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Jeff Bezos’s massive yacht anchors next to oil tankers as boat is too big for port

Yacht seen docked behind cruise ship in area usually used for energy vessels, article bookmarked.

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Amazon founder, space enthusiast , and the third wealthiest man in the world Jeff Bezos has a parking problem with his mega-yacht .

At a Florida marina this week it became apparent that the $500m ship was too big to be moored with the other private yachts at Port Everglades.

At an impressive 417ft in length, “Koru” — the Maori word meaning new life or regeneration — had to be moored alongside oil tankers, container ships and the Liberty of the Seas cruise ship.

Port Everglades is a major gateway for Caribbean cruises and international trade, but the yacht section cannot accommodate vessels larger than 400ft.

At just over that length (almost twice the length of an Airbus A380 or equivalent to four blue whales) other accommodations had to be made.

A spokesperson for the port told The Times that it was in an area for energy ships and that when such large yachts come into port, they are docked wherever there is space.

Koru came into port last week from Gibraltar and with three masts is the second-largest sailing vessel in the world after Sailing Yacht A, owned by Russian fertiliser billionaire Andrey Melnichenko and designed by Philippe Starck.

Jeff Bezos's yacht named Koru is seen docked at Port Everglades

While it is pipped in length, it is nevertheless the tallest sailing yacht in the world with its masts reaching 230ft into the air.

Despite its enormous size — or perhaps because of it — Koru has a support vessel, the Arbeona, on which Bezos keeps his helicopter, jet skis, and luxury cars. That 246ft boat is docked four miles away at Dania Beach.

It costs an estimated $25m per year to staff and operate Koru, which has three decks and a pool. The Amazon founder proposed to fiancée Lauren Sanchez onboard over the summer after five years of dating.

Jeff Bezos takes a photo of Lauren Sanchez on his yacht in Portofino, Italy

During an interview with Vogue , Sanchez was asked about her apparent resemblance to the figurehead of the yacht — depicting a woman carved in the style of a Roman goddess with long hair and a flowing gown — after press suggested that it was a carving of her. However, according to Sanchez, that speculation is not true.

“I’m very flattered, but it’s not,” she said, before adding that the figurehead was one of Bezos’ favourite mythological figures, Freyja, the goddess associated with love, sex, war and gold.

She also poked fun at what the statue would look like “if it was” her, as she jokingly made the gesture of having larger breasts.

Bezos and Sanchez recently announced they are relocating from Seattle to Miami to be nearer his mother and adoptive father who are both in their late 70s.

The billionaire has bought two neighbouring properties on Indian Creek Island alongside Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, Tom Brady, and Norman Braman, who owns the Philadelphia Eagles.

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Bezos’ too-tall $500 million superyacht finally at sea

Jeff Bezos should have his new superyacht in time for the summer.

The 417-foot Koru left a shipyard in the Netherlands last week and anchored Wednesday off the coast of Spain near Mallorca, where it’s undergoing tests.  

The Koru’s excursion is part of the sea trials where an owner puts the boat through its paces to make sure everything is working properly, according to a person familiar with its travels, who requested anonymity discussing private matters. It could return to the shipyard for final tweaks before being delivered.

The three-masted superyacht is estimated to have cost the Amazon founder more than $500 million. Bezos, 59, is the world’s third-richest person with a fortune of $126.2 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

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Previously known as Y721, the ship is now registered as Koru and is flying under a Cayman Islands flag. It’s the largest sailing yacht afloat, according to Boat International, and one of the biggest to be built by Alblasserdam, Netherlands-based Oceanco.

An Amazon spokesperson didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The superyacht’s size has caused a number of headaches for Bezos and its builders. The height of its masts was originally going to force the city of Rotterdam to dismantle a historic steel bridge, De Hef, for the boat to be able to make it to the ocean. 

City officials initially agreed to temporarily take apart the bridge’s central section, but Oceanco ended up retracting the request amid public outcry. The shipbuilder eventually towed the vessel out to sea without its masts. 

The size of the sails also meant that the yacht couldn’t have a helipad on board. Instead, Bezos and his helicopter pilot partner Lauren Sanchez will rely on a support boat, which is currently crossing the Atlantic with a destination of Gibraltar, according to vessel-tracking data.

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Jeff Bezos' Superyacht Is So Massive It Had To Be Docked Next To Oil Tankers In Florida

The billionaire's sailing yacht, the koru, completed its journey from the mediterranean to the u.s. where it towers over other superyachts..

Jeff Bezos is insanely rich. So much so that his superyacht is bigger than other rich people’s superyachts, which is pretty wild if you think about it. Bezos’ recently completed ship, the Koru, is currently docked down in Florida where its massive size made it a bit difficult to dock.

Luxury Launches reported that the Koru, which is currently the biggest sailing ship in the world, recently completed its months long journey from the Mediterranean all the way to Port Everglades in South Florida. Any other billionaire’s boat wouldn’t have any trouble docking at the port, which can accommodate yachts in size up to 400 feet. The 416-foot Koru dwarfs that in nearly every dimension.

The half-a-billion-dollar boat is nearly twice the length of an Airbus A380 with an internal volume of 3,300 GT. Moreover, its triple masts measuring 230 feet make the vessel nearly half the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

The Koru is so big that it had to be docked near two 600-plus-foot oil tankers. Equally huge are the docking fees and the cost to keep this thing running. Using another superyacht as an example, Luxury Launches says that current docking rates at Port Everglades can run $22,000 for just 10 days. That’s in addition to the daily upkeep costs  of $137,000 for the Koru, which should be chump change for Bezos.

Don’t forget about the Koru’s $75 million support yacht , Abeona, that follows the Koru just so Bezos’ fiancé Lauren Sanchez can land her helicopter on it. Abeona won’t be joining the Koru in Florida, however. The smaller yacht is headed to the Bahamas where it’s expected the Koru will meet up with it soon.

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Jeff Bezos Has Reportedly Received the 417-Foot ‘Koru,’ the Tallest Sailing Yacht in the World

The $485 million vessel left for its maiden voyage last thursday., rachel cormack.

Digital Editor

Rachel Cormack's Most Recent Stories

This new 150-foot superyacht can cruise through shallow waters in florida and the bahamas with ease.

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Amazon founder Jeff Bezos just received a toy way too big for a brown cardboard box.

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The yacht has also been at the center of massive, worldwide controversy. Back in February 2022, Oceanco requested that a centuries-old bridge in the port city of Rotterdam be partially dismantled in order to get the behemoth out and onto the high seas. The masts, which are the same height as the Great Pyramid of Giza, simply exceeded the bridge’s 131-foot clearance and thus prevented Koru from passing under. Rotterdammers were none too pleased and threatened to pelt the yacht with rotten eggs . The request was subsequently denied, and the yacht was instead discreetly towed through Rotterdam without its mast.

The designers behind the yacht’s interior and exterior are yet to be named, but it’s clear that she’s a timeless and elegant cruiser. Koru , which is a Māori for “new beginnings,” features a sleek black hull and white superstructure. She also sports a large pool on the aft deck and a number of plush alfresco lounges.

The epic design isn’t able to accommodate a helicopter, however, as the soaring masts make it too unsafe to land. As a result, Bezos commissioned a second yacht to hold his toys and tenders. Christened Wingman, the custom 246-footer is Damen’s largest support vessel to date. It’s a good match for monumental Koru , then.

Rachel Cormack is a digital editor at Robb Report. She cut her teeth writing for HuffPost, Concrete Playground, and several other online publications in Australia, before moving to New York at the…

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Jeff Bezos’ New Yacht Is Finally Ready to Set Sail

Amazon’s founder has been spotted on Koru, a massive schooner with a design that evokes the golden age of sailing in the early 20th century.

By Kevin Koenig

Just in time for the high season of yachting in the Mediterranean, when multimillion-dollar megayachts descend on ports like Monte Carlo and St. Tropez, Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, has been photographed with his partner Lauren Sánchez on his new boat, Koru, off the coast of Spain.

Mr. Bezos’ vessel is a sailing yacht, a departure from the diesel-powered, floating palaces popular with other billionaires. But it is still massive. At 417 feet, Koru is the world’s largest sailing yacht, according to Boat International , and it cost an estimated $500 million to build, Bloomberg reported . (Parsifal III, the boat featured on Bravo’s reality series “Below Deck Sailing Yacht,” is 177 feet long — less than half the length of Koru — and cost $18 million , according to the website SuperYachtFan.)

A spokesperson for Mr. Bezos did not comment for this article; neither did Oceanco, Koru’s builder. Here is what to know about the boat.

For traditionalists, Koru is refreshing. At a time when yacht design skews outrageous — see the lizardlike, 262-foot Artefact or the otherworldly 463-foot Yas — Koru stands out as a schooner, a sailing vessel with two or more masts. Photos reveal a large sailboat with three masts, an on-deck pool and a voluptuous mermaid on the bow, that bears a resemblance to Ms. Sánchez. But otherwise, the sleek, classic lines suggest the patrician age of yachting in the early 20th century, said Robert B. MacKay, author of “The Golden Age of Newport Yachting: Between the Wars.”

“With the clipper bow and the dark hull and the masts,” Mr. MacKay said, referring to Koru’s concave, pointy forward section, “it reminds me of a boat built in 1930 for J.P. Morgan Jr., Corsair IV. It is almost like a reincarnation. It’s certainly at odds with the stuff the oligarchs are building — those look like bloated Clorox bottles.”

Compared with the world’s very largest motor yachts — built for sheer size and the accompanying bragging rights — Koru could almost be considered quaint. Azzam, one of the world’s largest motor yachts, is nearly 200 feet longer.

The Experience

Koru will be propelled primarily by the wind. “Sailboats are usually greener than most powerboats,” said Don Anderson, a former captain of M5 , the world’s largest single-masted sailboat, at 256 feet. “I’d like to think that Koru will be one of the most ecological yachts out there, with its sails and also with the technology that will be aboard.”

“When you’re on a sailboat, you’re more in touch with the wind and the waves than on a powerboat,” he continued. “You’re more susceptible to the elements, too. But you can leave California, and once you get past the Catalinas you can basically surf downwind all the way to Hawaii. All you need to do is run with the waves.”

Mr. Bezos has been a guest on similar boats, according to Bloomberg: In 2019, he was spotted on Eos , a 305-foot sailing yacht owned by Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg.

Bill Tripp, a Connecticut-based naval architect, said the appeal of this type of boat is clear: “When you are on a powerboat, you ask, ‘Are we there yet?’ and on a sailboat, you’re enjoying the ride and the ocean so much that you don’t ask that question.”

Koru will be trailed by Abeona, a 246-foot support vessel. Superyachts often have support vessels following along behind them. These “shadows,” as they are colloquially known, are for the “toys” — the ATVs, supercars, seaplanes, motorcycles, smaller boats, scuba gear, personal submarines and even helicopters that pleasure boaters might bring on a trip. According to its builder, this model of boat can carry these gadgets along with dozens of crew members. (Ms. Sanchez flies helicopters, and the couple was recently photographed taking a helicopter to board Abeona and then Koru.)

Abeona, a motor yacht, will have enough range to follow Koru from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean — a common course for yachts — on a single tank of gas.

The Kerfuffle

Koru set off a controversy last year — before it was even completed — in a face-off with the Dutch city of Rotterdam. The boat was built at Oceanco’s facility in Alblasserdam, the Netherlands, and needed to pass the historic Koningshaven Bridge, known as “De Hef,” in Rotterdam, to undergo testing in the North Sea.

When the city announced it would dismantle the bridge to allow the boat and its mainmast — an estimated 230 feet tall — to pass through unscathed, locals were angry. They planned a protest to throw eggs at the yacht as it cruised by. In the end, the bridge was not taken apart, and the yacht was towed to a different location to have its masts attached.

Koru is Maori for “coil” or “loop” and refers to the unfurling of a fern frond. The koru design is common in traditional Maori art, where it symbolizes new life, growth and peace. Mr. Bezos included a photo of a koru frond in an Instagram post on Jan. 1, 2022.

Brad Stone, who was the first to report on Koru, in his 2021 book “Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire,” said the name was “consistent with where we see him today.”

“He is no longer this single-minded tech guy,” Mr. Stone said. “He’s in media and Hollywood and has a new relationship.”

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Jeff Bezos' new megayacht is so big, the Dutch are going to have to take apart a historic bridge to let it pass

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Jeff Bezos ' new megayacht is so big, a historic bridge will need be dismantled to allow it to pass.

The bridge in Rotterdam, Netherlands, has a 131-foot clearance, but the ship's masts are too tall.

The yacht is expected to be the biggest and most luxurious sailing yacht in the world once finished.

Jeff Bezos' new yacht is so big, it won't make it out to sea unless a Dutch city removes part of a historic bridge.

Dutch broadcaster Rijnmond reported Tuesday that the 417-foot vessel is currently being built in the city of Alblasserdam, Netherlands. Once finished, it will need to pass through Rotterdam, largely considered the maritime capital of Europe, in order to reach the ocean — and, presumably, Bezos.

There's only one problem: The megayacht has three masts, and the masts are too tall to pass underneath the Koningshaven Bridge in Rotterdam, despite its clearance of over 131 feet.

The bridge, which locals refer to as De Hef, is nearly 100 years old, and while it no longer functions as a railroad crossing, it's become something of a monument in the city. It was renovated and then put back together in 2017, after which the city pledged it wouldn't be taken apart again, Rijnmond reported.

But now, the city is reportedly planning to remove the center portion of the bridge to allow the vessel to pass through.

Frances van Heijst, a spokesperson for the municipality of Rotterdam, confirmed to Insider that the city is able to grant permission to the maritime sector to take a ship to sea. But van Heijst told the Washington Post Wednesday that the city will not be paying for the cost of dismantling the bridge and reassembling it — the shipbuilder, Oceanco, will pay for it.

A spokesperson for Oceanco did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

The existence of Bezos' megayacht was first reported last May in Brad Stone's book , "Amazon Unbound." The custom yacht, currently known only as Y721, is predicted to cost $500 million and is expected to be "one of the finest sailing yachts in existence," Stone reported.

In addition to the mega-yacht, the Amazon founder — who is currently worth $176 billion — has reportedly commissioned a second, smaller "support yacht" that will include its own helipad.

In October, new photos and videos surfaced of what appeared to be the yacht rolling out of a shipyard in Zwijndrecht, Netherlands. The massive vessel was still unfinished, but photos published by Boat International and Daily Mail showed a ship with a black hull and multiple decks.

Boat International reports that the project will be completed in 2022 and will become the largest sailing yacht in the world.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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First, Jeff Bezos’s 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 — appears to be 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.

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 his partner, Lauren Sánchez.

Koru, which Bloomberg estimated to 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. A spokeswoman for Port Everglades confirmed on Thursday that Mr. Bezos’s yacht was in the port.

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’s 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.

The post Jeff Bezos’ Giant Yacht Is Apparently Too Big to Anchor Near Others in Florida appeared first on New York Times .

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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: What it takes to build a 164-foot superyacht

• Main content

Jeff Bezos’ superyacht is in Florida. It’s so big it has to anchor at a seaport.

• Madeleine Marr Miami Herald (TNS)

South Florida, meet The Koru.

That’s the name of Jeff Bezos’ colossal yacht that just dropped anchor in Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. The word means “new beginnings” in Maori, the language spoken by indigenous Polynesians of mainland New Zealand, where  the Amazon founder’s private jet was spotted  in 2020.

How ginormous is this triple-masted behemoth? Roughly 400 feet long and 250 feet tall, it’s the size of a cruise ship. That ginormous.

The  luxury schooner  is so big it can’t even hang with other leisure ships; she reportedly is parked near two oil tankers. It has two pools, a hot tub, multiple lounges, dining areas and bars, and perhaps the pièce de résistance, a wooden figurehead on the prow rumored to be modeled after Bezos’ fiancée,  Lauren Sanchez .

The 59-year-old billionaire shelled out about $500M for his snazzy new toy, which was built just for him in the Netherlands by Oceanco, the company that also constructed Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ superyacht,  the Bravo Eugenia .

Get used to seeing The Koru around, especially if you set sail on a vacation. Bezos, a Palmetto High alum,  lives back here  full time now, after spending three decades in Seattle, busy reinventing the way the world shops.

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Yacht reportedly built for Bezos too big for Dutch bridge

View of the Koningshaven Bridge, known as De Hef, (The Lift), in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022. A plan to dismantle the historic bridge in the heart of Dutch port city so that a huge yacht, reportedly being built for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, can get to the North Sea is unlikely to be plain sailing. Reports this week that the city had already agreed to take apart the recently restored bridge sparked anger in the city, with one Facebook group set up calling for people to pelt the multimillion dollar yacht with rotten eggs. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

View of a yacht, reportedly being built for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, on the wharf in Zwijndrecht, near Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2021. A plan to dismantle a historic bridge in the heart of Dutch port city Rotterdam so that the huge yacht can get to the North Sea is unlikely to be plain sailing. Reports this week that the city had already agreed to take apart the recently restored Koningshaven Bridge, known locally as De Hef sparked anger in the city, with one Facebook group set up calling for people to pelt the multimillion dollar yacht with rotten eggs. (AP Photo/Guy Fleury)

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ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — A giant, $500 million yacht reportedly being built for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos faces a delivery problem: It may require dismantling a beloved, historic bridge in Rotterdam that is blocking its passage to the sea.

Reports this week that the Dutch city had already agreed to take apart the recently renovated Koningshaven Bridge, known locally as De Hef, sparked anger. On Facebook, locals are proposing to pelt the yacht with rotten eggs when it passes through.

However, a spokeswoman for Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb told The Associated Press on Friday that while a shipbuilder has requested temporarily taking apart the bridge this summer, no permit has yet been sought or granted.

Many Rotterdam residents are still concerned.

“I think it’s easy to understand why it’s so controversial because this is a very beautiful, recently restored old bridge,” said Lizette Touber. “It really is our heritage. And I think that if the rich can pay for it to be opened, which normally nobody else could do, then you get controversy.”

In a written statement, Aboutaleb, who is on a visit to Colombia, said that once a request for a permit is submitted it will be assessed based on factors including economic impact, environmental nuisance and possible risks to the “monumental structure” of the bridge.

“When the permit has been applied for, the municipality can make a decision about this, details can be further elaborated and a plan can be made in the event of a positive decision,” the statement said.

The municipality declined to comment on who owns the yacht in question or identify the shipbuilder. An email sent to Amazon seeking comment went unanswered. A report by Bloomberg in May 2021 said the yacht was being built for Bezos by Oceanco at a cost of “upwards of $500 million.”

The current Hef railway bridge was opened for trains to cross the Maas River in 1927 and taken out of service in 1993 when it was replaced by a tunnel. Public protests spared it from demolition and it eventually underwent a three-year renovation that ended in 2017. The middle section of the bridge can be raised to allow ships to pass underneath, but apparently not high enough for the new yacht’s masts.

Ton Wesselink, chairman of a Rotterdam historical society, feared that a decision to allow one yacht through the bridge could set a precedent for others.

“The thing we don’t want is that this yacht issue will open the possibility for shipbuilders to use it the same way,” he said in an email to AP.

But there were voices of support for the proposal.

“I think it’s fine. Let Bezos pay a high price. It creates work. I only see upsides,” said Rotterdam resident Ria van den Vousten.

“If it is paid for and everybody makes some money, don’t complain. Don’t talk, but act, as we say in Rotterdam,” she added.

Corder reported from The Hague.

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World News | Yacht reportedly built for Jeff Bezos too big…

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World News | Yacht reportedly built for Jeff Bezos too big for Dutch bridge

View of the Koningshaven Bridge, known as De Hef, (The Lift), in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022. A plan to dismantle the historic bridge in the heart of Dutch port city so that a huge yacht, reportedly being built for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, can get to the North Sea is unlikely to be plain sailing. Reports this week that the city had already agreed to take apart the recently restored bridge sparked anger in the city, with one Facebook group set up calling for people to pelt the multimillion dollar yacht with rotten eggs. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

View of a yacht, reportedly being built for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, on the wharf in Zwijndrecht, near Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2021. A plan to dismantle a historic bridge in the heart of Dutch port city Rotterdam so that the huge yacht can get to the North Sea is unlikely to be plain sailing. Reports this week that the city had already agreed to take apart the recently restored Koningshaven Bridge, known locally as De Hef sparked anger in the city, with one Facebook group set up calling for people to pelt the multimillion dollar yacht with rotten eggs. (AP Photo/Guy Fleury)

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands — A giant, $500 million yacht reportedly being built for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos faces a delivery problem: It may require dismantling a beloved, historic bridge in Rotterdam that is blocking its passage to the sea.

Reports this week that the Dutch city had already agreed to take apart the recently renovated Koningshaven Bridge, known locally as De Hef, sparked anger. On Facebook, locals are proposing to pelt the yacht with rotten eggs when it passes through.

However, a spokeswoman for Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb told The Associated Press on Friday that while a shipbuilder has requested temporarily taking apart the bridge this summer, no permit has yet been sought or granted.

Many Rotterdam residents are still concerned.

“I think it’s easy to understand why it’s so controversial because this is a very beautiful, recently restored old bridge,” said Lizette Touber. “It really is our heritage. And I think that if the rich can pay for it to be opened, which normally nobody else could do, then you get controversy.”

In a written statement, Aboutaleb, who is on a visit to Colombia, said that once a request for a permit is submitted it will be assessed based on factors including economic impact, environmental nuisance and possible risks to the “monumental structure” of the bridge.

“When the permit has been applied for, the municipality can make a decision about this, details can be further elaborated and a plan can be made in the event of a positive decision,” the statement said.

The municipality declined to comment on who owns the yacht in question or identify the shipbuilder. An email sent to Amazon seeking comment went unanswered. A report by Bloomberg in May 2021 said the yacht was being built for Bezos by Oceanco at a cost of “upwards of $500 million.”

The current Hef railway bridge was opened for trains to cross the Maas River in 1927 and taken out of service in 1993 when it was replaced by a tunnel. Public protests spared it from demolition and it eventually underwent a three-year renovation that ended in 2017. The middle section of the bridge can be raised to allow ships to pass underneath, but apparently not high enough for the new yacht’s masts.

Ton Wesselink, chairman of a Rotterdam historical society, feared that a decision to allow one yacht through the bridge could set a precedent for others.

“The thing we don’t want is that this yacht issue will open the possibility for shipbuilders to use it the same way,” he said in an email to AP.

But there were voices of support for the proposal.

“I think it’s fine. Let Bezos pay a high price. It creates work. I only see upsides,” said Rotterdam resident Ria van den Vousten.

“If it is paid for and everybody makes some money, don’t complain. Don’t talk, but act, as we say in Rotterdam,” she added.

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Yacht reportedly built for Bezos too big for Dutch bridge

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A giant, $500-million yacht reportedly being built for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos faces a delivery problem: It may require dismantling a beloved, historic bridge in Rotterdam that is blocking its passage to the sea.

Reports this week that the Dutch city had already agreed to take apart the recently renovated Koningshaven Bridge, known locally as De Hef — the Lift — sparked anger. On Facebook, locals are proposing to pelt the yacht with rotten eggs when it passes through.

However, a spokeswoman for Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb told the Associated Press on Friday that while a shipbuilder has requested temporarily taking apart the bridge this summer, no permit has yet been sought or granted.

Many Rotterdam residents are still concerned.

“I think it’s easy to understand why it’s so controversial, because this is a very beautiful, recently restored old bridge,” said Lizette Touber. “It really is our heritage. And I think that if the rich can pay for it to be opened, which normally nobody else could do, then you get controversy.”

In a statement, Aboutaleb, who is on a visit to Colombia, said that once a request for a permit is submitted it will be assessed based on factors including economic impact, environmental nuisance and possible risks to the “monumental structure” of the bridge.

“When the permit has been applied for, the municipality can make a decision about this, details can be further elaborated and a plan can be made in the event of a positive decision,” the statement said.

The municipality declined to comment on who owns the yacht in question or identify the shipbuilder. An email sent to Amazon seeking comment went unanswered.

The current Hef railway bridge was opened for trains to cross the Maas River in 1927 and taken out of service in 1993 when it was replaced by a tunnel. Public protests spared it from demolition and it eventually underwent a three-year renovation that ended in 2017. The middle section of the bridge can be raised to allow ships to pass underneath, but apparently not high enough for the new yacht’s masts.

Ton Wesselink, chairman of a Rotterdam historical society, feared that a decision to allow one yacht through the bridge could set a precedent for others.

“The thing we don’t want is that this yacht issue will open the possibility for shipbuilders to use it the same way,” he said in an email to AP.

But there were voices of support for the proposal.

“I think it’s fine. Let Bezos pay a high price. It creates work. I only see upsides,” said Rotterdam resident Ria van den Vousten.

“If it is paid for and everybody makes some money, don’t complain. Don’t talk, but act, as we say in Rotterdam,” she added.

Corder reported from The Hague.

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Rotterdam to partly dismantle historic bridge for Jeff Bezos’s superyacht

Central section of Koningshaven Bridge to be removed to make way for Amazon founder’s $485m superyacht

A historic steel bridge in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam is to be partly dismantled to allow a superyacht built for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to pass, local authorities have announced.

Bezos’s gigantic, 430-million-euro ($485m) yacht is too big for the iconic Koningshaven Bridge, which dates from 1878 and was rebuilt after being bombed by the Nazis in 1940 during the second world war.

The shipyard building the three-masted mammoth in Alblasserdam, near Rotterdam, has asked the local council to remove the bridge’s central section so it can pass through.

“It’s the only route to the sea,” a spokesperson for the mayor of Rotterdam told AFP, adding that the Amazon owner would foot the bill for the operation.

The decision has angered some in the Netherlands as the local council promised after a major renovation in 2017 that it would never again dismantle the bridge, known to Rotterdammers as De Hef.

The mayor’s office emphasised the economic benefits and jobs created by the construction of the boat, but promised that the bridge would be rebuilt in its current form.

The middle section of the huge steel-girdered bridge will be removed to give enough clearance for the 40-metre (130-foot) high boat, Dutch media reported.

The process will take a few weeks and is expected to happen this summer.

Bezos, 57, is one of the world’s richest men after transforming online bookseller Amazon into a global shopping giant.

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Bezos told his yacht is too big for marina

When Jeff Bezos’s $500 million schooner first set forth upon the ocean, sailing aficionados praised its classic design, luxurious fittings and the array of green technology on board. But for all of these advantages, it is rather hard to park.

When the 416ft Koru pulled into Port Everglades in Florida this week, the Amazon founder’s boat had to be moored not among the yachts in the marina but in a berth typically reserved for oil tankers.

“It’s in an area that’s for energy ships,” a spokeswoman for the port said yesterday. “When we have large yachts that don’t fit in your typical marina we fit them where they can fit in the port.”

The arrival of the Koru in Florida, its first appearance in US

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Yacht reportedly built for Jeff Bezos too big for Dutch bridge

A giant, $500 million yacht reportedly being built for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos faces a delivery problem: It may require dismantling a beloved, historic bridge in Rotterdam that is blocking its passage to the sea.

Reports this week that the Dutch city had already agreed to take apart the recently renovated Koningshaven Bridge, known locally as De Hef, sparked anger. On Facebook, locals are proposing to pelt the yacht with rotten eggs when it passes through.

However, a spokeswoman for Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb told The Associated Press on Friday that while a shipbuilder has requested temporarily taking apart the bridge this summer, no permit has yet been sought or granted.

Many Rotterdam residents are still concerned.

"I think it's easy to understand why it's so controversial because this is a very beautiful, recently restored old bridge," said Lizette Touber. "It really is our heritage. And I think that if the rich can pay for it to be opened, which normally nobody else could do, then you get controversy."

In a written statement, Aboutaleb, who is on a visit to Colombia, said that once a request for a permit is submitted it will be assessed based on factors including economic impact, environmental nuisance and possible risks to the "monumental structure" of the bridge.

"When the permit has been applied for, the municipality can make a decision about this, details can be further elaborated and a plan can be made in the event of a positive decision," the statement said.

The municipality declined to comment on who owns the yacht in question or identify the shipbuilder. An email sent to Amazon seeking comment went unanswered. A report by Bloomberg in May 2021 said the yacht was being built for Bezos by Oceanco at a cost of "upwards of $500 million."

The current Hef railway bridge was opened for trains to cross the Maas River in 1927 and taken out of service in 1993 when it was replaced by a tunnel. Public protests spared it from demolition and it eventually underwent a three-year renovation that ended in 2017. The middle section of the bridge can be raised to allow ships to pass underneath, but apparently not high enough for the new yacht's masts.

Ton Wesselink, chairman of a Rotterdam historical society, feared that a decision to allow one yacht through the bridge could set a precedent for others.

"The thing we don't want is that this yacht issue will open the possibility for shipbuilders to use it the same way," he said in an email to AP.

But there were voices of support for the proposal.

"I think it's fine. Let Bezos pay a high price. It creates work. I only see upsides," said Rotterdam resident Ria van den Vousten.

"If it is paid for and everybody makes some money, don't complain. Don't talk, but act, as we say in Rotterdam," she added.

Corder reported from The Hague.

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Rotterdam Now Won't Dismantle a Historic Bridge for Jeff Bezos's Superyacht

The Amazon founder's new sailing yacht is too tall to pass under the historic Koningshaven bridge.

"We’re happy it’s not happening," Marvin Biljoen, a councilman for GroenLinks, the Dutch Green Party, told the New York Times . "T he bridge is a national monument, which shouldn’t be altered too much. That you could still do that with money anyway bothers us."

Last week, Oceano quietly towed the yacht up the river in the early hours of the morning to a different shipyard, and now, Bezos's boat is nearly completed. The YouTube channel Dutch Yachting shared a video of the boat, and it has three large masts completed:

Expect the superyacht to be on the open seas soon.

Original 2/7/22 : The European port of Rotterdam will dismantle part of its iconic Koningshaven bridge for Jeff Bezos. The billionaire's new yacht is being built in Alblasserdam, in the western Netherlands, and will be too tall to pass under the bridge.

"It's the only route to the sea," a spokesperson for the mayor of Rotterdam told AFP , confirming the news of the bridge's dismantling. According to Dutch news , ship builder Oceanco convinced the city to dismantle part of the bridge. The Rotterdam mayor's spokesperson also confirmed that Bezos would pay for the dismantling and rebuilding of the bridge.

In November, Oceano's chairman, Omani businessman Dr. Mohammed Al Barwani, spoke of the 127 meter (416 feet) sailing yacht the company was working on without mentioning Bezos. Later, Boat International identified the 127m yacht as the one commissioned by the Amazon founder.

The Koningshaven bridge, known locally as the De Hef bridge , was built in 1877. During World War II, the bridge was significantly damaged and rebuilt, subsequently recognized as a historic monument. Between 2014 and 2017, the bridge underwent a restoration, and officials promised it would not be dismantled again.

"From an economic perspective and maintaining employment, the municipality considers this a very important project," Marcel Walravens, the leader of the proposed dismantling project, told Dutch broadcaster Rijnmond . "Rotterdam has also been declared the maritime capital of Europe. Shipbuilding and activity within that sector are therefore an important pillar for the municipality." Walravens says the project will likely take place sometime this summer.

Dennis Tak, a Labor Party city councilor, said he was OK with the dismantling of the Koningshaven bridge because Bezos is paying for it, and it would create jobs. "As a city, this is a great way to take some of his money," Tak told the New York Times .

Dutch residents are not happy, however; they plan to throw rotten eggs at Jeff Bezos's superyacht as it passes through the Rotterdam harbor. Business Insider reports Rotterdam locals are planning an event called "Throwing eggs at Jeff Bezos' superyacht" in protest.

"Calling all Rotterdammers, take a box of rotten eggs with you and let's throw them en masse at Jeff's superyacht when it sails through the Hef in Rotterdam," the event description reads on Facebook. "Rotterdam was built from the rubble by the people of Rotterdam, and we don't just take that apart for the phallic symbol of a megalomaniac billionaire. Not without a fight!" 3,300 people have RSVP'd as going, and 11,600 are interested in the event.

When Bezos's yacht, known as Y721, is delivered later this year—after the bridge is dismantled—the boat will become the world's largest sailing yacht, a title that has been held for nearly a century by American socialite Marjorie Merriweather Post's 1931 boat Sea Cloud .

Along with making history as the largest sailing yacht, Bezos's Y271 is the longest yacht to have ever been built in the Netherlands, and Oceano's largest ever superyacht. It is also rumored to come with a "support yacht," also called a shadow vessel. The superyacht likely cost more than $500 million to build, per Bloomberg .

Bezos is also reportedly the owner of the Flying Fox, a $400 million megayacht.

Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma , a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram .

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AOC’s Net Worth

• Politics and wealth often seem to go hand in hand, but Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez proves that service to the people matters more.
• AOC's humble background and modest net worth stand out in a political world ruled by the wealthy.
• Despite intense criticism, AOC remains dedicated to serving her constituents and fighting for real change.
• AOC's net worth has been the subject of false rumors, placing it as high as $29 million.

In the current political climate, anyone could be forgiven for thinking politicians without massive fortunes are a myth, or at least a thing of the past.

"Politics" is often synonymous with wealth, because there is a widespread belief that a person will require lots of money and resources to win an election.

It might seem inviolable, but a career in politics is about serving the people, and managing and maintaining their needs — and who can do that better than people from their own districts, with lives and backstories much like their own?

But on the contemporary political scene, service to the people is an almost outdated notion; the wealthy and powerful flood money into elections so that when their backed candidates are in power, their moneyed backers can make even more money.

On the modern political stage, seldom do politicians with a non-affluent background emerge — and even less frequently, do they secure a chance to make a real change.

But Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – often known mononymously as AOC – pulled it off, as a brave young woman who broke many political traditions when breaking into the infamous Beltway .

AOC emerged as an honest and outspoken warrior to challenge the status quo and established political giants, and she speaks her mind:

But most surprisingly, Ocasio-Cortez was the youngest member of the 116th Congress, and she also emerged from a humble background; she is a rare gem in the crowded field of politicians and DC mainstays.

Today, we'll look at AOC’s net worth – which is extremely modest by Beltway standards – and learn how she managed to shine on the political stage in spite of her non-affluent background.

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Young aoc defeated a political giant.

In 2017, an ambitious then 27-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez launched her political campaign against longstanding incumbent, Rep. Joseph Crowley.

Representing the 14th Congressional District, Joe Crowley was a political giant. No one had challenged Joe Crowley since 2004, and Crowley had held his office since 1999.

He was a ten-term incumbent, Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, and everyone was certain he would again win against a political rookie like AOC.

Rep. Crowley had significant resources at his disposal; he possessed power, money, tenure, and the support of most of his Democratic colleagues.

On the other hand, a 27-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who had just stepped into mainstream politics, was severely under-financed , and her supporters were fewer in number compared to Crowley's.

But she returned to the roots of politics, engaging with people, leveraging her keen understanding of social media platforms , and capturing myriad non-traditional media channels, to stay at the forefront for the Democratic voters in her New York district.

In June 2018, something unexpected happened in the United States in mainstream politics, which still reverberates.

A then 28-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated the fourth-ranking Democrat in the House, Rep. Joseph Crowley:

Not only did she win, she won by a significant margin, marking what the New York Times twice called a significant electoral upset .

AOC secured 57 percent of the vote, a massive 15 percent lead over Rep. Crowley, executing one of the greatest upsets in recent political memory — an even larger feat due to Crowley's lengthy Congressional tenure.

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Aoc’s political agenda and brave approach.

AOC, with hard work and dedication, crossed the victory line and became the youngest member of the 116th Congress, but her fight started in earnest when she stepped foot into the Capitol.

It was time to fight to resolve the very real problems of her constituency, as she promised her voters that she would battle to get Medicare For All, housing as a human right, and justice for workers and small businesses — all of which are huge issues, hampered by moneyed lobbies opposing change.

AOC is also an advocate for non-immigrant workers, a peaceful economy to halt the business of war, a flourishing green sector, women’s rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, and recovery for Puerto Rico, as her roots are in the oft-forgotten American territory.

All are mammoth undertakings, but Ocasio-Cortez is no longer a novice politician; she has become a headache for those who oppose her missions.

Among the most talked-about politicians in the United States (even outside her district), Rep. Ocasio-Cortez speaks her mind.

Even former President Donald Trump has criticized the Democratic progressive group colloquially known as "The Squad," of which she is a part.

"The Squad" includes young and extremely talented Democratic politicians: Reps. Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, Cori Bush, and Jamaal Bowman.

According to Trump, their criticisms of his leadership were unwarranted, and he thought they should "go back and help fix" things in their own districts, evidencing the frustration AOC caused the former President.

AOC is a famously and unapologetically progressive lawmaker, and far-right politicians like Republican lawmaker Paul Gosar have aimed extreme hatred at her.

In 2021, Paul Gosar edited a clip of the anime series Attack On Titan, and depicted himself as a "hero" who "killed" AOC in the edited video .

At the time, Ocasio-Cortez said of Gosar's behavior:

"So while I was en route to Glasgow, a creepy member I work with who fundraises for Neo-Nazi groups shared a fantasy video of him killing me ... And he'll face no consequences bc [House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy] cheers him on with excuses.

"Fun Monday! Well, back to work bc institutions don't protect [women of color]."

Another GOP lawmaker, Rep. Ted Yoho of Florida, verbally abused her. Later, he apologized only for his statements, not to the person he attacked.

AOC vehemently condemned these incidents, which she characterized as endemic behavior from across the aisle.

The intense reactions of rival party members towards her is proof that she represents a genuine threat, both to the status quo and to longstanding political agreements that don't favor everyday Americans.

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Aoc's net worth remains modest, despite years in politics.

One more thing evidencing AOC's honesty is that while she has been serving for more than five years, unlike most politicians, she hasn't accumulated a huge amount of money , nor does she seem to receive political perks for personal gain.

According to Yahoo! Finance, AOC's net worth is estimated at a modest $200,000 .

She was the subject of false rumors to the contrary, claiming AOC's net worth had reached the very specific and unsubstantiated sum of $29 million .

One of the youngest, most popular political talents in the United States today, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez did not go into politics solely for her own financial gain; she is one of the rare politicians who enter the field to improve conditions for her constituents as well as Americans in other districts.

AOC's Net Worth And Reported Financial Details, Recapped

AOC's Congressional salary is $174,000 annually, meaning she earns $14,500 per month.

In 2018, she disclosed the total of her savings account in the pre-set disclosure bracket of $1,001 to $15,000.

However, in their coverage of AOC's first financial disclosures, CNBC reported that the race depleted her savings:

"The 2018 race took its toll on her finances, Corbin Trent, director of communications for Ocasio-Cortez, tells CNBC Make It. 'She’s had to dip into her savings since that was filed.

"'She’s down to well below $7,000 now' in that account, and the amount in her 401(k) hasn’t changed as she has not been contributing to it in recent months while she has been living off of her savings. Trent said he was unable to comment on her current checking account balance."

In 2021, when she made her most recent disclosure statement, AOC declared $3,000 to $45,000 in assets, including a 401(k) plan, savings, and her checking account.

Like many young Americans, AOC still owes $15,000 in student loans; in 2018, her student loan debt stood at $50,000.

Many Americans do not agree with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's ideology; some disapprove of her approach to politics wholesale.

But few question her intent to fight for change, nor her honesty.

This signals that AOC is emerging as a serious contender for higher public positions, including possibly the presidency in the future — but at 34, Ocasio-Cortez remains ineligible to run for that office .

Ultimately, Washington needs fiery young talents like AOC: she is fierce, honest, opinionated, and, most importantly, she follows through with her political stances and continues to clamor for change.