mark zuckerberg mega yacht

Posted May 14, 2024

At 8:48 AM UTC

Silicon Valley’s favorite Harvard dropout (sorry, Gates) has arrived in Panama at the same time as the “ Launchpad ” vessel he apparently purchased for around $300 million, after the Russian-commissioned megayacht was seized. Longer than an NFL football field, it’s still slightly smaller than Jeff Bezos’ own midlife crisis. 

The super-secretive yachting community makes all this difficult to confirm but the video below from March gives an expert account of Zuck’s fancy birthday boat.

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See Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's brand new 287-foot superyacht

The 287-foot yacht, called 'launchpad' cost $300m.

SEE IT: Mark Zuckerberg’s $300 million new superyacht

Billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook parent Meta, gifted himself a $300 million superyacht named ‘Launchpad’ as his net worth nears $200 billion. Credit: Dutch Yachting

Mark Zuckerberg reportedly rewarded himself with a luxurious gift: a $300 million super yacht.

The billionaire Meta Platforms CEO reportedly purchased the 287-foot vessel with the name Launchpad, according to The Sun and New York Post. 

FOX Business reached out to Meta Platforms and a Zuckerberg personal spokesperson for comment on the vessel.

Mark Zuckerberg's 387-foot long superyacht, Launchpad, sits at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this week. (Romain Maurice/MEGA / Mega)

The vessel reached America a few days ago, cruising into Fort Lauderdale’s port in the Sunshine State, according to Business Insider. Prior to that, it had recently completed its first-ever official sailing.

MARK ZUCKERBERG RAISING CATTLE WITH DIET OF BEER AND NUTS

In photos, the dark blue-hulled Launchpad appeared to have multiple decks.

Superyacht Times pegged its gross tonnage at about 5,000. It can reportedly sail as fast as 24 knots.

A view of the side of the Launchpad superyacht. (Dutch Yachting)

Feadship, a well-known yacht builder headquartered in the Netherlands, constructed the superyacht.

Only 70 motor yachts measuring over 100 meters currently exist, according to BOAT International. Some are believed to belong to other members of the three-comma club.

JEFF BEZOS, LAUREN SANCHEZ ENJOY SUN, SUPERYACHT

The Sun reported the 118-meter Launchpad came at a nine-figure cost.

The Launchpad superyacht sailing. Credit: Dutch Yachting

Zuckerberg has amassed a personal fortune that, according to Forbes, sat around $178 billion as of Thursday evening.

He has Meta Platforms, the corporate parent of Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp and Threads, to thank for that. He co-founded Facebook about 20 years ago.

MARK ZUCKERBERG'S HAWAII PROPERTY TO FEATURE GIANT UNDERGROUND BUNKER, TREEHOUSES: REPORT

"20 years ago I launched a thing," he wrote on the platform in early February. "Along the way, lots of amazing people joined and we built some more awesome things. We’re still at it and the best is yet to come."

He has identified artificial intelligence and the metaverse as long-term focuses of Meta Platforms.

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The largest yachts owned by tech billionaires, from Mark Zuckerberg to Jeff Bezos

• Megayachts have become a status symbol for the richest of the rich.
• In recent years, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg have splurged on enormous boats.
• These are the biggest yachts owned by tech billionaires.

The average Joe celebrating a personal renaissance after, say, the end of a long-term relationship or when approaching a fresh decade might commemorate it with an ankle tattoo or a sports car. But if you're a billionaire, you may instead spend hundreds of millions on a yacht .

A few years after he and his wife divorced, Jeff Bezos shelled out on a megayacht. Last year, Bezos debuted the 127-meter vessel "Koru," a Māori symbol that signifies a fresh start — perhaps referring to that with his fiancée Lauren Sanchez.

Earlier this year, just before his 40th birthday, Mark Zuckerberg became the rumored owner of a yacht originally built for a Russian oligarch.

Superyachts have increasingly become ultrawealthy status symbols , providing highly secluded leisure and networking sites. They are — even more so than real estate — the single most expensive asset you can own.

"It's a bit of a celebration of your success in life, of wealth," Giovanna Vitelli, the chair of the Azimut Benetti Group, the world's biggest producer of superyachts, told Business Insider.

While many tech billionaires have bought yachts, the richest of the rich, like Bezos, Zuckerberg, and Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison, have gone bigger. Their boats are virtual palaces at sea, decked with amenities like gyms, spas, pools, nightclubs, and movie theaters.

A look at these megayachts — broadly defined as over 70 meters long, mostly custom-built, and often costing nine figures — offers a glimpse into how the .00001% lives. It's something few others will ever get to experience. Even chartering a yacht of this size for a week typically costs upwards of $1 million.

One major thing that hundreds of millions of dollars can buy is privacy. There are likely yachts that have not been publicly recorded or registered — for example, Evan Spiegel is rumored to own the 94-meter megayacht Bliss. In an industry ruled by discretion , deciphering who owns what is typically an exercise in stringing together many clues.

Here are the largest yachts owned by tech billionaires, listed in order of length.

Jeff Bezos: Koru and Abeona

Amazon founder Bezos' $500 million megayacht, the 127-meter Koru, made a splash last year as she crisscrossed the Mediterranean in her first summer at sea, with her 75-meter support vessel Abeona in tow.

The sailing yacht, which is hard to miss thanks to her massive size and unique design, was host to Bezos and his fiancée Lauren Sanchez's famous friends . The couple held an engagement party on board, which reportedly drew guests including Bill Gates, Ari Emanuel, and Leonardo DiCaprio. Just a week later, they were seen on the streets of Dubrovnik, Croatia, with Orlando Bloom, Katy Perry, and Usher.

Even before her completion, Koru made headlines. She drew the ire of some Dutch people, who vowed to hurl eggs after she was announced a historic bridge in Rotterdam might be taken apart to allow the Oceanco boat through. Luckily, the shipyard made alternative plans, and an egg crisis was averted.

Among yacht world insiders , Koru is widely praised for her craftsmanship.

"I heard back in 2018 or something that somebody had ordered a classic sailing yacht," one superyacht expert told BI. "You order 125 meters, that's not really going to be classic. But it is. I think it's pretty cool."

Mark Zuckerberg: Launchpad

Earlier this year, the yacht world was rife with rumors that Zuckerberg purchased Launchpad, a 118-meter superyacht originally designed for a sanctioned Russian businessman.

The ship made her maiden voyage in March, going from Gibraltar to St. Maarten and mooring in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Little is known about her interior, but photos show a large swimming pool and helipad. Her price, too, has been kept under wraps but is said to be nine figures.

Eric Schmidt: Whisper

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt made waves last year when he agreed to buy the Alfa Nero , the yacht of a sanctioned Russian oligarch, for $67 million in an auction conducted by Antigua and Barbuda. But he backed out of the deal following legal issues over her true owner. He quietly purchased Kismet instead. The 95-meter-long Lürssen-built boat was formerly owned by the Jacksonville Jaguar's billionaire owner Shahid Khan . Schmidt renamed her Whisper.

The ship can fit 12 guests and a crew of 28, according to Moran Yacht & Ship, which oversaw her construction. She features a master deck with a private jacuzzi, full-service spa, lap pool, movie theater, and outdoor fireplace.

While her final sale price was not public, she was listed for 149 million euros (about $161 million at current exchange rates), and at a charity auction in January, one week aboard the ship went for $2.4 million, according to industry outlet Yacht Charter Fleet.

Barry Diller: Eos

Barry Diller , the chairman of digital media company IAC, co-owns the megayacht Eos with his wife, fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg , who is immortalized by a figurehead sculpture by Anh Duong.

One of the largest private sailing yachts in the world, the three-masted Lürssen schooner measures 93 meters long. She took three years to be built before being delivered to Diller in 2009, and since then, little has come to light about her interior and features.

The power couple has hosted many celebrities on the Eos, which spends her summers crisscrossing the Mediterranean and New Year ' s Eve in St. Barts . Over the years, guests have included Oprah Winfrey, Emma Thompson, Anderson Cooper, and Bezos, leading some to believe she provided inspiration for his Koru.

Jim Clark: Athena

Netscape founder Jim Clark purchased the 90-meter sailing yacht Athena in 2004.

"I could easily have built a 50- or 60-meter motor yacht that would have had the same space as Athena, but I was never really interested in building a motor yacht," he told Boat International in 2016. "To my eye, she's one of the most gorgeous large sailing yachts, maybe the most gorgeous large sailing yacht in the world."

Athena has room for 10 guests and 21 crewmembers, and the only change Clark says he'd make in her design is adding more space for his kids.

"If I was forced to change something, I would convert the office on the lower deck into a children's room," he said.

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

Larry Ellison: Musashi

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

He purchased his current boat, Musashi, in 2011 for a reported $160 million from custom-yacht giant Feadship.

Named after a famous samurai warrior, the 88-meter-long yacht has both Japanese and Art Deco-inspired design elements. She also boasts amenities including an elevator, swimming pool, beauty salon, gym, and basketball court.

Ellison is known for his extravagant spending — private islands, jets, a tennis tournament — and yachting is among his favorite and most expensive hobbies. He took up racing them in the 1990s and financed the America's Cup-winning BMW Oracle Racing team .

Laurene Powell Jobs: Venus

Steve Jobs' wife, investor and philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, inherited a nearly finished 78-meter yacht named Venus when the Apple cofounder died in 2011.

After spending years vacationing on Ellison's yachts, Jobs wanted one for himself. He designed Venus with French starchitect and decorator Philippe Starck , and she was worth $130 million at completion.

"Venus comes from the philosophy of minimum," Starck said of her design. "The elegance of the minimum, approaching dematerialization."

Jobs and Starck began working together in 2007, the designer told Vanity Fair , and held monthly meetings over four years. Venus was delivered in 2012 to Jobs' specification: six identical cabins, a design to ensure spaces of absolute silence, and the most up-to-date technology.

"There will never again be a boat of that quality again. Because never again will two madmen come together to accomplish such a task," Starck told the magazine. "It was not a yacht that Steve and I were constructing, we were embarked on a philosophical action, implemented according to a quasi-religious process. We formed a single brain with four lobes."

Charles Simonyi: Norn

Early Microsoft employee Charles Simonyi has purchased two megayachts from the German shipyard Lürssen: the 90-meter Norn and 71-meter Skat.

Delivered in 2023, Norn is full of luxe features, including an outdoor cinema and a pool floor that lifts to become a light-up dancefloor. She shares a militaristic style with Skat , which Simonyi sold in 2021.

Skats's name is derived from the Danish word for treasure, and she had a listing price of 56.5 million euros and was launched in 2002.

"The yacht is to be home away from my home in Seattle, and its style should match the style of the house, adapted for the practicalities of the sea," Simonyi once said .

Sergey Brin: Dragonfly

Google cofounder Sergey Brin has built a flotilla of yachts, boats, and toys known as the "Fly Fleet."

Named after a once-secret Google product , the largest of Brin's armada is the sleek Dragonfly , which boasts a movie theater and a helipad. The 73-meter-long vessel was built by the Australian shipyard Silver Yachts and can fit up to 18 guests and 16 crew members, according to SuperYacht Times.

Also in his fleet is the superyacht Butterfly, a mere 38 meters long. Often moored in the Bay Area, her crewmembers spend their downtime kitesurfing and giving swimming lessons to local kids.

The rest of his marine lineup includes a smaller boat called Firefly, as well as Jet Skis, foilboards, dinghies, and kiteboards. She takes a team of 50 full-time employees to manage, steer, and maintain the entire operation.

Sindhu Sundar contributed to an earlier version of this story.

Correction: May 6, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated Giovanna Vitelli's title. She is the chair of the Azimut Benetti Group, not a vice president.

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Mark Zuckerberg’s $300million ‘birthday present’ mega yacht arrives in US – it even has its own $30m ‘wingman’ boat

• Isabelle Hajek , Freelance News & Blogs Reporter
• Published : 1:05 ET, Mar 21 2024
• Updated : 16:54 ET, Mar 21 2024

FACEBOOK founder Mark Zuckerberg has shown off his wealth at sea, bringing his multimillion-dollar yacht to the United States just weeks before his birthday.

After rumors the billionaire was looking to invest in a yacht began circulating, Zuckerberg was quick to snag a $300 million mega yacht complete with its own $30 million partner boat.

He was seen in the Netherlands touring Project 1010, a Russian-commissioned mega yacht, in early March.

Due to sanctions involved in importing the vessel to the United States, delivery of Zuckerberg's multimillion-dollar boat was delayed.

It was first spotted in home waters on March 20.

The 387-foot-long vessel docked at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with its chrome finish reflecting a harsh sun.

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Project 1010 made its maiden voyage from the Netherlands after receiving special permission to be imported just weeks ahead of Zuckerberg's birthday, which is on May 14, raising questions about whether it could be a gift to mark the occasion.

The mega vessel is not far off the size of Amazon mogul Jeff Bezos' $500 million 417-foot tall mega yacht, Koru, which was spotted in the same state in November 2023.

The Abeona, his mega yacht's support vessel, a 264-foot garage to hold Bezos' luxury cars, private helicopter, and jet skis, was docked at a slip four miles away.

To put into perspective the additional costs Zuckerberg is looking at, Bezos reportedly bankrolled a $16,500 per week bill for Koru to stay at the port, part of the $25 million in annual costs the ship will rack up.

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But cost is no object to 39-year-old Zuckerberg, as he was the youngest billionaire to make the top 10 wealthiest people in the world list.

In 2021, Zuckerberg was reportedly worth $108 billion, an amount that rose to $138.4 billion by January 2024.

Zuckerberg is hardly known for conserving his money when faced with large purchases.

In December 2021, it was reported that Zuckerberg was  breaking ground  on an estimated $270 million, 57,000-square-foot Doomsday bunker.

Plans for the structure include filling the football field-sized space with 30 bedrooms, elevators, a swimming pool, sauna, tennis court, and full-sized gym.

EARNING $48,328 - MINUTE BY MINUTE

While a $330 million purchase might sound outlandish to most, especially when coupled with a $270 million bunker, Zuckerberg can make that money back in about two months.

The Meta, formerly Facebook, founder reportedly makes between $6 million and $12 million each day, equating to an estimated yearly earning of more than $3 billion.

In 2018, Zuckerberg earned roughly $1.7 million an hour, according to previous Business Insider calculations.

By 2020, he ranked as the fourth richest person on the planet.

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For scale, it takes Zuckerberg less than an hour-and-a-half to earn what the Social Security Administration reports an average American man with a bachelor's degree will earn in his lifetime — $2.2 million.

In less than two minutes, Zuckerberg makes what it takes the full-time median US worker a year to earn — $48,328, writes  Business Insider.

Who is Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook?

Here's what you need to know...

• Mark Zuckerberg is the chairman, CEO and co-founder of social networking giant Facebook
• Born in White Plains, New York in 1984, Zuckerberg already had a “reputation as a programming prodigy” when he started college
• While at Harvard, Zuckerberg launched a site called Face Mash, on which students ranked the attractiveness of their classmates
• Harvard shut the site down after its popularity crashed a network and Zuckerberg later apologised saying it was “completely improper”
• The following term he began working on an early version of Facebook
• The 33-year-old launched the social network from his dorm room on February 4, 2004 with the help of fellow students
• The friends would end up embroiled in legal disputes as they challenged Zuckerberg for shares in the company
• Zuckerberg also faced action from Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, as well as Divya Narendra who claimed he had stolen their idea – the disagreement was later turned into the film, The Social Network
• The tech prodigy dropped out of Harvard to focus on Facebook, but received an honorary degree in 2017
• Speaking about the site to Wired magazine in 2010 he said: “The thing I really care about is the mission, making the world open”
• By 2012 Facebook had one billion users. By June 2017 it had reached two billion users every month
• In 2024, Facebook reaches 3.05 billion monthly users
• Mark Zuckerberg's estimated net worth is $165 billion, which makes him the fourth-richest person in the world
• Zuckerberg is married to fellow Harvard alumni Priscilla Chan, who he began dating in 2003
• The couple have three daughters, as well as a Puli dog named Beast
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Entertainment | marian robinson dies at 86; michelle obama’s mother lived with first family at white house, entertainment, entertainment | keeping up with the bezoses: mark zuckerberg buys a super yacht, reports say, a report says that zuckerberg’s luxurious new $300 million vessel was originally was commissioned by a russian oligarch who was the target of sanctions imposed after that country’s invasion of ukraine.

A new report from The Sun said that Zuckerberg is now the proud owner of a $300 million vessel that he has christened “Launchpad.” The 387-foot-long vessel, which comes with a helipad and a $30 million companion boat, was seen docked this week at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with its unique chrome finish reflecting in the sun.

This purchase shows, among other things, that the Facebook and Meta founder and CEO has branched out from buying islands and building an underground complex to help him survive the apocalypse. Perhaps, he wants to cruise the Mediterranean this summer and be among the moguls who can play host to Leonardo DiCaprio.

The yacht definitely grants him admission to the watery playgrounds of such multibillionaires as Jeff Bezos, Larry Ellison, Bill Gates and any of the Russian oligarchs who haven’t been the target of sanctions imposed by the United States or its allies over Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

In fact, Zuckerberg reportedly came by Launchpad due to the misfortunes of one of those oligarchs. The yacht originally was commissioned to be built by Vladimir Potanin, one of Russia’s richest men who is on multiple sanctions list, according to a report by Autoevolution.com , a transportation industry site. The yacht was known as Project 1010, and the shipbuilder in the Netherlands was legally barred from delivering it to Potanin when it was completed in 2022, though Autoevolution also said that Potanin was not the yacht’s actual owner.

The Sun reported that the yacht recently received “special permission” to be imported. It has since arrived in the United States, a couple months ahead of Zuckerberg’s 40th birthday on May 14 — which raises the question of whether he meant Launchpad as a birthday gift to himself.

It’s quite a gift: Launchpad can comfortably fit 24 guests aboard. It also requires a crew of 48 and is said to cost $30 million a year for upkeep and usage, according to Superyachtfan.com . But shelling out $30 million for maintenance a year shouldn’t be a problem for Zuckerberg, who reportedly earns between $6 million and $12 million a day, The Sun said.

But as spectacular as Launchpad sounds, super yacht fans might say it’s not as spectacular as Jeff Bezos’s super yacht, Koru. The $500 million sailing vessel features very tall masts, a swimming pool, a helipad and room for a second, smaller yacht. The most noteworthy thing about Koru is that Bezos commissioned a special sculpture to decorate its prow. It’s a “curvaceous winged goddess” that is said to bear a striking resemblance to his fiancee Lauren Sanchez.

The Amazon founder, his wife-to-be and the goddess figurehead spent much of last summer sailing around the Mediterranean, cruising from Spain to Croatia and hosting such famous guests as Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom and Usher. The couple also threw a lavish engagement party off the coast of Positano on Italy’s Amalfi coast, attended by another pack of famous friends, including Kris Jenner, Wendi Murdoch and, yes, Leonardo DiCaprio.

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Mark Zuckerberg has brought his brand new toys home to the United States. The Facebook founder, who is said to be the owner of a brand new megayacht built by Feadship, Launchpad and is expected to board the vessel soon, now that it’s successfully completed its maiden journey.

The first reports about Zuckerberg’s desire to become a superyacht owner began making the rounds in late 2023 and were eventually confirmed at the beginning of March 2024 – though never officially so. Zuckerberg, one of the last centibillionaires to get into the super-exclusive club of megayacht owners, had finally joined the party after buying a new Feadship vessel, as well as an older shadow yacht to accompany it on its future travels.

The rumors were rooted in sightings of Zuckerberg in the Netherlands, where he’d asked for a private tour of Project 1010, a megayacht commissioned by Russian oligarch Vladimir Potanin before the latest round of international sanctions prompted by the Ruso-Ukrainian war. Since Feadship could no longer deliver the build after completion because Potanin’s name was included on those sanctions lists, it sought special permission from the government to sell it to a non-sanctioned individual.

That individual is Zuckerberg. With Project 1010, which he’s since renamed Launchpad, he also got Wingman (ex-Dapple), a superb and very competent shadow vessel built by Damen Yachting and previously owned by Valve founder Gabe Newell. The total cost of these new purchases is estimated at a combined $330 million – an insane fortune for normies and even multi-millionaires but a mere drop in Zuckerberg’s bucket.

The other day, Launchpad successfully completed its maiden journey from Europa, arriving in Port Everglades in Florida, according to superyacht vlogger eSysman Superyachts, who also happens to be one of the most reliable trade sources. Coincidence or not, Wingman is also in Florida at a nearby dock. While it’s still broadcasting until its old name of Dapple, chances are the two are getting ready for summer cruising with their new owner.

Neither Zuckerberg nor Feadship will ever put out a statement to confirm ownership, but the incoming summer season might render such a statement useless. If there’s one thing superyacht-owning one-percenters have in common with us mortals, it’s the desire to put their purchases to good use – which, in this particular case, means summer cruisin’ for Zuckerberg onboard Launchpad, with Wingman in tow.

If this happens, it won’t just confirm ownership but also offer a better look at this spectacular build, which, at 118 meters (387 feet) in total length and over 5,000 GT of interior volume, is the largest vessel to leave Feadship in the yard’s storied history. With an estimated value of $250 million to $300 million, it’s bound to be one of the most luxurious vessels out there, as well.

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Following in the footsteps of Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg is said to have bought a $300 million superyacht and a $30 million support vessel in one go. Apt for the adventurous Facebook founder, the shadow vessel has a helipad, dive center & even a decompression chamber.

Meet the world’s $300 million superyacht Launchpad:

After much speculation, the 387-foot Feadship motor yacht Launchpad emerged as Zuckerberg’s launchpad into the world of shipowners. She can accommodate 24 guests who are serviced by a crew of 48. The exterior was designed by ace designer Espen Øino, while the interiors were brought to life by the French studio Zuretti. Launchpad’s most discerning feature is its stark blue hull and a red line across the waterline.

Ranking at number 45 among the largest yachts worldwide in terms of length, it is safe to presume the vessel would boast world-class amenities. There is an ample main deck, a swimming pool, and top-notch facilities worthy of Zuckerberg and his family. Images reveal a large helipad with a hangar on the upper deck. The yacht flaunts a glass observation lounge and a spacious beach club. On closer inspection of the photos, one notices the decks are flanked by circular seating pods, an alfresco dining area, and a bar. Maintaining the $300 million Launchpad Yacht would set Zuckerberg back by at least $30 million annually.

Support Vessel Wingman is truly superlative:

If a support vessel could receive a report card, the aptly named Wingman would earn an A+. The 220-foot vessel, with a volume of 1,143 GT, boasts interiors by Mark Berryman and provides accommodation for up to 6 guests in 3 cabins.

Will this duo beat Jeff Bezos’s Koru and Abeona superyachts?

Mark Zuckerberg and other centibillionaire Jeff Bezos have more in common than just their wealth; they both own a pair of stunning superyachts and their impressive support vessels. While Zuckerberg’s latest purchases are expensive, they still cannot match Koru, a $500 million schooner, with its $75 million support vessel, Abeona, trailing behind. Not only are these boats much larger (Koru is 416 feet, while Abeona is 246 feet), but they also cost nearly double that of Zuckerberg’s vessels.

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5 upcoming futuristic yachts that billionaires across the world are excited for

As the world prepares to coin its first trillionaire the $2 billion Migaloo M5 super submarine superyacht surfaces into the limelight. Longer than Jeff Bezos’ Koru it can stay underwater for 4 weeks, it has a swimming pool, cinema, helipad and its own hot air balloon.

Franny Spots Mark Zuckerberg's MEGA Yacht At The Port Of Palm Beach

The founder of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg purchased an ultra-luxury yacht named “Ulysses” for $150 million in Monaco Yacht Show, and this beast is docked right in our backyard at the Port of Palm Beach!

The yacht Ulysses was built at the Kleven shipyard in Norway. The 107-meter Ulysses has a 24-meter tender vessel, a helicopter with its own hangar, ATVs and 4x4 vehicle. The ultra-luxury yacht can sail halfway around the world without refueling and is designed to endure the toughest weather conditions, including the arctic circles and the world’s hottest regions.

Ulysses can host up to 30 people in 15 private suits. The yacht has 43 crews and 20 rooms for crew members. It can reach a maximum speed of 15 knots. Not to shabby!

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Keeping up with the Bezoses: Mark Zuckerberg buys a super yacht, reports say

M ar. 21—Given that Mark Zuckerberg enjoys a respectable 16th place on a list of the world's richest people, he probably figured it was time for him to acquire one of the ultimate status symbols for the mega-wealthy — a super yacht.

A new report from The Sun said that Zuckerberg is now the proud owner of a $300 million vessel that he has christened "Launchpad." The 387-foot-long vessel, which comes with a helipad and a $30 million companion boat, was seen docked this week at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with its unique chrome finish reflecting in the sun.

This purchase shows, among other things, that the Facebook and Meta founder and CEO has branched out from buying islands and building an underground complex to help him survive the apocalypse. Perhaps, he wants to cruise the Mediterranean this summer and be among the moguls who can play host to Leonardo DiCaprio.

The yacht definitely grants him admission to the watery playgrounds of such multibillionaires as Jeff Bezos, Larry Ellison, Bill Gates and any of the Russian oligarchs who haven't been the target of sanctions imposed by the United States or its allies over Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

In fact, Zuckerberg reportedly came by Launchpad due to the misfortunes of one of those oligarchs. The yacht originally was commissioned to be built by Vladimir Potanin, one of Russia's richest men who is on multiple sanctions list, according to a report by Autoevolution.com , a transportation industry site. The yacht was known as Project 1010, and the shipbuilder in the Netherlands was legally barred from delivering it to Potanin when it was completed in 2022, though Autoevolution also said that Potanin was not the yacht's actual owner.

It's not known when or how Zuckerberg acquired the yacht. Autoevolution reported that he had been seen at the Feadship shipyard in the Netherlands in December, showing "a clear interest in Project 1010."

The Sun reported that the yacht recently received "special permission" to be imported. It has since arrived in the United States, a couple months ahead of Zuckerberg's 40th birthday on May 14 — which raises the question of whether he meant Launchpad as a birthday gift to himself.

It's quite a gift: Launchpad can comfortably fit 24 guests aboard. It also requires a crew of 48 and is said to cost $30 million a year for upkeep and usage, according to Superyachtfan.com . But shelling out $30 million for maintenance a year shouldn't be a problem for Zuckerberg, who reportedly earns between $6 million and $12 million a day, The Sun said.

But as spectacular as Launchpad sounds, super yacht fans might say it's not as spectacular as Jeff Bezos's super yacht, Koru. The $500 million sailing vessel features very tall masts, a swimming pool, a helipad and room for a second, smaller yacht. The most noteworthy thing about Koru is that Bezos commissioned a special sculpture to decorate its prow. It's a "curvaceous winged goddess" that is said to bear a striking resemblance to his fiancee Lauren Sanchez.

The Amazon founder, his wife-to-be and the goddess figurehead spent much of last summer sailing around the Mediterranean, cruising from Spain to Croatia and hosting such famous guests as Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom and Usher. The couple also threw a lavish engagement party off the coast of Positano on Italy's Amalfi coast, attended by another pack of famous friends, including Kris Jenner, Wendi Murdoch and, yes, Leonardo DiCaprio.

(c)2024 Silicon Valley, San Jose, Calif. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Sun Valley 2024 Invites Shari Redstone, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Jason Blum and More (EXCLUSIVE)

Bob Iger and potential Disney successors, CAA’s Bryan Lourd, Maryland governor Wes Moore also on the "mogul summer camp" guest list.  

It’s that time of year again!

The old guard in media and finance and the tech innovators disrupting them are gearing up to hit Allen & Co.’s leadership retreat Sun Valley – where private jets sit bumper-to-bumper and power is carved up and handed out among global players. It’s an ultra-secretive event for the one-percent set (think Davos with higher fences).

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The Sun Valley confab comes during an extremely turbulent time on the global stage. Wars in Gaza and Ukraine are producing ceaseless violence and eroding the social fabric in America. Morale in the entertainment media sector is perhaps at an all-time low as work is harder to come by for many creatives, austerity reigns and the box office is tanking. That’s to say nothing of the U.S. presidential election, which is looming in November. But the guest list offers clues as to how the retreat might address many of these hot topics.

Leadership from American universities — many of which have been grappling with demonstrations as the situation in the Middle East deteriorates — are expected to hit the bucolic retreat. University of Florida president Ben Sasse (a former U.S. senator), University of Chicago president Paul Alivisatos, Georgetown University president Jack DeGioia, Harvard University professor and former U.S. military attaché for Israeli forces Amos Yadlin, and USC dean of the Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism Willow Bay are all invited.

Further representing show business on this list are Sun Valley mainstays Oprah Winfrey (and BFF Gayle King!) and Brian Grazer of Imagine Entertainment. Comcast president Mike Cavanagh, Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz, newly minted CAA owner François-Henri Pinault, LiveNation’s Michael Rapino, and Charlie Rivkin of the MPA may show. Most of those executives are linked to traditional media. But they will get a chance to hang out with the tech entrepreneurs who are reshaping daily life or, in some cases, making their businesses more complicated. Among the Silicon Valley crowd are Uber’s Dara Khosrowshahi, Activision’s Bobby Kotick, YouTube’s Neal Mohan, Palantir’s Alex Karp, Roku’s Anthony Wood and SalesForce’s Marc Benioff.

There’s also a number of political figures, such as Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who are rumored to be considering presidential runs in 2028. If they do attend Sun Valley, it may be partly to establish ties to the donor set. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the Senate, is also on the guest list as he looks to protect his majority. One of that chamber’s soon to be departing members, Kyrsten Sinema, got an invite — the Democrat turned Independent has announced she will not seek re-election. Brad Little, the Idaho governor, made the cut, as befitting his status running the state playing host to the gathering, as did Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon.

The Murdochs — Rupert, sons Lachlan and James, and his ex–wife Wendi — are welcome to stroll the resort town’s grounds in their finest stealth wealth weekend gear. That should give off “Succession” vibes: On the HBO series, the Murdochs’ TV doppelgangers, the Roy clan, attended a Sun Valley-like retreat as they struggled to contain the fallout from a corporate scandal.

Among the other industry titans who could soon be rocking windbreakers are Barry Diller, Spanx’s Sara Blakely, Michael Bloomberg, Airbnb’s Brian Chesky, investor Peter Thiel, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek, Liberty Global’s Mike Fries and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Most of these chieftains and pashas will ignore the media that shouts questions to them between lectures, lunches, hikes and rafting excursions, but you can often see them positioning themselves so that the army of photographers gets them in their shots. A picture taken at Sun Valley is its own status symbol. It’s a visual reminder that you belong to the most elite club in media.

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