jeff bezos yacht compared to titanic

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This Nuclear-Powered Superyacht Is Longer Than the Titanic and Costs $700 Million

A nuclear-powered gigayacht longer than the Titanic, with 22 state-of-the art laboratories and a 13-story “science sphere,” might sound like the floating headquarters of a criminal mastermind. But Earth 300 is actually a revolutionary exploration vessel designed to investigate climate change and other challenges that face our planet. Designed by naval architect Iván Salas Jefferson, founder of Iddes Yachts, the 300-meter vessel has a radically aerodynamic look. It’s been envisioned as an “extreme technology platform,” incorporating robotics, AI, and quantum computing to attract the best and brightest minds from a wealth of fields. A Davos on water, if you will.

Such a bold vision doesn’t come cheap—right now the price tag for the ship, being constructed by Polish naval architecture firm NED, hovers between $500 and $700 million. Designed to resemble Earth, the orb’s “science city” will house top climate scientists, who will use the ship’s state-of-the-art tech to develop innovative solutions.

“We wanted to create a design that would inspire,” Salas Jefferson said in a statement. “When one looks at the sphere, we want them to be inspired to protect Earth. When one walks into the sphere, now housing the science city, and feels the action of all the ongoing scientific works, we want them to be inspired to become an alchemist of global solutions.”

Measuring 150 feet at its widest—almost the length of a football field—the sleek ship includes an extraordinary observation deck on the bow, a foredeck helipad to transport passengers to and from the vessel, and a selection of advanced underwater expedition vehicles for deep-sea exploration.

“The ship will introduce features found on cruise, expedition, research, and luxury yachts, but she will be none of them,” said Aaron Olivera, Earth 300 ’s chief executive. “We wanted to build the Olympic torch of global science, to expand our knowledge and understanding of the universe, both above and below the ocean’s surface.”

The project’s list of backers is impressive and includes IBM, Triton Submarines, EYOS Expeditions, and RINA, an international leader in maritime safety. TerraPower, the nuclear innovation company founded by Bill Gates, devised the technology for the onboard molten-salt reactor, which will provide zero-emissions energy.

Expected to launch in 2025, Earth 300 will have room for a complement of 160 scientists from a variety of disciplines, as well as 165 crew members and dozens of experts-in-residences and student researchers.

There will also be spots for 40 VIP guests, who will pay $3 million each for the privilege. That’s more than 10 times the cost of a seat on Virgin Galactic. With so many looking spaceward, why develop a cutting-edge seafaring vessel?

“The oceans are dying,” Salas Jefferson told Architectural Digest . “Having been born in Palma de Mallorca, I’ve seen it firsthand in the Mediterranean. Now is the time to reboot, reconnect, and redirect our planet’s destiny. Our oceans keep us—and our planet—alive, and Earth 300 ’s mission is to protect our oceans and ensure their health for generations to come.” Space may be the future, Salas Jefferson says, but “today, Earth is our only home.”

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest

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Breaking news, how bezos stacks up against other tech titans in super-yacht size race.

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After all the fuss over his suggestively shaped space rocket, it seems Jeff Bezos is still obsessed with the idea that size really matters.

The world’s third-richest man (behind Elon Musk and LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault) is building a megayacht in Holland on a scale so excessive that it looks like the boat from “Gulliver’s Travels” washing up on the island of Liliput.

To get out of the Rotterdam harbor where it is being built, a bridge will have to be dismantled.

The $500 million Y721 will be, at 417 feet long, the biggest sailing yacht in the world when it launches this summer. In a pissing match with other tech billionaires — Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and media mogul and new People magazine owner Barry Diller — Bezos, 58, wins.

In fact, even his yacht’s secondary support boat is bigger than Brin’s elegantly futuristic $80 million yacht, the Dragonfly.

The Y721’s main vessel boasts three decks — one with a swimming pool — and, with three gigantic masts, it can claim eco-credentials by being powered largely via a cutting-edge propulsion system that harnesses kinetic energy under sail.

Still, the Y721 will cost around $25 million a year to run. There is space for 18 guests on board, and it will require a crew of 40. Inside, it is said to be modeled on Diller’s yacht, Eos (a favorite of celebrity friends including Kate Perry, Prince Harry and Bradley Cooper) — although Eos stretches out a mere 305 feet. (When Diller bought it, the boat was the largest private sailing yacht in the world.) Ellison’s Musashi, meanwhile, comes in at 288 feet, while Brin’s Dragonfly is just 240 feet.

Its tender will carry toys such as jet skis and smaller boats and also provide a helicopter landing pad — vital as Bezos’ high-flying girlfriend Lauren Sanchez, 52, likes to fly her beau on dates

The half-billion price tag is a relative drop in the ocean for the Amazon founder, whose net worth was valued at $181 billion by Forbes this week.

And yet, not everyone is impressed.

“If I was Jeff Bezos I would have gone for something a bit more radical, but it is a big yacht, which I guess is the point,” said Russell Crump, an independent broker of bespoke yachts. “It will be beautiful . . . Oceanco are the biggest and the best builders in Holland.”

The key word there is “biggest”: Even without the masts, Bezos’ yacht reportedly stands at over 131 feet tall, meaning Oceanco will have to temporarily dismantle the Konigshaven Bridge, known as De Hef, to allow the boat to pass. 

Local authorities are expected to debate the request later this month, while a petition against it has been launched by local opponents (who have threatned to pelt the boat with rotten eggs) and collected more than 58,000 signatures.

“This man has earned his money by structurally cutting staff, evading taxes, avoiding regulations and now we have to tear down our beautiful national monument?” Rotterdam politician Stephan Leewis tweeted of Bezos. “That is really going a bridge too far.”

Oceanco declined to confirm that Bezos had commissioned the new boat.

But will Bezos be able to top the others in the name department? One suggestion: The Compensator.

Here are the tech titans’ boats by the numbers:

Owner: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos Cost: $500 million Features: Three deck levels, a swimming pool, a helicopter landing pad on the tender and a kinetic-propulsion system. Length: 417 feet Speed: 20 knots Passengers: 40 crew, 18 guests Running costs: $25 million a year

Owner: IAC chairman Barry Diller Cost: $200 million Features: Interiors designed by the late François Catroux, known for his “grand coziness.” Pool on top deck. Figurehead of Diller’s wife, fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg, created by sculptor Anh Duong. Length: 305 feet Speed: 16 knots Passengers: 21 crew, 16 guests Running costs: $7 million a year

Owner: Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison Cost: $160 million Features: Spa, swimming pool, outdoor gym and movie theater Length: 288 feet Speed: 12 knots Passengers: 23 crew, 18 guests Running costs: At least $10 million a year

Owner: Google co-founder Sergey Brin Cost: $81 million Features: Open-air cinema, Jacuzzi and sundeck that converts to a dance floor Length: 240 feet Speed: 25 knots Passengers: 16 crew, 14 guests Running costs: $7 million a year

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Jeff Bezos' yacht reportedly cost $500 million and is the largest sailing yacht in the world. Here's what we know.

• Jeff Bezos ' new $500 million megayacht Koru set sail this summer.
• At 417 feet long, it's the world's largest sailing yacht and even boasts a sculpture resembling his fiancée, Lauren Sanchez.
• Here's everything we know about Bezos' yacht.

Jeff Bezos' new megayacht set sail this summer, with the founder and former Amazon CEO and his fiancée Lauren Sanchez crisscrossing Europe to show it off.

At 417 feet long, the vessel is the world's largest sailing yacht and cost an estimated $500 million. The yacht is named Koru , which means "loop" or "coil" in the Māori language and often signifies new beginnings.

Koru joins a large class of flashy billionaires' yachts , including the 305-foot-long Eos, which belongs to billionaire Barry Diller and fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg.

Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison owns a yacht called Musashi, which is 288 feet long.

Bezos commissioned the enormous boat from the Dutch custom yacht builder Oceanco, and it took years to construct.

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In February, the yacht underwent its first sea trials, a series of tests usually conducted in the last phases of construction. Koru made its maiden voyage in April, traveling from the Netherlands to Gibraltar.

The vessel has a pool on deck, and the prow features a mermaid sculpture that bears a striking resemblance to Bezos' then-girlfriend Sanchez. A second "support yacht," which has an on-deck helipad, accompanies Koru on its travels.

Sanchez has said the sculpture affixed to Bezos' yacht isn't her. "I'm very flattered, but it's not," she told Vogue. The sculpture is apparently of the Norse goddess Freyja, one of Bezos' favorite figures from mythology.

Bezos and Sanchez were first seen aboard the yacht along the coast of Spain in May, shortly before news broke that the couple had gotten engaged. The couple spent the rest of the summer on board traveling to various destinations, stopping at the Cannes Film Festival, sailing down the Italian Riviera, and making their way to Croatia.

In August, the yacht played host to an engagement party for Bezos and Sanchez , which reportedly drew guests including Bill Gates, Whitney Wolfe Herd, Ari Emanuel, and Leonardo DiCaprio.

While yacht season was apparently enjoyable for the couple, it was only after the vessel stirred up quite a bit of controversy: Koru's masts were so tall that the yacht nearly required the dismantling of a historic bridge in the Netherlands in order for it to pass through.

Locals planned to egg Bezos' superyacht if the bridge came down. Following the public outcry, Oceanco withdrew its request for the city to take apart the bridge.

And despite this massive purchase, Bezos' net worth is still well over $100 billion.

Watch: Inside the world's biggest cruise ship that just set sail

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Has the World Finally Had a Glimpse of Jeff Bezos’s $500 Million Mega-Yacht?

By Shivani Vora

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is appears to be getting closer to welcoming the superyacht he reportedly commissioned in 2018: a fancy toy fitting for the world’s second-richest person, given that it costs a reported $500 million and breaks one world record after another.

Called Y721, this vessel of all vessels is being custom designed by Dutch builder Oceanco and was spotted at a shipyard last week in Zwijndrecht, a town in the western Netherlands. It’s reportedly heading to another Netherlands town, Alblasserdam, for a final fitting. With a length of 417 feet, Y721 is the biggest sailing yacht in the world and the longest vessel to be built in the Netherlands. Features include a black hull, classic shape, three large decks, and three masts.

Superyacht Bravo Eugenia , belonging to the U.S. billionaire Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, was built by Oceanco, which is also rumored to be behind Bezos’s new massive vessel.

Y721 is going to totally change the world of yachting with its design and innovation, says Fernando Nicholson, a luxury yacht sales broker with the yachting company Camper & Nicholsons. “It’s a boat with the latest technology and bells and whistles that have never been seen,” he says. “This will be the standard for all superyachts to follow, but in years to come, when its features become more affordable. Right now, only someone with Bezos’s wealth can swing the cost.”

The superyacht is said to be modeled after Oceanco’s famous yacht, the Black Pearl , which the company site says , “is one of the largest and most ecological sailing yachts in the world. She can cross the Atlantic without burning even a liter of fossil fuel.” Y721 will go through sea trails following its fitting-out in Alblasserdam and is expected to be ready sometime next year.

The Flying Fox , allegedly owned by Bezos.

However, it’s only one of two new boats for Bezos: He has also commissioned a shadow vessel called YS 7512 from builder Damen Yachts. This support ship measures 246 feet in length and accommodates 45 additional crew and guests. It will also feature a helipad and meeting space and have a vast amount of storage for Bezos’s endless number of water toys, with diving and snorkeling gear, jet and water skis, waterslides, and surfboards among the bunch. Shadow vessels are a growing phenomenon in the superyacht industry and one more extra toy that their owners want to have at the ready, says Nicholson. “You see them more and more now as an add-on to a superyacht purchase,” he says. “They’ve almost become a must.”

There’s no doubt that Bezos will be sailing the high seas in full panache and style come 2022. But really, is there any other way when you have more money than almost anyone else in the world and attract an endless amount of attention too?

By Katie Schultz

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Jeff Bezos’ Giant Yacht Is Apparently Too Big to Anchor Near Others in Florida

The superyacht, called Koru, arrived in Port Everglades in Florida on Nov. 22, and has been docked near a more-than 610-foot-long oil tanker named Magnolia State.

By Lola Fadulu

First, Jeff Bezos’ new megayacht was too big to pass under a bridge in the Netherlands. Now, the massive vessel’s size — it’s more than 400 feet long — has played a role in preventing it from keeping company with other private yachts in Port Everglades, Fla., where it is anchored.

Instead, the megayacht, named Koru, is hanging with huge oil tankers and general container ships. The yacht is docked there because of its size and also because of what berths were available in the seaport, according to a spokeswoman for Port Everglades.

Koru is a sailing yacht, unlike the much bigger diesel-powered boats popular with other billionaires. It is the largest sailing yacht in the world, according to Oceanco , the Dutch company that finished building the boat earlier this year.

The deck space of the three-masted schooner has three Jacuzzis and a swimming pool. The inside has a “timeless, contemporary style,” according to Oceanco, with natural wood tones, warm neutrals, and patterned textiles. It also includes a mermaid on the bow that appears to resemble Mr. Bezos’ partner, Lauren Sánchez.

Koru, which Bloomberg estimated cost about $500 million to build, arrived to the Florida port on Nov. 22 after departing from Gibraltar earlier this month, according to Marine Traffic , a real-time maritime data platform.

It was unclear why exactly Mr. Bezos docked his yacht there, but earlier this month he said that he would be moving back to Miami to be closer to his parents and to Ms. Sánchez.

Mr. Bezos had since 1994 lived in Seattle , where he started Amazon from his garage. He has already purchased two mansions in South Florida, one for $68 million and another for $79 million, according to Bloomberg News .

Bloomberg estimated his net worth to be $171 billion.

Port Everglades charges yachts larger than 400 feet at least $309.50 per 24 hours. Ships that have been closest to Koru include a more-than 610-foot-long oil tanker named Magnolia State .

Koru is Maori for “coil” or “loop” and has come to symbolize new life, growth, and peace in traditional Maori art.

Mr. Bezos’ journey with his new yacht started off rocky . Last year, city officials in Rotterdam, the Dutch city, initially agreed to dismantle De Hef, a 95-year-old bridge, so that Koru could pass through it from the nearby city where it had been built. The dismantling process would have taken more than a day, and putting it back together would have too. But after uproar from the community — including calls to throw eggs at the boat as it would have passed — Oceanco decided against it and the yacht was towed to a different location to have its masts attached.

Jack Begg contributed research.

Lola Fadulu is a general assignment reporter on the Metro desk of The Times. She was part of a team that was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in 2023 for coverage of New York City’s deadliest fire in decades. More about Lola Fadulu

Jeff Bezos’ $500M yacht has a 246-foot support ship, Lauren Sanchez figurehead

Much like Amazon, Jeff Bezos’ $500 million superyacht offers every bell and whistle imaginable, from A to Z.

The colossal, triple-masted Koru began its career serving the world’s third richest man this week, cruising the Mediterranean around Mallorca.

The 417-foot schooner first left Rotterdam in the Netherlands for sea trials in February. Dropping anchor in Mallorca put its jaw-dropping size on full display.

It also showed the extent of Bezos’ fleet: Not only did the Koru sail into harbor, so did its support vessel, Abeona, a mega-boat in its own right, the luxurious fast-launches used to move between the two — and aerial support in the form of his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez’s personal helicopter.

Sanchez also seemingly serves the fleet’s mascot, with the Koru’s figurehead, a part of traditional large sailing ships, modeled after her.

The Koru is the world’s tallest sailing yacht. Its three huge 229-foot masts power it to 20 knots. It’s also the biggest billionaire’s yacht which can move under sail-power alone.

The masts are so tall that Dutch officials considered dismantling the 95-year-old Koningshaven Bridge to allow the vessel past the 131-foot span on its journey from the Oceanco shipyard in Alblasserdam through Rotterdam to the North Sea.

That controversial plan was scrapped after local backlash, including residents being urged to toss eggs at Bezos’ “latest toy,”  the New York Times reported . The superyacht, previously known as Y721, was instead towed to a shipyard in Rotterdam, downstream of the bridge, without its masts.

Bezos, 59, and the bikini-clad Sanchez, 53, appeared ready for the summer as the pair soaked up the sun aboard Koru, a Māori word for loop or coil that symbolizes new beginnings — possibly a coy reference to their relationship.

Sanchez started secretly dating the Blue Origin founder in the summer of 2018. Bezos then announced in January 2019 he and his wife Mackenzie were divorcing after 25 years , while Sanchez finalized her split from husband Patrick Whitesell later that year.

Sanchez plays a critical role in the Bezos fleet: As a helicopter pilot, she was seen landing on the Abeona. She was also at Bezos’ side when he took the wheel of the Koru.

Koru was first seen under construction in 2021 at Oceano’s yard. The company is owned by a fellow billionaire, Oman’s Mohammed Al Barwani.

As many as 18 guests can enjoy the yacht’s three outdoor decks, including one with two pools. The vessel, which has a crew of up to 36, also boasts a cinema, meeting spaces and lounges,  Luxuo reported .

Every detail is designed for luxury, even down to the masts’ technology.

Bezos opted for high-tech “in-boom furlers,” which store the vast canvases at the bottom of the mast, above the deck. Each weighs nearly 2,000 pounds, but they allow his deck to be kept clear of ropes.

Clearing ropes out of the way maximizes entertaining space, and allows for a hot tub forward of the mainmast.

The yacht is also built for speed. Its three masts provide “one of the largest sail areas ever seen in yachting,”  according to SuperYacht Times .

The Koru’s original designer, and the identity of its captain, remain secret. Boat International noted : “With the elegant curve of the bow and a bowsprit, the lines are certainly classic, but we still have no idea which designer drew them.”

The Cayman Islands-flagged vessel also has engine power like most sailing yachts.

And while other billionaires measure yachts by size, Bezos’ is only the 24th largest.

However, since Koru’s masts rule out a helicopter deck, the billionaire commissioned a support vessel, Abeona, named for the Roman goddess of outward journeys.

In addition to a helipad, the 246-foot Abeona features an extra two staterooms for four guests and as many as 45 crew and support staff.

It’s the largest custom-built support vessel ever manufactured by Damen Yachting. On board in Mallorca were at least four jetskis, two fast launches, and an additional dinghy. Its heavy winch is capable of lifting a small submarine, although Bezos is not believed to have one thus far.

The “classic exterior lines” of Koru, are reminiscent of another billionaire’s boat: Eos, a 305-foot sailing yacht owned by Barry Diller, 81, who may have inspired Bezos after hosting him on the vessel.

Favored by megastars like Katy Perry and Bradley Cooper — who were Diller’s guests during 2019’s Google Camp in Sicily — the German-built Eos can accommodate up to 16 guests and 21 crew.

It was the largest private sailing yacht in the world when it was completed in 2006. Diller, chairman of IAC and Expedia, who is worth $3.9 billion, bought it three years later. Intriguingly, its figurehead is modeled on Diller’s wife Diane von Fürstenberg, the fashion designer.

But the $200 million, 305-foot schooner is now dwarfed by Bezos’ boat.

As Koru sailed in the Balearic Sea this week off the coast of Spain, Bezos’ boat symbolically surges past several other tech billionaires’ vessels – including Google co-founder Sergey Brin’s $80 million, 240-foot Dragonfly, and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison’s, $160 million, 288-foot Musashi.

It will cost Bezos, 59, an estimated $25 million per year to operate Koru, but the world’s third-richest man isn’t likely to need a loan with his $140.6 billion fortune,  according to Forbes .

Bezos’ use of sailpower sets him apart from most billionaires, but others are seeking a hi-tech zero-carbon power source: a Japanese billionaire has reportedly commissioned the world’s first hydrogen-powered superyacht.

Germany’s Lürssen Yachts announced in March that they had a hydrogen-powered superyacht in advanced construction.

It declined to identify the future owner of the unnamed superyacht, but specialist publication FuelCellsWorks reported Japanese billionaire tech Yusaku Maezawa, worth an estimated $1.7 billion, commissioned the innovative effort.

Dubbed Project Cosmos, the 374-foot superyacht is designed by Apple’s legendary Marc Newson and was first unveiled in early March at Lürssen’s facility in Rendsburg, Germany.

Once completed as soon as next year, the vessel is expected to utilize emission-free fuel cell technology to generate power lasting up to 15 days while anchored or to travel as far as 1,000 miles at slow speeds.

Three other major shipyards, including in Italy and the Netherlands, are likely to launch their own hydrogen started outfitting newly constructed vessels with hydrogen fuel cells as of March 2022, with the first models reportedly expected in 2024.

Other megayachts expected to soon join Bezos’ Koru in the water include two Lürssen models, the 475-foot Luminance and the 400-foot Jag, and Feadship 821, a 389-foot offering from the Netherlands manufacturer.

But even those won’t best the biggest megayacht in the world, the 593-foot Azzam, which launched in 2013 after being commissioned by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of the United Arab Emirates who died last year.

Azzam, which means determination in Arabic, reportedly cost more than $600 million and is nearly 60 feet longer than the world’s second-largest yacht, the 533-foot Eclipse, owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.

Those monster vessels are expected to be surpassed next year by REV, a 600-foot yacht under construction in Norway which will have space for 36 guests and 54 crewmembers, according to Boat International .

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Will Rotterdam Make Way for Jeff Bezos, Lord of the Seas?

Jeff Bezos has it all. Billions of dollars, spaceships at his disposal, and soon, a $500 million super-schooner. The megayacht has been in the making for years , and is being built in the Netherlands. Upon completion, Y721 will be the largest sailing yacht in the world, with three masts, a black hull, and an accompanying “shadow vessel” with a helipad and room for Bezos’s other water toys. Yet misfortune has still befallen him. The yacht is large. Too large, by at least one critical metric: It cannot fit under the historic Koningshaven bridge in the Dutch city of Rotterdam, which it will need to get past to reach the ocean.

So city officials reportedly came up with a plan: They would temporarily dismantle part of the bridge so the Bezos yacht may pass underneath it. Bezos and Oceanco, the company building his superyacht upriver, would foot the bill rather than the city itself, and the bridge would be rebuilt after its ordeal. But officials have now backtracked, saying the plan has not yet been approved.

This is perhaps because the local population was not thrilled to hear that the bridge — known as “De Hef,” and a beloved local landmark even though it is no longer a working bridge — would be taken apart. “I think that’s why there is so much turmoil about Jeff Bezos and his boat,” the Dutch author Siebe Thissen told the New York Times. “People say, ‘Why this guy?’ It’s a working-class town, and they all know that Jeff Bezos, of course, he exploits his workers, so people say, ‘Why should this guy be able to demolish the bridge for his boat?’” The Times reported that hundreds of locals had said on Facebook that they would attend an event called “Throwing eggs at superyacht Jeff Bezos,” which sounds like a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

“Rotterdammers are proud of their city and don’t tear down iconic buildings just because you are superrich,” Pablo Strörmann, the event organizer, told the Times . (Strörmann also told the newspaper that the event was “mostly” a joke. Too bad!)

It is now unclear whether the city of Rotterdam will indeed dismantle De Hef for Bezos’s benefit. Nor is it clear what will happen to the superyacht, which must presumably find another way to open sea, or be built closer to it — unless Bezos is willing to settle for the world’s largest riverboat. Perhaps Bezos has finally discovered one problem that money can’t solve. Massive wealth will get you a lot. It will soothe fractious city officials and quash union campaigns, but maybe it can’t overcome the sentiment of a city that gives a damn about an old bridge.

Bezos is currently the second-richest man alive, behind Elon Musk. He has quite nearly conquered all he surveys. He can use his money to slip the surly bonds of Earth and touch the borders of space. But for now, De Hef stands in the way of his domain over the sea. Congratulations to the people of Rotterdam.

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Jeff Bezos’s New Yacht Comes With Its Own Yacht?

Another day, another reason that we must simply eat the rich. Construction is almost complete on the $500 million superyacht purchased by Amazon Daddy and Lizzo superfan Jeff Bezos. The 417-foot-long monstrosity, which Bezos bought two years ago, is among the biggest ever built in the Netherlands, the unofficial big-boat-building capital of the world.

What does a yacht longer than a football field come with? Multiple decks, an “ ambient cinema,” and its own support yacht. Yes, the yacht comes with its own yacht.

Project Y721 — the big boat’s temporary name — also has its own helipad. This is apropos given the rumors that Bezos’s sudden interest in helicopters may be what exposed his affair with now-girlfriend and famously “alive girl” Lauren Sanchez.

On top of the half-a-billion-dollar price tag, operating costs for the yacht will average about $60 million a year, per Bloomberg . To put that into context, for someone who makes $68,700 a year, the current median income in the U.S., that’d be like paying $23 in yearly operating costs. A pittance for the literal richest man on the planet.

Bezos isn’t the only rich person continuing to do rich-person things amid a struggling global economy. As Bloomberg reports, the yacht industry is among the few markets that thrived despite the spread of coronavirus. This shouldn’t come as any surprise, given the pandemic made the rich even richer . Bezos, for example, saw his wealth increase by 57 percent, per CBS News . Between March 18, 2020, and March, 18 2021, Bezos’s worth grew from $113 billion to $178 billion. Last year, the median income among Amazon employees was $29,007, per Business Insider .

Perhaps this purchase is Bezos in full post-divorce crisis mode. (He did buy the yacht the same year he and MacKenzie Scott announced they would be splitting.) While Scott recently remarried , Bezos continues to surround himself with the biggest, dumbest things money can buy. If anything, this all just further proof that the only good boats are the ones that get stuck .

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Jeff Bezos vs the bridge: Rotterdam’s dilemma over billionaire’s superyacht

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Javier Espinoza in Rotterdam

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

Jeff Bezos faces an obstacle before he can sail the world’s biggest superyacht, commissioned by the Amazon founder at the cost of $500mn: Rotterdam’s Koningshaven Bridge.

Oceanco, the Dutch maker of the 417-foot boat codenamed Y721, is seeking permission from the city to temporarily dismantle the central section of the 95-year-old bridge, known by the locals as “De Hef”. That would allow the yacht’s three 70-metre tall masts to pass through Rotterdam’s port from the nearby shipyard where it is being constructed.

The request has led to a furious debate among locals, one that has left them grappling with issues of global inequality and the power of tech billionaires. A proudly working-class city has been left with a dilemma: what is the real cost of making way for the world’s richest person?

“Are we going to bow our heads for Jeff Bezos just to give him his pleasure boat?” said Paul van de Laar, head of the history department at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. “Is this city built to make sure that the billionaires can have a good time?”

City officials insist the application process to dismantle the bridge is ongoing, adding that a permit has not been officially requested. A formal decision is expected as early as this month with the ship ready in August.

Oceanco’s back-up plan is to assemble the mast after the hull passes through — it remains unclear why Bezos does not take this option instead.

Two people with direct knowledge of the discussions suggest that a tacit agreement is in place between the city of Rotterdam and the shipmaker. They said the city may allow De Hef to be dismantled for short periods once or twice a year so large boats get safe passage for an estimated fee of €100,000.

“It doesn’t make sense to start building a $500mn ship with no prior approval, otherwise you have a $500mn problem in your hands,” said one of these people.

Bezos’s representatives did not reply to requests for comment. Oceanco declined to comment other than saying it values the “privacy and confidentiality” of its clients.

Rotterdam’s town hall said the application process was ongoing and, when deciding whether to issue a permit, the city will consider how many jobs have been created as a result of building the ship, the “possible environmental nuisance” and risks that could have an impact on the preservation of the monument.

There is a growing expectation that the city will accommodate Bezos’s wishes, though. That has split local opinion.

Some view Bezos as an avatar of aggressive capitalism who built a $1tn company with a patchy reputation over its treatment of blue-collar workers. Others welcome him as a job creator, whose willingness to spend lavishly on the superyacht is seen as an endorsement of the Netherlands’ centuries-old reputation as a seafaring superpower.

“It’s becoming a question of ego and arrogance,” said Dianthus Panacho, a 55-year-old entrepreneur and Rotterdam native. Panacho said Bezos should pay double the expected fee “so that he can contribute this extra €100,000 to help out impoverished families near the bridge”.

Ellen Verkoelen, a politician campaigning for the rights of people over the age of 50 and a member of the newly elected city council, argued that the boat should be allowed to sail through. “I think [some are jealous of those] who have money to do anything they want,” she said. “And they are right but when they have money why not spend it here?”

Built in 1927, the bridge was originally designed to connect the north and south parts of the city via a railway as Rotterdam’s first-ever railway bridge and a recognition of the port’s growing importance in the industrialisation of the Netherlands.

Having captured the imagination of locals, it was the subject of a silent film by Dutch film-maker Joris Ivens, who explored the complexity of the vertical-lift railroad bridge. It was later decommissioned in 1993 as a working bridge, though later restored as a monument in 2017.

Piet Momofer, a school governor, said the boat showed off the nation’s status as among the world’s premier shipbuilders. “People from different countries come to work here,” he said. “It’s important for the Dutch to have an outstanding quality of making those ships.”

The details of Bezos’s yacht have been kept top secret, but the design is reportedly inspired by Oceanco’s Black Pearl, currently the world’s largest and, it is claimed, most ecological sailing yacht, which can cross the Atlantic without the need for fuel and reaches top speeds of 30 knots. The Black Pearl has a spa pool, hot tub and a beach club cinema onboard. Reported early sightings of Bezos’s ship showed a white superstructure with a black hull.

Elko van Winzum, a 58-year-old industrial psychologist, said the idea of a billionaire sailing his luxury boat through the city’s canals went against the “Rotterdam way of life”, which he defined as “working hard, building things, having a laugh, drinking a beer and looking out for each other”.

“And then there is some ultra-rich guy from abroad. OK, he created some jobs for building this ship but after the transaction is over those jobs will be gone,” he said.

Van de Laar, the history professor, said the dilemma was whether “the city is in control of its own public space”, or whether the ultra-rich “always find a way” to override popular opinion.

“There is more than lifting a bridge,” he said. “From an engineering point of view it is not a big deal. But that’s not the point. You should take your citizens seriously.”

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Jeff Bezos's New Boat Is Bigger Than The Titanic! Tabs, Nov. 4, 2021

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Josh Marshall on the Virginia election (to be expected, though it's demoralizing) and Joe Biden's current unpopularity (Sinema and Manchin, YOU DICKS). I'd say I agree!  (Talking Points Memo)  Max Boot (Max Boot!) Max Burns actually, my bad, definitely not as surprising but still very good post, says if Democrats want to win, do the progressive agenda that literally the entire country wants, YOU DICKS. Ayup!  (Daily Beast members only ARGH I AM SORRY)  

Half a dozen Republicans who attended the January 6 rally (not all went in and actually insurrected) elected to office Tuesday oh ho ho what interesting times. —  HuffPost  

Senate Republicans blocked the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, duh, obvs. —  CNN  

Ohio voters passed an amendment mandating district maps that reflect actual party preference in the state. You won't believe what maps Ohio Republicans came up with next!  (Dispatch)  

"Mixed results" in Idaho school board races  mostly bad, but at least not that one Nazi.  (Idaho Education News)  

Oh hey,  here's a stupid lunatic piece of shit.  Pretty surprised she's not on a school board already, to be honest.

1/Hey @ChandlerUnified at what point do you finally stand up and say people cannot use your meetings to spout racism, bigotry, or tonight’s special surprise: ANTISEMITISM. “Let’s get to the very bottom of it… if you want to bring race into it, it’s the Jews.” @ADLArizonapic.twitter.com/mhyzTQZVBb — Prosecco Please (@Prosecco Please)  1635398339  

Montana is not and will not promote the vaccine for kids or teens, LOLOLOL, because "telling parents they can vax their kids undermines parental consent" LOLOLOL. (  Missoula Current  ) Montana schools superintendent Elsie Arntzen (plllleeeeease  google her  so you can be shocked at her stupid face) went to a church panel and explained lots of good stuff, like why it is good for parents to threaten school boards and also "You will have the opportunity to champion your child and say, 'Don't have to wear a mask. Don't have to have that boy in that girls' locker room.'" Here is  not a great write-up if you like pushback on statements — from the reporter, not from Arntzen — like "One man said he's never seen any facts that masks help protect children, that children don't get the disease and he feels gaslighted," but why would you want pushback on that?  (KPAX)  

Here comes the Kovid 'n' Kids vaccine disinformation! Get ready! They sure are! — The excellent Brandy Zadrozny at  NBC News  

The GOP is trying to loosen child labor laws oh ho ho!  (Salon)  

Supreme Court sure seems like it's going to strike down any state regulations of guns haha everything is terrific!  (CNN)  

  Conservatives on the Supreme Court just  stymied by that crafty Texas abortion ban!  (TPM)  

  Questions Erin Gloria Ryan would like to ask  politicians who are opposed to paid parental leave!

The  Rust armorer's lawyers are suggesting someone set her up (they mean the camera crew who walked off the set). Can't set someone up who does their job and checks the guns before they're handed to the actors, LAWYERS.  (Variety)  

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Yacht Market Sees A Shift As Pandemic-Era Buyers Sell, Prices Dip: 'The Industry Is Going Back To 2019'

The pandemic-induced surge in yacht sales is now showing signs of a reversal, with many buyers from the COVID-19 era now putting their vessels up for sale. This trend has led to a slight drop in prices, signaling a shift in the yacht market.

What Happened : The pandemic saw a significant increase in yacht sales, with many individuals seeking alternative travel options. However, as the world starts to return to normal, some of these buyers are now looking to sell their yachts and explore other travel options, CNBC reported.

Richard Allen , COO of Simpson Marine , noted a “massive spike” in yacht sales during the pandemic. However, he observed that many of these buyers are now looking to sell their vessels and explore other travel options.

Paolo Casani , CEO of Camper & Nicholsons , added that the industry saw a doubling of yacht sales in 2021 compared to 2019. However, this has led to an increase in brokerage activity, with many of these yachts now being put up for sale.

"The industry is going back to 2019," Casani said. "And we have to distinguish between brokerage and new builds, because the demand for new builds is still quite high."

"Prices are still quite high," he added. "There is still a gap between the demand and the offer … but we do believe that there will be still a reduction in the course of 2024."

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Despite the drop in sales, the demand for new builds remains high, particularly in Asia, where some buyers are even upgrading to larger vessels.

Why It Matters : The surge in yacht sales during the pandemic is part of a broader trend of increased spending on luxury items . Tech billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos have been making headlines with their extravagant yacht purchases.

However, the yacht market is not just about ownership. The rise of remote work has also led to new opportunities in the industry. Virgin Voyages , owned by Richard Branson , recently introduced a month-long cruise package specifically designed for remote workers, combining work and travel in an unprecedented way.

Despite the challenges, the yachting industry remains a significant contributor to the global economy. According to Simpson Marine, the global marine leisure market is expected to reach $46.5 billion in 2027, with significant potential for job creation and tourism revenue, according to the report.

Read Next: Voters Reveal Whether They Feel Donald Trump Is Receiving Fair Treatment In Court In Latest Poll — What That Means For Former President’s Election Chances

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