Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos, buys $500m superyacht

Jeff Bezos – often the world’s richest man – is reportedly soon to be the owner of a superyacht he bought for $500m.

Developed by Dutch yachtmaker, Oceanco, it’s said to be the largest sailing yacht built in the Netherlands, and is due to be finished next month, almost two years after it was ordered.

According to the Independent, while the cost of the yacht is inconceivable for many, the amount is only a fraction of Bezos’s total worth which currently stands at $191bn. In fact, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaire Index, Bezos gained about $75 billion in 2020, as the world was fighting the pandemic.

One thing it won’t have, because of its enormous sails says Bloomberg, is a helipad. So Bezos and his partner, Lauren Sanchez, a helicopter pilot, have commissioned a support yacht.

“The [superyacht] market’s been roaring,” Sam Tucker, head of superyacht research at London-based VesselsValue, told Bloomberg.

He says the demand for extravagantly high-end yachts has outstripped supply. “It’s impossible to get a slot in a new-build yard,” Tucker says. “They’re totally booked.”

Not all are happy for Bezos though.

“Part of Bezos’ yacht has been paid for by the British taxpayer in the form of tax avoidence and Universal Credit handouts that enable his meagrely paid gulag workers to afford to rent a roof over their heads,” says one online commentator.

As reported in Marine Industry News, David Geffen was slammed for posting about seclusion onboard his yacht amid Covid-19.

Steven Spielberg reportedly has a new yacht on order according to three people familiar with the director’s plans, who weren’t authorised to speak to Bloomberg about it. His current yacht was recently listed for sale for 131 million euros ($158m). A spokesman for Spielberg declined to comment.

Main image is of an Oceanco yacht for illustrative purposes only.