Jeff Bezos gives $500m superyacht Māori name for ‘new beginnings’
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has given his superyacht a Māori name, Koru, which translates to ‘new beginnings’.
The 127-metre Oceanco Y721 yacht (pictured above) began transmitting on AIS this week, confirming its name after much speculation.
In New Zealand, a Koru refers to a spiral shape based on the appearance of a new unfurling silver fern frond.
On 1 January 2022, Bezos posted a cryptic message on his Instagram account, with a picture of a Koru.
The $500 million yacht Koru is currently being transported from shipbuilding facilities in Alblasserdam through to Rotterdam, via Holland’s canal network.
The move attracted controversy last year, after rumours that a historic Dutch bridge would be dismantled to let the huge yacht pass. After threats of a mass egging, it was confirmed the vessel’s masts — which reach 70 metres high — would be fitted later, to avoid dismantling the Koningshaven Bridge.
The design for Koru is based on Black Pearl, built in 2018 and the largest DynaRig sailing yacht in the world. It is rumoured the new boat will cost Bezos up to $25 million a year in upkeep.
Koru will soon undergo sea trials, after which it will be delivered to the billionaire.
