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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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The World’s 2nd Largest Sailing Yacht, Built by Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos, is Currently Here

You know you live in an amazing place when the world’s 2nd largest, newly-built sailing yacht chooses your backyard as its first vacation destination in the United States.

Koru is a 416-foot sailing yacht that was commissioned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. It reportedly cost $500 million to build and is accompanied by Abeona, its 246-foot support vessel. Both boats are currently anchored near Mingo Cay, which is roughly a five-minute boat ride from Cruz Bay. This is the same area where The Rising Sun, David Geffen’s 453-foot mega yacht, spent time last month. (Click here to read that story.)

Koru, a Maori word meaning “new beginnings”, is the largest boat ever built in the Netherlands. It was delivered in April and spent time in the Mediterranean before making the 4,400-mile crossing to the United States. It arrived in Ft. Lauderdale on November 22nd where it was forced to dock in a seaport beside oil tankers and a cruise ship due to its massive size. It arrived in St. Thomas on December 5th and spent five days in Charlotte Amalie before sailing over to us.

Koru is reportedly one of the most ecological megayachts in the world due to its sails and technology on board.

Abeona, its “dinghy”, will serve as a support boat, essentially a toy hauler. It will carry luxury cars, smaller boats, a helicopter, and additional crew.

Is this boat excessive? Yes. Did many of us shop way too often on Amazon, which in a way contributed to its creation? Yes. However it is a beautifully-designed sailboat, and it’s pretty darn cool that they chose to come here for their first vacation on this side of the world. Those of us who call St. John home are pretty darn lucky, and those of you who are able to visit this beautiful island are pretty darn lucky too.

Have a beautiful day everyone, and a big thanks to Palm Tree Charters for these great pics.

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with us!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour   Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

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February 17, 2023

Check Out the Views!

City nature challenge happening this weekend, it’s wattapama time.

Thank you for all the informative information you provide. We just got back home from 12 beautiful days on island. (First 3 rained ALL day) I have read your e mails for 1/ 1/2 years and learned so much. We have been to STJ 8 times and always learn something new! Merry Christmas to you and your family.

We’re in St Thomas this week (Jan 27-Feb 3, 2024) The yacht is docked in Charlotte Amalie. We have a view of the beautiful boat, and his support ship (with all the toys) from our balcony

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Billionaires: Jeff Bezos takes his $500 million superyacht for a test run

In our fortnightly round-up of the world’s super wealthy, mukesh ambani builds on record cricket views with new offerings and winklevoss twins lend $100 million to their gemini crypto platform.

Previously known as Y721, the ship is now registered as Koru and is flying under a Cayman Islands flag. EPA

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

On Wednesday, the 417-foot (127-metre) Koru left a shipyard in the Netherlands and anchored 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-mast superyacht is estimated to have cost the Amazon founder more than $500 million.

Mr Bezos, 59, is the world’s third-richest person with a fortune of $126.2 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Jeff Bezos's $500m superyacht — in pictures

A superyacht, reportedly built for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, sits on a slipway in Zwijndrecht, the Netherlands. All photos: AP

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 Netherlands-based Oceanco.

An Amazon representative did not respond to a request for comment.

The superyacht’s size has caused a number of headaches for Mr Bezos and its builders. The height of its masts was originally going to force the city of Rotterdam to dismantle 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, Mr 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.

Mukesh Ambani

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani ’s streaming service will add more than 100 films and TV series to its platform, building on the popularity of its cricket broadcasts in its push to take on global giants such as Walt Disney and Netflix in the fast-growing Indian market.

The expansion will coincide with JioCinema starting to charge for content, though the exact pricing strategy is still being finalised, media and content business president Jyoti Deshpande said in an interview.

New titles will be introduced before the end of the Indian Premier League cricket next month, and viewers will still be able to watch matches for free until then, she said.

Mr Ambani’s sprawling conglomerate has aspirations to become a global media and online streaming behemoth.

Last year, Viacom18 Media, a joint venture between Paramount Global and the billionaire’s Reliance Industries, outbid Disney and Sony Group to clinch the digital rights to IPL — one of the world’s fastest-growing sports events that’s seen as a critical way for any media company to lure eyeballs in India.

The potential viewership in India, home to 1.4 billion people and with a growing middle class and expanding internet access, is immense.

JioCinema drew more than 1.47 billion video views during the opening weekend of the IPL in April, and had 22 million viewers for a match on Wednesday.

It remains a market that’s been hard to crack for global streaming platform giants: Netflix has cut its fees to lure price-conscious users, while a robust local cinema-going culture means Indian viewers can be picky in what they’ll watch online.

Both price and content are at the front of mind in JioCinema’s expansion, said Ms Deshpande.

The plan is to “keep tariffs simple for viewers”, she said.

Currently, the streaming space “is dominated by westernised content. Jio Studios wants to become a catalyst for cross pollination of talent. We want to get as Indian as it can,” she added.

That includes rolling out films and series from thrillers and romance to biopics in languages including Hindi, Marathi, Bengali and Gujarati.

Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss

Billionaires Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss have dipped into their own pockets to support their crypto exchange Gemini Trust , which has faced numerous setbacks during the year-long market downturn for digital assets.

The twins made a $100 million loan to Gemini recently, according to two people familiar with the matter, who did not wish to be identified discussing private information.

The move came after Gemini had informally sought funding from outside investors in recent months without coming to any agreements, according to three people.

Gemini and the Winklevoss twins didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Venture funding for crypto start-ups has cratered following the collapse of crypto exchange FTX and slowdowns in the tech and crypto industries, plummeting 80 per cent to $2.4 billion in the first quarter compared with the same period last year, according to data from research firm PitchBook.

Gemini has experienced its own troubles during the crypto bear market, a sharp contrast to when it raised $400 million at a valuation of $7.1 billion in November 2021.

Fallout from the implosion of FTX led to the bankruptcy of crypto lender Genesis Global Holdco, severely bruising Gemini in the process.

Genesis Global had been Gemini’s sole partner on its Gemini Earn lending product and when Genesis froze withdrawals in November, that forced Gemini to pause redemptions on Earn accounts.

The move left $900 million of customer money in limbo and sparked a heated spat between the Winklevoss twins and Barry Silbert, chief executive of Digital Currency Group, the parent company of Genesis.

In February, the two parties reached an agreement in principle to resolve the dispute, under which Gemini would kick in as much as $100 million.

The Winklevoss loan won’t go towards that, but rather to fund operations, one person familiar with the matter said.

David and Simon Reuben

David and Simon Reuben are exploring ways to finalise one of Los Angeles’s biggest real estate projects after taking control over major parts of the $2.5 billion plan through debt financing deals.

The British billionaire brothers are in talks over a revised repayment plan with the US property developer behind the Century Plaza site after it defaulted on loans during the pandemic, according to a statement from the Reubens’ namesake company.

The project, which includes a five-star hotel as well as retail stores and residential units, is almost complete.

Reuben Brothers is now “engaged in discussions on a forbearance agreement with the borrower, Next Century Partners, controlled by Michael Rosenfeld, to ensure the project will move forward”, their company said, without disclosing financial terms.

“With the funding and development secured, Century Plaza can cement itself as a premier luxury residential complex in the centre of Los Angeles.”

Representatives for Next Century Partners didn’t respond to requests for comment.

The situation underscores the risks many real estate companies worldwide face as higher interest rates to curb surging inflation lead to more defaults.

Money managers have recently stepped up their bearish bets against office landlords: Warren Buffett has warned there will be problems for banks in the commercial property sector, while investor Kyle Bass went as far as saying skyscrapers will need to be demolished.

The Reubens control one of the world’s biggest portfolios of retail, office and residential properties. Sons of Iraqi Jews, they were born in India and moved to London as teenagers.

They built a fortune trading metals and later invested in real estate, leisure and technology companies. David, 84, and Simon, 81, have a combined net worth of $13.6 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

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• Cars, Jets & Yachts

What Do We Know About Jeff Bezos and his Yacht?

The enormous vessel has reportedly been delivered to its owner.

By Irenie Forshaw

Following five years of rumors, scandals, and more than its fair share of controversy, Jeff Bezos’s yacht has finally set sail. The colossal 417-ft vessel – officially named  Koru  – was spotted in the North Sea undergoing its first tests in March. Now, following her maiden voyage at the beginning of April, the enormous vessel has reportedly been delivered to her owner.

Getting to this point hasn’t been easy. Back in 2018, news got out that Oceanco – the custom yacht builder behind the legendary Black Pearl – was working on the planet’s biggest sailing yacht, codenamed Y721.

Naturally, the press had a field day trying to figure out who was behind the record-setting vessel. After several months of speculation, it came as little surprise when reports emerged claiming Jeff Bezos as the billionaire bankrolling the new project.

He is, after all, the third richest person on the planet with an estimated net worth of $128bn. So, it seemed only a matter of time before the Amazon founder would throw his hat into the superyacht arms race.

But when the gleaming new vessel was nearing completion, Oceanco hit a roadblock. Getting Koru out of Rotterdam proved trickier than the Dutch shipbuilder had anticipated. In fact, Jeff Bezos’s new yacht is so enormous that the space entrepreneur offered to pay for the city’s historic Koningshaven Bridge to be dismantled to let it pass.

Needless to say, this didn’t go down well with locals and a petition to pelt the boat with rotten eggs on its maiden voyage garnered thousands of signatures. Following the public uproar, Oceanco scrapped plans to temporarily take apart the bridge and instead quietly towed the enormous yacht in the early hours of the morning to another shipyard where its masts were added.

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As Jeff Bezos’s record-breaking new yacht finally sets sail, we’ve rounded up everything there is to know about the gigantic vessel.

[See more: The World’s Most Expensive Yachts for Charter]

Who is building Jeff Bezos’s yacht?

The new superyacht was commissioned in 2018 and is being constructed by Oceanco for an estimated $500m. Situated in Alblasserdam, around 12 miles from Rotterdam, the luxury shipyard is owned by Omani billionaire businessman, Mohammed Al Barwani.

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This isn’t the first time the custom yacht builder has turned its hand to constructing a record-breaking vessel. Four years ago, Oceanco delivered   Black Pearl , which, at 350 ft, became the largest sailing yacht in the world. The striking three-mast vessel (pictured above) garnered attention for its revolutionary design and eco-credentials.

What do we know about the design?

While Oceanco has remained tight-lipped about the project, this hasn’t stopped a few details about Jeff Bezos’s new yacht from emerging. It is thought the vessel will be modeled on Black Pearl with three enormous masts so it can be powered largely by kinetic energy from the sails. First spotted being rolled out of a shipbuilding shed last year, the yacht features a black hull, white superstructure and elegant silhouette.

According to Boat International , the aluminum and steel schooner will boast three decks including one with a swimming pool. At 417 ft long, the enormous vessel is set to become the world’s largest sailing yacht, unseating the current titleholder, the Black Pearl , by 67 ft. To put things in perspective, if stood vertically, Jeff Bezos’s new yacht would be almost the same height as the Great Pyramid of Giza.

The controversial vessel was set to exceed the Koningshaven Bridge’s 131-ft clearance and had to be towed to a different shipyard where it will be completed. With so much space, the yacht will be able to comfortably host 18 guests, plus a crew of 40 to cater to their every whim.

Perhaps most extravagant is the 250-ft support vessel complete with a helicopter landing pad for flying in Bezos’s celebrity guests, which is reportedly currently being built by Damen Yachting also in the Netherlands. This smaller yacht is expected to be loaded with an array of toys including jet skis, speedboats, luxury cars and perhaps even a personal submarine.

It’s little wonder Jeff Bezos’s yacht will reportedly cost around $25m to run annually – a drop in the ocean for Bezos who broke records in July 2020 for adding $13bn to his fortune in a single day.

How about the interiors?

While it’s highly unlikely we’ll get a look inside Jeff Bezos’s new vessel any time soon, the interiors onboard Koru are reported to be inspired by Eos – a 305-ft yacht that belongs to his close friend, the founder and former CEO of Fox, Barry Diller.

The interiors onboard Eos were created by the late François Catroux, known for his glamorous designs for the world’s most notable royals, aristocrats and media moguls. Like Diller, when Bezos decks out his new yacht, one thing is certain: no expense will be spared.

[See more: The 10 Biggest Superyachts in the World]

Irenie Forshaw

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• Nation & World

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.

Related More on the Maritime Industry

• Yacht reportedly built for Jeff Bezos too big for Dutch bridge (February 2022)
• The country that wants to ‘be average’ vs. Jeff Bezos and his $500 million yacht (July 2022)
• Rotterdam will not dismantle bridge to allow Bezos’ superyacht through (July 2022)

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 and the secretive world of superyachts

• Published 14 May 2021

News that Jeff Bezos has bought a "superyacht" has revived interest in the secretive world of the uber-rich globetrotters who enjoy these ultimate status symbols. Experts say the superyacht industry has been booming for years, even during the global economic slowdown caused by the pandemic.

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and the world's richest man, has seen his personal wealth roughly double since 2017, helped by his wallet ballooning last year as more people than ever turned to online shopping.

It's not just Bezos. Many of the world's wealthiest have seen their fortunes accumulate in recent years.

And through it all, shipyards have continued turning out mega yachts that experts say are growing larger as they gain in popularity. According to experts and brokers, 2020 saw more yachts sold than ever before, with 2021 set to again break sales records.

What do we know about Bezos' yacht?

The 417ft (127m) vessel is being built in the Netherlands by Oceanco, according to a new biography of Bezos by Bloomberg News.

It is estimated to cost about $500m (£350m), a drop in the ocean for the world's richest man, whose wealth at one point jumped $13bn in a single day in 2020. His estimated net worth now stands at nearly $200bn.

That price tag does not include a smaller motorised "support yacht" that Bezos also plans to buy. The smaller yacht features a helicopter landing pad - Bezos' girlfriend, TV host Lauren Sanchez, is a trained helicopter pilot.

The main yacht is unable to support its own helipad due to the three sailing masts on its deck.

The smaller yacht is also expected to be loaded with other goodies, such as cars, luxury speedboats , and probably even a submarine, experts say.

The highly secretive superyacht project, known as Y721, is due to be completed sometime next month, according to Bloomberg. It's likely that Bezos' order was placed several years ago, since custom-made ships like this can take around five years to build.

Oceanco, the Dutch yacht maker, has not commented on the project. They previously built the 350ft Black Pearl, the second largest sailing yacht in the world.

What is a superyacht?

There's no official definition of a superyacht (versus a regular yacht), but in the industry the term generally refers to a yacht that is over 74ft long.

Some dispute that definition, saying the term superyachts applies to ships over 200ft long. Some brokers have even taken to the term "gigayacht" to refer to ships longer than 300ft.

"It's all a little bit of marketing," says Bill Springer, who writes about the yachting industry for Forbes magazine.

Bezos' yacht, coming in at over 400ft, is almost as big as the Great Pyramid of Giza (if the vessel was laid out vertically). It's just under half as long as the Eiffel Tower.

Only a few jumbo superyachts like the Bezos vessel are completed each year, but high-profile projects are often done with such secrecy that builders are required to sign non-disclosure agreements.

Therefore it's unlikely that we'll ever know if Bezos copied the decorative flairs of Russian oligarch and fellow yachtsman Andrey Melnichenko, who lined a spiral staircase on one of his yachts with scalloped, silver-leaf walls .

How is the yacht industry doing?

The industry has been growing rapidly over the past 20 years.

According to the US National Marine Manufacturers Association, boat sales reached a 13-year high in 2020, reflecting how people were turning to the water for safe, socially distanced activities during lockdowns.

"The market's been absolutely roaring," says Sam Tucker, head of superyacht research at market intelligence firm VesselsValue. "There's been a record number of transactions done, and that trend is being sustained even until now."

The market for used yachts has also "just been nuts", he says. "The market is just red hot."

According to Tucker, there are 9,357 yachts over 65ft long that are currently on the seas - meaning those that have not sunk or that are being maintained on land.

About 85% of those are motorised and 15% are sailing yachts like the one Bezos has ordered.

Fewer yachts were chartered in 2020, Tucker says, which he attributes to pandemic travel restrictions preventing normal tourism activities.

Sales dropped for a few weeks as lockdown orders hit the US last year, but then immediately skyrocketed.

In June "it was like someone flipped a switch" as orders started rapidly coming in, says Bob Denison, who's been a yacht broker in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, since 2001.

"There's been nothing like it before," he says. "The amount of demand is two or threefold more than I've ever seen."

Denison's company sold 1,008 vessels in 2020 - a 35% uptake from the previous year. He is currently on track to see another 30% increase in 2021.

About 65 of those he sold in 2020 were superyachts. So far this year about 40 superyachts have been sold, meaning about 2.2 superyachts have been sold by his company per week since January.

Demand has totally outstripped supply, says his colleague Ben Farnborough, who adds that it's getting much harder now to find used boats for them to sell.

Farnborough hopes that the easing of coronavirus travel restrictions will soon make it possible to travel to Europe to source more second-hand yachts to sell in the US.

Who buys a superyacht?

The vessels are often bought by corporations and are then rented out by the company's owner, making it difficult to say for certain which yachts are owned by whom.

At famous ship-building ports, such as the one in the Netherlands where Oceanco is located, hobbyists will try to spot private airplane tail numbers in an effort to determine which billionaires have come to visit their future yacht.

Privacy is the whole point of owning a yacht, says Tucker, who calls it an "opaque industry". Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates, fellow tech billionaires, are rumoured to have yachts.

"These are very private assets and one of the reasons they're bought is for privacy," says Tucker. The privacy also offers security protections, not an insignificant consideration for the richest people in the world.

But despite the booming popularity, the ultra-rich may want to keep their newest toys extra private these days.

After Hollywood billionaire David Geffen posted online about being "isolated" on his yacht in a tropical paradise and hoping everyone else was "staying safe" during the pandemic, he was swiftly trolled by land-dwellers.

"Did David Geffen just give everyone the middle finger?" one Instagram user posted in reaction to Geffen's not-so-humble brag.

Why are they so expensive?

Yachts offer "true exclusivity," says Springer, who likens them to owning a private island or building a personalised city from scratch.

"Back in the Renaissance, rich patrons would pay - in current money - millions of dollars to build cathedrals," he says.

"And they were the most beautiful and they had the finest artisans, and they were the most spectacular projects of their day. And it was a lot of 'Hey I'm really rich and I'm gonna do this really amazing stuff with my money'."

"So superyachts are very similar in that regard."

They're getting more comfortable too, and are going to places beyond the "classic glamour ports" like Monaco, Springer says. People are now taking them to more exotic and far-flung locations, such as Antarctica and Papua New Guinea, as owners find that they are more than just status symbols.

The finest superyachts are custom-made, with the global craftsmen addressing every single detail for the tastes of the world's most rich and elite.

They can take years to build. A yacht as big as Bezos' probably involved about 400 workers and designers, estimates Farnborough. When completed, it will probably need about 60 people to crew it.

Annual operating costs amount to about 10% of the purchase price, says Tucker from VesselsValue. High oil prices and the potential for further lockdowns could lead to more used yachts hitting the market over the coming years, he estimates.

What else costs as much as a superyacht?

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If you want this mega yacht, complete with its marble-clad bar, it can be yours for $45m

Bezos bought the Washington Post newspaper in 2013 for just $250m - so about half the cost of his new superyacht.

A painting by artist Jean-Michel Basquiat is currently on auction in New York for a low estimate of $145m. There's also a Claude Monet painting going for about $350m.

Virgin Galactic has been pre-selling tickets into space for between $200,000 to $250,000 in recent years as they prepare for their first commercial launch.

But if you're Jeff Bezos, there's no need to book a ticket. Bezos, who is behind the space venture Blue Origin, could fly on his own rocket ship.

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PHOTO of the Day: Jeffrey P. Bezos’ superyacht spotted in VI

Our newsroom has been informed that the superyacht reportedly belongs to billionaire Jeffrey P. Bezos, the founder and CEO of the e-commerce company Amazon.

According to information received, the yacht is named Flying Fox, a 136-meter-long motor yacht delivered in 2019.

Up to 25 guests can be accommodated aboard the Flying Fox superyacht, which also can accommodate up to 54 crew members and includes two helipads.

It is unclear if Mr Bezos is on the yacht, which can be chartered for 4 million dollars per week plus expenses, according to yourboatholiday.com.

Bezos, 57, an entrepreneur and e-commerce pioneer, is also the owner of  The Washington Post  and founder of the space exploration company Blue Origin.

His successful business ventures have made him one of the richest people in the world.

27 Responses to “PHOTO of the Day: Jeffrey P. Bezos’ superyacht spotted in VI”

• @ popcorn (30/12/2021, 07:44) Like ( 4 ) Dislike ( 3 ) Reply Not for broke people yall
• HIM (29/12/2021, 17:18) Like ( 7 ) Dislike ( 1 ) Reply COME FE IM STUFF IM SELF - ITS CALLED TRANS SHIPMENT ,( 2 HELI PADS ( LOOKS LIKE THEM BOYZ STEP UP THEIR GAME
• Guest (29/12/2021, 18:12) Like ( 22 ) Dislike ( 1 ) Reply would have been considerate if he brought the bvi packages himself
• $$$ (29/12/2021, 19:00) Like ( 21 ) Dislike ( 0 ) Reply He going to do laps around Sir Richards islands... Nice to see these guys want to play in meh back yard
• @ EVE (30/12/2021, 07:47) Like ( 1 ) Dislike ( 13 ) Reply So what is your point about bill gates? So hateful just because you all failed with the narrative that the usvi is eating the bvi lunch Under the vip they are back
• Asking for me (29/12/2021, 19:41) Like ( 7 ) Dislike ( 0 ) Reply I wonder if they going let me get some of that pandemic money ?
• Wylie (29/12/2021, 19:52) Like ( 0 ) Dislike ( 0 ) Reply is he on it?
• hmmm (29/12/2021, 20:46) Like ( 2 ) Dislike ( 0 ) Reply I have some prime.land I would like to sell .
• block (29/12/2021, 21:39) Like ( 5 ) Dislike ( 1 ) Reply Vino you turn watchee watchee
• @@Sam (30/12/2021, 11:49) Like ( 4 ) Dislike ( 0 ) Reply when some are granted permission to establish business in this territory hear me good the locals will mop the floors and cut the grasses(wake up) they walk with their front line staff(go VG ) some of these folks come here and do not contribute to education of our people(scholarships)...u chatting a$$ about property value: The college was developed with contributions by a private developer(do the homework) when last our people was granted such contribution There is more to living than dollars & cents such as the advancement of the people(wisdom is better than silver and gold)::::try move away from the ghetto vibes keep the faith(nothing personal just my opinion
• and (30/12/2021, 03:55) Like ( 14 ) Dislike ( 0 ) Reply And? Didn't mean he is on board. Don't mean that any significant money spending in BVI. A family in Board a Moorings 4800 or Marine Max for 10 days probably spend way more in the economy than a Bezos mega yacht. So easily fooled we are.
• So late (30/12/2021, 07:04) Like ( 4 ) Dislike ( 0 ) Reply It's been here for dayssssss. So are a bunch of other very large yachts belonging to very rich people. Someone is having a massive NUE party and invited all their friends we thing.
• More than a week (30/12/2021, 07:05) Like ( 7 ) Dislike ( 0 ) Reply Since last week I saw this funny looking yacht like a small cruise ship with a helicopter on it. Had no idea it belongs to this billionaire. I wonder what he is doing here. Maybe he is looking one of our small islands to buy. . For the right price the politicians will sell him...
• L**s (30/12/2021, 08:19) Like ( 2 ) Dislike ( 0 ) Reply It is rumoured to be jeffs. But jow can it be when he isin dt barths??
• direct shipping (30/12/2021, 10:29) Like ( 11 ) Dislike ( 0 ) Reply Sir if you are reading this blog, welcome to the islands. We have a lot of Amazon customers here. Please add the British Virgin Islands to the list for direct shipping from Amazon.
• @His Story (31/12/2021, 05:56) Like ( 0 ) Dislike ( 1 ) Reply ????
• ISN'T HE (30/12/2021, 18:03) Like ( 2 ) Dislike ( 0 ) Reply A RACIST ?
• good show (03/01/2022, 12:11) Like ( 0 ) Dislike ( 0 ) Reply The Daily Mail has been reporting with plenty pictures that he, his girlfriend, her children and his brother were vacationing on St. Barths. Daily Mail sleeping again.

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Jeff Bezos' $500 million megayacht sets sail for its first sea trials — watch video of the 417-foot vessel hitting open water

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

Jeff Bezos' new $500 million megayacht hit the open water this week to undergo tests.

Sea trials are usually one of the last phases of construction, bringing the yacht one step closer to full sail.

The yacht previously caused uproar for nearly requiring that a historic bridge be dismantled for it to pass.

After drawing the ire of locals for nearly requiring the dismantling of a historic bridge, Jeff Bezos' new megayacht has hit the open water.

The vessel, estimated to cost $500 million, underwent its first day of sea trials in Europe this week, according to yacht fan club Dutch Yachting, which posted a video of the yacht on Monday. Sea trials consist of several tests and are usually one of the last phases of construction, meaning the Amazon founder's yacht is one step closer to full sail.

The boat's sea trials come after a turbulent year for the megayacht, which was built in the Netherlands. Last year, the Dutch company building it, Oceanco, requested that a historic bridge in Rotterdam be dismantled for the yacht to pass because the vessel's three masts were too tall to pass under the bridge, which has a 131-foot clearance.

The yacht, called Koru, measures 417 feet long and is expected to be the biggest sailing yacht in the world once finished.

The bridge in question was the Koningshaven Bridge, colloquially known as "De Hef," which is nearly 100 years old. After it was renovated in 2017, the city vowed not to take it apart again, according to Dutch broadcaster Rijnmond .

The ask didn't go over well. It caused so much public outcry, in fact, that more than 1,000 residents threatened to throw eggs at the yacht if the dismantling came to fruition. Oceanco later withdrew its request to dismantle the bridge , and the yacht was quietly towed under cover of night to another shipyard.

During that voyage, the yacht was towed without its masts, which would be installed later, and it avoided going through the city center and past the Koningshaven Bridge, according to German magazine Der Spiegel .

Watch the latest video of Bezos' yacht here:

Read the original article on Business Insider

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