The biggest yacht owned by a tech billionaire like Jeff Bezos

Amazon founder Bezos’ $500 million megayacht, the 127-metre Col, made headlines last year when it crossed the Mediterranean in its first summer, towing the 75-metre support vessel Abeona.

Hard to miss thanks to its massive size and unique design, the sailboat has hosted some of Bezos and his fiancée Lauren Sanchez’s famous friends. The couple reportedly held an engagement party aboard the ship, with guests including Bill Gates, Ari Emanuel and Leonardo DiCaprio. Just a week later, they were spotted on the streets of Dubrovnik, Croatia, along with Orlando Bloom, Katy Perry and Usher.

Even before its completion, the col made headlines. This has angered some Dutch citizens, who have vowed to throw eggs after it was announced that Rotterdam’s historic bridge could be demolished to allow passage of Oceanic boats. Ta. Fortunately, the shipyard had a backup plan and the egg crisis was averted.

Col’s craftsmanship is widely admired among those in the yachting world.

“I heard that in 2018 or something, someone ordered a classic sailing yacht,” one superyacht expert told BI. “If you order a 125 meter, it doesn’t really become a classic. But it actually is. I think it’s pretty cool.”

Earlier this year, rumors abounded in the yachting world that Zuckerberg had purchased Launchpad, a 118-metre superyacht originally designed for a licensed Russian businessman.

The ship made its maiden voyage in March, sailing from Gibraltar to St. Martin and stopping in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Little is known about the interior, but photos show a large pool and helipad. Her price is also kept secret, but is said to be in the nine figures.

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt agreed to buy the sanctioned Russian oligarch’s yacht Alpha Nero for $67 million at an auction held by Antigua and Barbuda last year. It became a hot topic. However, he withdrew from the deal following legal issues surrounding the true ownership. He secretly bought Kismet instead. The 95-meter-long boat, built by Lürssen, was previously owned by Shahid Khan, the billionaire owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Schmidt changed her name to “Whisper”.

The ship can carry 12 guests and 28 crew members and features a master deck with a private Jacuzzi, full-service spa, lap pool, movie theater, and outdoor fireplace.

The final sale price was not disclosed, but industry publication Yacht Charter reported that the vessel sold for 149 million euros (approximately $161 million at current exchange rates) and was sold to a charity in January. At auction, the ship sold for $2.4 million after being on board for a week. fleet.

Barry Diller, chairman of digital media company IAC, co-owns the megayacht Eos with his wife, fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg. Diane von Furstenberg has been immortalized in her signature sculptures by Anh Duong.

One of the world’s largest private sailing yachts, the three-masted Lürssen schooner measures 93 meters long. It took him three years to build and was delivered to the dealer in 2009, but little has been revealed about its interior or features since then.

The power couple has hosted many celebrities on board the Eos, which sails across the Mediterranean during the summer and spends New Year’s Eve in St. Barts. Over the years, guests have included Oprah Winfrey, Emma Thompson, Anderson Cooper and Bezos, and some believe she inspired his col.

Netscape founder Jim Clark purchased the 300-foot sailing ship Athena in 2004.

“If I had the same space as Athena, I could have easily built a 50 or 60 meter motor yacht, but I had no interest in building a motor yacht,” he told Boat International in 2016. . She is one of the most luxurious tall ships, and perhaps the most luxurious tall ship in the world. ”

Athena has space for 10 guests and 21 crew members, and Clark said the only changes they will make to Athena’s design will be to add space for children.

“If I had to change anything, I would turn the office on the lower deck into a nursery,” he said.

The former Stanford University professor listed it for $95 million in 2012, $69 million in 2016, and $59 million in 2017, and has tried to sell it at various points, but it has yet to change hands.

Oracle founder Larry Ellison owned several superyachts over the years, including Katana, Ronin, and Rising Sun, which he sold to fellow billionaire David Geffen.

He reportedly purchased his current boat, Musashi, from custom yacht giant Feedship in 2011 for $160 million.

Named after a famous samurai, this 88-metre yacht incorporates design elements influenced by both Japan and Art Deco. Other facilities include an elevator, swimming pool, beauty salon, gym and basketball court.

Ellison is known for his lavish extravagances, including private islands, jet planes, and tennis tournaments, and yachting is one of his favorite and most expensive hobbies. He raced in his 1990s and won the America’s Cup and he funded his racing team with BMW Oracle.

Laurene Powell Jobs, Steve Jobs’ wife and investor, inherited the nearly completed 78-metre yacht Venus when the Apple co-founder died in 2011.

After years of vacationing on Ellison’s yacht, Jobs wanted a yacht of his own. He designed Venus with French architect and decorator Philippe Starck, and upon completion he valued it at $130 million.

“Venus comes from a philosophy of minimalism,” Starck said of his designs. “Minimal elegance that approaches dematerialization.”

Jobs and Starck began working together in 2007, meeting monthly for four years, the designer told Vanity Fair. Venus was delivered to Jobs’ specifications in his 2012 year. Six identical cabins, a design that guarantees absolute silence and the latest technology.

“There will never be a boat of that quality again, because you will never again have two madmen working together to accomplish a mission like that,” Starck told the magazine. “What Steve and I were building was not a yacht. We embarked on a philosophical act carried out according to a quasi-religious process. We have formed a single brain.”

Early Microsoft employee Charles Simoni purchased two megayachts from German shipyard Lürssen: the 90-metre Norn and the 71-metre Scat.

When completed in 2023, Norn will be packed with luxury features, including an outdoor movie theater and a pool floor that rises to become an illuminated dance floor. It shares a militaristic style with the scut that Simony sold in 2021.

Scat, whose name comes from the Danish word for treasure, was launched in 2002 with a list price of 56.5 million euros.

“The yacht is a long way from my home in Seattle, and its style has to match the style of the house and be in tune with the practicalities of the sea,” Simoni once said.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin has built a fleet of yachts, boats, and toys known as the “Fly Fleet.”

The largest of Brin’s fleet, named after a once-secret Google product, is the sleek Dragonfly, which boasts a movie theater and helipad. The 73-metre vessel was built by Australian shipyard Silver Yachts and can carry up to 18 guests and 16 crew members, according to Superyacht Times.

His fleet also includes the superyacht Butterfly, which is just 38 meters long. Often docked in the Bay Area, the crew spends their days off kitesurfing and giving swimming lessons to local children.

The rest of his marine lineup includes a small boat called the Firefly, as well as jet skis, foilboards, dinghies, and kiteboards. It takes a team of 50 full-time employees to manage, operate and maintain the entire operation.

Sindhu Sundar contributed to an earlier version of this story.