warranty repairs and service work both locally and further afield to the highest standards and ensuring that the vessel is looked after whilst working on board. 11. To ensure that all hours and materials usage are recorded accurately, and to minimise wastage. 12. Liaise with customers on a technical basis, offering sound and knowledgeable advice on the care and maintenance of their vessel. 13. Attend the build-up or break-down of stands, and be present at boat shows as required 14. Ensure all health and safety and internal safety procedures are adhered to at all times.

A full driving license is required for this role. Salary dependent on experience and skill set.

Please send your written application and CV to [email protected]

An aptitude to acquire new skills and career development is admirable and full training would be given on the job.

A full driving license is required for this role as you will be driving a company vehicle.

Salary dependent on experience and skill set.

Please send your written application and CV to [email protected]

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Plymouth Princess Motor Yacht Sales

Turnchapel Wharf Barton Road Turnchapel Plymouth PL9 9RQ

Tel: +44 (0) 1752 600657 Fax: +44 (0) 1752 893070 E-Mail: [email protected]

Discover our New & Pre-owned uk boats for sale and yacht service facility lying on the beautiful Devonshire coastline, in Turnchapel Plymouth.

The South Devon coast is considered to be some of the best coastline not only in the UK, but worldwide. With its picturesque bays, quaint seaside towns and villages, and its pristine water – this area, if within reach, should be on your travel bucket list.

Dramatic cliffs and rocky faces distinguish the coastline of South Devon; it is varied and forever-changing through the seasons, so there is always a time to come and explore. The main towns include Seaton, Sidmouth, Exmouth, Dawlish, Teignmouth, Torquay, Dartmouth and Salcombe – we regularly host annual rendezvous to Salcombe and Dartmouth with local Princess owners each summer, where we come together to enjoy each other’s company in some of the most beautiful settings.

Based in Turnchapel Wharf on the waterfront, a former Royal Marines military installation steeped in naval history, lies our Princess office and showroom. In this modern purpose-built facility, we can offer our owners a bespoke service no matter the query – buying or selling your yacht, upgrading features on board, general maintenance and servicing, and such close proximity to the stunning Devonshire coastline makes this the ideal spot for sea trials.

Ideally located in Plymouth, just a short trip away from the Princess Yachts Newport Street factory, lies the home of Princess Motor Yacht Sales in the south-west. Here, we have an impressive custom-built sales and service showroom.

Specialists in UK boats for sale and more… – New Boat Sales – Pre-owned Sales – Brokerage – Service / Aftersales / PDI / Retrofit – Local events for Plymouth-based customers and further afield

Our showroom facility has on offer a range of the most innovative and up-to-date technology available through our Retrofit team , who are also conveniently based in Plymouth to talk through your yachting needs. From a brand-new Princess yacht being delivered from the factory, through to the rigorous onboard inspection, to the final handover and ongoing maintenance; the journey of your Princess yacht can take place all under one roof.

Our sales team in Plymouth, led by Richard Clarke, our sales manager in the South West, are in a prime location to sell the dream to customers. With a beautiful setting on their doorstep and the very best product for sale, there is arguably no better place to be in the UK than on the South West coastline. Being so close to Princess Yachts Limited has its advantages; there is no other distributor in the world who has access to the full range of Princess yachts never mind being able to moor them outside their front door or see them in build in the factory.

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Body of Plymouth Twp. man missing since May 10 located in Detroit River

PLYMOUTH TWP. — The body of a man initially reported as a missing kayaker was found Sunday in the Detroit River, more than a week after his disappearance.

James Kuntz, 63, a Plymouth Township resident, was last seen May 10 at the Detroit Yacht Club on Belle Isle, and was reported missing May 12.

After an extensive search, his body was located May 19 offshore of Fighting Island in the Detroit River, about 9 miles south of where he was last seen at the yacht club, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources said. The cause of death will be determined by the county medical examiner.

“He had his yacht in the yacht club,” said Lt. Todd Szyska, DNR law enforcement supervisor in Detroit. “The cover was off and the door was open to the yacht, and that wasn’t like him.”

The Detroit Police Department harbor master, Michigan State Police troopers and the U.S. Coast Guard boat crews and air station in Detroit assisted in the search.

“This is never how we want to conclude a search, but we hope the recovery of this man’s body can bring closure to his family and friends,” Szyska said.

Initially, Szyska said, investigators believed Kuntz had disappeared while kayaking, but later learned that his kayak was at his home.  

“We did land, air and water searches for him, because he was an avid walker of the trails on Belle Isle and he loved the water and the outdoors, so we tried to concentrate efforts all over the island,” Szyska said. “He got in the water somehow, we’re not sure how.”

Detroit Boat Life shared a photo of Kuntz and a plea for help on Facebook May 13.

“Our beloved friend Jim is missing as of Saturday afternoon,” it said. “He is a member at the Detroit Yacht Club. He was last seen Saturday morning at DYC. His truck was left in the parking lot, keys and wallet on his boat. He is an avid kayaker and his kayak is missing. We’ve contacted the police, coast guard and called every hospital. He is nowhere to be found.”

Reporter Laura Colvin covers local news from Canton, Plymouth and Northville. Contact her at [email protected] .

Get the latest headlines for metro Detroit every morning in your mailbox by signing up for our daily briefings newsletter .

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A Running Mate’s History: $1 Billion, Cocaine, a Fling With Elon Musk

Nicole Shanahan, a lawyer who was married to Sergey Brin, a Google founder, led a rarefied and sometimes turbulent life in Silicon Valley, according to a Times examination.

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By Kirsten Grind

Reporting from Oakland, Calif., and San Francisco

When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was considering potential running mates for his presidential run, his shortlist was initially topped by two well-known men with unusual résumés: Aaron Rodgers, the N.F.L. quarterback and frequent purveyor of conspiracy theories , and Jesse Ventura, the former governor of Minnesota and professional wrestler known as “The Body.”

Instead, Mr. Kennedy made a surprise pick — a woman and a little-known figure with an unusual background: Nicole Shanahan .

Ms. Shanahan, 38, a onetime Silicon Valley lawyer, has never held public office and has scant name recognition. But she was selected after Mr. Rodgers and Mr. Ventura fell through as vice-presidential candidates and Mr. Kennedy’s campaign needed money to fund its efforts to get onto state ballots, three people familiar with the events said. And money was something that Ms. Shanahan could provide in abundance.

Ms. Shanahan has a fortune of more than $1 billion that stems largely from her divorce settlement last year with Sergey Brin , a founder of Google, whose net worth exceeds $145 billion , three people with knowledge of her finances said. During their five-year marriage, Ms. Shanahan partied with Silicon Valley’s elite and used recreational drugs including cocaine, ketamine and psychedelic mushrooms, according to eight people and documents reviewed by The New York Times. Ms. Shanahan and Mr. Brin separated after she had a sexual encounter with Elon Musk in 2021, three of the people said.

The incidents were part of a rarefied — and sometimes turbulent — life that Ms. Shanahan led in the nation’s tech capital before her turn to politics, according to interviews with more than 20 people who know her or were briefed on her actions, as well as property records, court documents, tax records, emails and other messages reviewed by The Times. Many of the details of her life, including those of her divorce settlement, have not been reported.

“Status is very important to Nicole, and the amount of money you have,” said Daniel Morris, a photographer based in Puerto Rico who was friends with Ms. Shanahan and her first husband, Jeremy Kranz, a technology investor.

On the campaign trail, Ms. Shanahan has depicted herself as a hardworking former entrepreneur and lawyer, a success story who once needed food stamps and a unifier who can heal a divided America. But she has omitted and embellished parts of her history, including aspects of her relationship with Mr. Brin, to make herself appear more relatable, according to the people who know her and documents reviewed by The Times.

In a February interview with The Times, Ms. Shanahan described herself as a onetime “Silicon Valley princess.” In response to questions for this article, she texted: “I’m shocked the NYT is letting you run something like this.” The Kennedy campaign didn’t respond to requests for comment. Ms. Shanahan has publicly denied having an affair with Mr. Musk.

Mr. Musk, his lawyer and a spokeswoman for Mr. Brin did not return requests for comment.

Mr. Kennedy, who is running as an independent, picked Ms. Shanahan without his advisers having looked fully into her history or where her money was coming from, two people familiar with the campaign said. By then, she had already become a crucial financier of his run.

Ms. Shanahan, who has said she is a vaccine skeptic like Mr. Kennedy, funded a Super Bowl ad for Mr. Kennedy this year through a $4 million donation to a super PAC, American Values 2024. In March, she infused Mr. Kennedy’s campaign with an additional $2 million. Last week, she said she had given an additional $8 million .

Their ticket has secured a place on the presidential ballot in Michigan, a swing state, as well as in five other states. Mr. Kennedy has enough signatures to reach the ballot in seven additional states, his campaign has said, potentially putting him and Ms. Shanahan in a position to tip the November election.

Ms. Shanahan is “exactly the right person,” Mr. Kennedy said when he announced her as his running mate in March. He called her a “fierce warrior mom” who “overcame every daunting obstacle and went on to achieve the highest levels of the American dream.”

A Yoga Festival

On the campaign trail, Ms. Shanahan, who grew up in Oakland, Calif., has said she knew what it was like to be “one misfortune away from disaster. ”

Her father, Shawn Shanahan, couldn’t hold down a job, was diagnosed with bipolar schizophrenia when she was 9 years old and died in 2014, she has said. Her family struggled, Ms. Shanahan has said, needing food stamps and government assistance.

Ms. Shanahan obtained an athletic scholarship to attend Saint Mary’s College High School, a private Catholic school in Berkeley, Calif., according to the Kennedy campaign website. The school, which charges about $24,000 a year for tuition, confirmed that Ms. Shanahan had been a student but said it had never offered scholarships. Ms. Shanahan received some tuition assistance, the school said, but it declined to say how much.

Ms. Shanahan graduated from the University of Puget Sound in 2007, working at a Seattle law firm around the same time. She later worked at RPX, a patent firm, and in 2013, she founded ClearAccess IP, a patent tech company, according to her LinkedIn profile. She completed a law degree at the Santa Clara University School of Law in 2014.

Adam Philipp, the founder and managing partner of Aeon Law, the Seattle law firm where Ms. Shanahan worked, said he was impressed when she applied to be a paralegal in 2006. “She had a willingness to learn and an abundance of common sense,” he said.

In 2011, Ms. Shanahan began dating Mr. Kranz, a tech investor in San Francisco. She told people that she had converted to Judaism during that time for the relationship. Mr. Kranz bought a $2.7 million penthouse with views of San Francisco about a month before their wedding in August 2014, according to property records.

That July, Ms. Shanahan met Mr. Brin at a yoga festival in Lake Tahoe, Calif., four people with knowledge of the events said. He had recently separated from Anne Wojcicki, his wife at the time. Mr. Brin and Ms. Shanahan embarked on an affair weeks before her wedding to Mr. Kranz, the people said.

Mr. Kranz discovered the relationship several days after he married Ms. Shanahan when he saw texts between her and Mr. Brin on her phone, they said. He filed to annul the marriage 27 days after the wedding, court records show.

Mr. Kranz planned to list fraud as a reason for the annulment, the people said. But Ms. Shanahan was concerned that a fraud claim would jeopardize her ability to practice law. While negotiating with Mr. Kranz about their split, she threatened to harm herself, three people said.

Instead of an annulment, Mr. Kranz agreed to a divorce without making a fraud claim. As part of their settlement, Ms. Shanahan was required to remove any evidence of Mr. Kranz from her social media accounts and pay him $20,000 in partial wedding costs and legal fees, court records show. Mr. Kranz did not respond to a request for comment.

In an interview with People magazine last year, Ms. Shanahan said she started dating Mr. Brin in 2015. She recounted wandering Stanford University’s campus with the billionaire and discussing quantum physics.

“I was living in a fairy tale,” she said. “It was magical.”

Becoming a Philanthropist

Mr. Brin became Ms. Shanahan’s entryway to the tech industry’s upper echelons. The couple traveled the world, took trips on Mr. Brin’s yachts and stayed in the most elite camps at Burning Man, the countercultural annual festival in the Nevada desert.

They married in 2018 and had a daughter, Echo, that same year. They owned properties in Lake Tahoe; Los Altos, Calif.; Montana; and Malibu, Calif., where Ms. Shanahan now spends much of her time.

In 2019, Ms. Shanahan began building a foundation, Bia-Echo, named for her daughter, that focuses on criminal justice and fertility longevity. (Ms. Shanahan has said she struggled to become pregnant.) She used more than $20 million from Mr. Brin for the effort, according to tax documents.

To raise her profile, Ms. Shanahan hired Matthew Hiltzik, a publicist who has worked with Katie Couric and other high-profile women. Her goal was to become a famous philanthropist like MacKenzie Scott, the former wife of the Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, four people familiar with Ms. Shanahan’s plans said.

In 2020, Ms. Shanahan sold ClearAccess IP to IPwe, a patent technology firm, in exchange for IPwe stock that was valued at more than $10 million, two people familiar with the deal said. IPwe filed for bankruptcy this year.

Around the time of the sale, Ms. Shanahan and Mr. Brin learned that Echo was autistic. Ms. Shanahan has said the diagnosis made her question the use of childhood vaccines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says childhood vaccines are safe.

In 2021, she paid more than $200,000 for a lifestyle photographer to take her photos for a San Francisco Magazine article called “Nicole Shanahan Is Fighting the Good Fight,” according to documents viewed by The Times. Ms. Shanahan was photographed in the country with horses, talking about her goals of creating a healthy and livable planet.

In the article, Ms. Shanahan said she had been sexually assaulted by an unnamed male co-worker while working for RPX. The episode caused her to sink into a severe depression and ultimately give up law, she said.

Daniel McCurdy, the chief executive of RPX, said in a statement that the company hadn’t been informed of the claim before the article was published, and that it had engaged a law firm to conduct an investigation. It was inconclusive, he said.

A Marriage Crumbles

Mr. Brin and Ms. Shanahan found the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns challenging, three people close to the couple said. Among other things, they struggled with their daughter’s autism diagnosis, the people said.

Ms. Shanahan began going out more without Mr. Brin, according to five people and documents viewed by The Times. At a party in early 2021 in Miami, Ms. Shanahan was so intoxicated by drugs and alcohol that she required an IV infusion, the documents show.

That fall, Ms. Shanahan threw a Studio 54-themed birthday party for herself at a New York club. Mr. Musk, a longtime friend of Mr. Brin’s, attended. In December 2021, Ms. Shanahan saw Mr. Musk again at a private party in Miami that his brother, Kimbal Musk, was hosting in connection with the Art Basel festival.

At that party, Elon Musk and Ms. Shanahan took ketamine, a popular party drug that is legal with a prescription, and disappeared together for several hours, according to four people briefed on the event and documents related to it. Ms. Shanahan later told Mr. Brin that she had had sex with Mr. Musk, three of the people said. She also relayed the details to friends, family and advisers.

Mr. Brin and Ms. Shanahan separated about two weeks after the party, and he filed for divorce the next year, citing “irreconcilable differences,” according to court documents.

In 2022, The Wall Street Journal reported Ms. Shanahan’s encounter with Mr. Musk. Mr. Musk and Ms. Shanahan have denied an affair.

In her interview with People last year, Ms. Shanahan said she and Mr. Musk had been talking about her daughter’s autism treatment that night. She also said it was humiliating to be known for a sexual act and called a cheater.

Ms. Shanahan and Mr. Brin took nearly 18 months to reach a divorce settlement, according to court records. During that time, she threatened to harm herself, two people briefed on the matter said. Their divorce became final last year.

Into Politics

For years, Ms. Shanahan donated to Democrats, according to donor filings. In 2020, she gave $25,000 to a political action committee backing President Biden. Then last year, she gave $6,600 to Mr. Kennedy — the maximum allowed for an individual contributor — when he was running as a Democrat for the presidential nomination.

In her February interview with The Times, Ms. Shanahan said she had initially been disappointed when Mr. Kennedy announced that he would run as an independent. But she began to pour money into his campaign, including the Super Bowl ad, which showed images of Mr. Kennedy superimposed on those of the 1960 presidential campaign of his uncle John F. Kennedy. At the time, Ms. Shanahan had spoken to Mr. Kennedy once and had never met him, she said.

In March, Ms. Shanahan and her new partner, Jacob Strumwasser, met Mr. Kennedy and his wife, Cheryl Hines, for dinner. During the meal, Mr. Strumwasser, who has worked in the crypto industry, suggested Ms. Shanahan for the vice president’s job, she said in a podcast this month with Sage Steele, a former ESPN anchor. Mr. Kennedy liked Ms. Shanahan’s story, people familiar with the campaign said.

In recent weeks, Ms. Shanahan has largely scrubbed her social media feeds, two people familiar with her and the Kennedy campaign said. Her social accounts are now populated with shots of herself without makeup at a farmers’ market as well as wearing Western gear and posing with rifles in Texas with Mr. Strumwasser. In the past, her feeds showed her dressed up for high-end events and posing for selfies.

Ms. Shanahan began attending campaign events with Mr. Kennedy this month. At a fund-raiser in Nashville last week, she announced that she had given another $8 million to the campaign and said, “I think I know what they’re going to say — they’re going to say Bobby only picked me for my money.”

Her remark drew laughter from the crowd.

Rebecca Davis O’Brien contributed reporting. Kitty Bennett contributed research.

Kirsten Grind is an investigative business reporter writing stories about companies, chief executives and billionaires across Silicon Valley and the technology industry. More about Kirsten Grind

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In her first public appearance since she dropped her Republican bid, Nikki Haley said she would vote for Donald Trump , stopping short of an official endorsement.

Over roughly 24 hours, Trump reposted a video with an echo of Nazi Germany , hinted at restricting contraception  and made news in two of his criminal cases, providing what looked like at least a temporary cure to “Trump amnesia.”

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Efforts underway to remove a dinner cruise yacht ran aground off Maui coast

Efforts to defuel a luxury tour yacht that ran aground in shallow waters off Lahaina, Hawaii , last week are underway. 

The Maui Princess, a 100-foot passenger vessel widely popular for its sunset dinner cruises around Maui, broke free from its mooring farther offshore on Thursday after “a part reportedly failed,” according to a news release by the Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR). The ship drifted closer to shore and ended up stuck on “a shallow shelf of sand and rubble.”

The incident did not cause any injuries. 

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Maui Princess owner David Jung hired Willoughby Consulting and Adjusting to lead the defueling effort. The company started removing the ship’s 2,500 gallons of fuel, batteries, hazardous materials and other items on Monday afternoon. 

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The release said the process is expected to take several days and involve up to 10 helicopter trips to remove the majority of the fuel. 

“This is pretty calm compared to the stuff I’ve done in the past,” David Willoughby from Willoughby Consulting and Adjusting said in a transcription from Monday.

Jung did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment but told local media outlet KITV 4 Island News on Friday that the grounding was an accident. 

Since the Maui wildfires destroyed Lahaina Harbor last August, the boat has paused all commercial operations and struggled to find a location to be permanently docked. 

The DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources is “providing expertise and guidance for the removal operation to minimize any additional impacts to important hard substrate and living corals in the area.” Aquatic biologists have been unable to assess possible damage to marine life due to high surf along the West Maui coastline.

After the defueling, a salvage contractor will move the boat into deeper water during high tide. 

Last February, a different private luxury yacht ran aground off the northern coast of Maui. The vessel leaked fuel into the ocean and damaged coral and live rocks.  

Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at [email protected] .