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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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Jeff Bezos: Amazon CEO buys $500m superyacht so big it comes with a ‘support yacht’

Experts say that yacht industry has seen a boom during the pandemic, article bookmarked.

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Jeff Bezos , Amazon founder and the world’s richest man, will reportedly soon be the owner of a mega-yacht he bought for $500 million, almost double the price he paid to buy the Washington Post newspaper in 2013.

While the details of the vessel have largely been kept under wrap, the 417-foot superyacht is so massive that it has a yacht of its own, along with a helipad, reported Bloomberg.

Developed by Dutch yachtmaker, Oceano, it is named project Y721 and has several decks along with three huge masts, reported the outlet. Said to be the largest sailing yacht built in the Netherlands, it is due to be finished next month, almost two years after it was ordered.

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

Amazon’s stocks gained 75 per cent last year as consumers turned towards its services for shopping during the pandemic, reported CNN. Bezos isn’t the only billionaire to have gained fortune during the pandemic.

According to a report published by Institute for Policy Studies and Americans for Tax fairness, US billionaires have collectively increased their wealth by $1.1 trillion during the pandemic, making them 40 per cent richer than they were before the pandemic began.

While Covid-19 was not a factor when Mr Bezos invested his fortune in the superyacht, a Bloomberg analysis showed that its market has grown especially during the pandemic. “The market’s been roaring,” Sam Tucker, head of superyacht research at London-based VesselsValue, was quoted as saying by the outlet.

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

Aino Grapin, chief executive officer of superyacht interiors studio Winch Design, told the outlet that the yacht allows the explorer to cruise for 9,000 nautical miles without the need to refuel it. “Clients can enjoy life at sea for long periods of time without having to go mix with others,” she said.

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Amazon founder Jeff Bezos named as secret owner of luxury $500m superyacht

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Amazon’s billionaire founder Jeff Bezos is already the world’s richest man. Now he’s finally set to join the gilded ranks of the haves and have-yachts.

The world’s richest man has been named as the soon-to-be proud owner of one of the most expensive and extravagant superyachts ever built.

At 127metres (420ft) the craft - known only by its project name Y721 - will be as long as the Great Pyramid at Giza is tall, and loaded with state-of-the-art treasures including an in-deck swimming pool and ‘ambient’ cinema, all contributing to a rumoured price tag of around $500million.

It will be one of the finest sailing yachts in existence.

Bezos, whose fortune is around $200 billion, would also have to foot an estimated $50 million annual running costs bill.

Plans for the luxury sailing ship are being kept under wraps but some details have now emerged via its Netherlands-based manufacturer Oceanco’s website and through enthusiast forums.

The details so far available suggest it may be modelled on the 106-metre Black Pearl, pictured below, currently the largest and most technologically advanced sailing yacht in the world.

It will stretch across several decks and be powered with the assistance of three giant masts. Those sails mean it will not sport a helipad - instead, in a twist worthy of the wealthiest Bond villain, sources say it comes with its own yacht.

Bezos and partner, Lauren Sanchez, a helicopter pilot, have commissioned a separate support vessel with a dedicated landing facility.

The luxury yacht sector has thrived through the pandemic as the global elite invest in ever more extravagant boats to avoid the crowds in opulence and privacy.

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Bezos is understood to have put the order in before the virus hit, having spent time on Eos - another three-masted schooner - owned by film and Fox TV mogul Barry Diller and his wife Diane Von Furstenberg, the celebrated fashion designer, in 2019.

He was later pictured on board David Geffen’s yacht in the Balaerics, alongside model Karlie Kloss, Josh Kushner and former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein.

Bezos is not short of a few bob, and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission suggest he added to his vast fortune with the sale of nearly $2 billion worth of shares in his company last week.

That came after Amazon reported blockbuster first-quarter earnings results, trouncing Wall Street’s expectations, and took his total disposals to around $10bn in a year.

He had previously outlined proposals to sell around $1bn in Amazon stock each year to fund his space exploration company, Blue Origin, which intends to launch its first astronaut crew to space this summer.

In his forthcoming book on Bezos, Amazon Unbound , Bloomberg journalist Brad Stone discloses further details of the ship, which is also likely to play a central role in Bezos’s life as he steps back from running the online behemoth he created.

He writes: “What did the future hold for their founder? At least part of the answer to that could be found in the shipyards of the Dutch custom yacht builder Oceanco.

“There, outside Rotterdam, a new creation was secretly taking shape: a 127-meter-long, three-mast schooner about which practically nothing was known, even in the whispering confines of luxury boat builders—except that upon completion, it will be one of the finest sailing yachts in existence.”

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Jeff Bezos' yacht reportedly cost $500 million and is the largest sailing yacht in the world. Here's what we know.

• Jeff Bezos ' new $500 million megayacht Koru set sail this summer.
• At 417 feet long, it's the world's largest sailing yacht and even boasts a sculpture resembling his fiancée, Lauren Sanchez.
• Here's everything we know about Bezos' yacht.

Jeff Bezos' new megayacht set sail this summer, with the founder and former Amazon CEO and his fiancée Lauren Sanchez crisscrossing Europe to show it off.

At 417 feet long, the vessel is the world's largest sailing yacht and cost an estimated $500 million. The yacht is named Koru , which means "loop" or "coil" in the Māori language and often signifies new beginnings.

Koru joins a large class of flashy billionaires' yachts , including the 305-foot-long Eos, which belongs to billionaire Barry Diller and fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg.

Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison owns a yacht called Musashi, which is 288 feet long.

Bezos commissioned the enormous boat from the Dutch custom yacht builder Oceanco, and it took years to construct.

In February, the yacht underwent its first sea trials, a series of tests usually conducted in the last phases of construction. Koru made its maiden voyage in April, traveling from the Netherlands to Gibraltar.

Related stories

The vessel has a pool on deck, and the prow features a mermaid sculpture that bears a striking resemblance to Bezos' then-girlfriend Sanchez. A second "support yacht," which has an on-deck helipad, accompanies Koru on its travels.

Sanchez has said the sculpture affixed to Bezos' yacht isn't her. "I'm very flattered, but it's not," she told Vogue. The sculpture is apparently of the Norse goddess Freyja, one of Bezos' favorite figures from mythology.

Bezos and Sanchez were first seen aboard the yacht along the coast of Spain in May, shortly before news broke that the couple had gotten engaged. The couple spent the rest of the summer on board traveling to various destinations, stopping at the Cannes Film Festival, sailing down the Italian Riviera, and making their way to Croatia.

In August, the yacht played host to an engagement party for Bezos and Sanchez , which reportedly drew guests including Bill Gates, Whitney Wolfe Herd, Ari Emanuel, and Leonardo DiCaprio.

While yacht season was apparently enjoyable for the couple, it was only after the vessel stirred up quite a bit of controversy: Koru's masts were so tall that the yacht nearly required the dismantling of a historic bridge in the Netherlands in order for it to pass through.

Locals planned to egg Bezos' superyacht if the bridge came down. Following the public outcry, Oceanco withdrew its request for the city to take apart the bridge.

And despite this massive purchase, Bezos' net worth is still well over $100 billion.

Watch: Inside the world's biggest cruise ship that just set sail

• Main content

Jeff Bezos' new half a billion superyacht sets sail after five-year construction

The billionaire's vessel is 127 metres long, making it nearly half the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza and is the longest yacht built in the Netherlands

• 14:59, 5 Mar 2023
• Updated 15:31, 5 Mar 2023

Billionaire Jeff Bezos' new yacht has finally set sail after five-year construction costing a whopping $500million (£415m).

Previously known as Y721 or Project 721, the yacht now goes by the name of Koru which means new beginnings in Maori and is the tallest boat in the world, measuring over 230ft tall.

The Executive Chairman of Amazon, Bezos is the third richest person on the planet with an estimated net worth of $115.4 billion.

Reportedly, the megayacht is set to be delivered to Bezos within the next couple of months.

The vessel is 127 metres long, making it nearly half the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza and is the longest yacht built in the Netherlands.

The yacht was constructed at Oceanco’s Alblasserdam facilities in the Netherlands and later moved to Rotterdam, but it was so tall that it was unable to pass under the Koningshaven Bridge when it was being transported.

A YouTube video posted by Dutch Yachting shows the megayacht going through the preliminary set of tests on the first day of its sea trials.

Sea trials ensure the overall safety of a ship and detect issues before the final handover to its owners.

The gigantic vessel has three enormous decks and at least two sizeable swimming pools. Almost twice the length of the Airbus A380, Koru will also have a cinema, several lounges and business areas spread across the enormous decks, reports the New Zealand Herald.

The ship also has a helipad and hangar for a D14-value helicopter. A total of 45 people, including crew, guests and specialist staff, can comfortably reside onboard.

The interiors onboard are reported to be inspired by Eos, which is a 305-ft yacht that belongs to his close friend, Barry Diller, who is the founder and former CEO of Fox News.

Koru will join a fleet of superyachts, helicopters, and planes already owned by Bezos and his millionaire girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez.

Their superyacht Flying Fox is 135 metres in length and is worth more than $400 million (£332m), it costs an estimated $40 million (£33m) just to operate each year.

The vessel has two helipads and its very own helicopter on board.

The news comes as Bezos has reportedly been forced out of the running to purchase the American football team, the Washington Commanders amid offers falling short of owner Dan Snyder’s $6 billion valuation.

Some say Snyder is blocking Bezos from buying or bidding for the club due to his ownership of the Washington Post newspaper, which published a number of articles exposing the alleged cases of sexual harassment in the National Football League franchise.

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Showboat: Amazon boss Jeff Bezos revealed as owner of $500m superyacht

By: James Warrington

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As the richest person on the planet, it’s fair to say money is no object to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

But even by the standards of the super-rich, his latest purchase is likely to make waves.

The billionaire businessman has been revealed as the owner of a mammoth superyacht worth a reported $500m (£354m) that is scheduled for completion next month.

The vast vessel, known by its project name Y721, is an imposing 127 metres long, spans several decks and is set to boast three huge masts.

Details of the project have been kept a close secret, but some information has now emerged through Oceano — the boat’s Dutch manufacturer — as well online forums for yacht enthusiasts.

Other reported features of the custom-built yacht include a swimming pool and a cinema. The boat is unable to house a helipad due to the masts, meaning Bezos and partner Lauren Sanchez are said to have ordered a separate support yacht to enable helicopter landings.

The luxury yacht market has flourished during the pandemic as the ultra-rich have shrugged off the wider economic downturn.

The floating palaces have also proved an attractive option for billionaires to holiday and socialise at a time when lockdowns have crippled travel and shuttered hotels.

Bezos, whose personal fortune is estimated at $200bn by Bloomberg, is said to have placed his order before the pandemic hit.

In addition to the eye-watering price tag, the Amazon chief will have to pay an estimated $50m to $60m per year in upkeep costs.

His interest in superyachts is likely to have originated from his time on the high seas with friends such as businessman Barry Diller and his wife Diane von Furstenberg, who own a yacht named Eos.

He has also been snapped in the Balearics on a yacht owned by David Geffen, the Hollywood mogul behind animation studio Dreamworks.

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Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos's New Yacht Costs $500 Million

Megabillionaire Jeff Bezos's monstrous yacht cost an estimated $500 million. The cost doesn’t even include the support boat.

May 13 2021, Published 3:57 p.m. ET

While the rest of the world might be struggling to pay rent in an economy hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is getting a new boat. 

Bezos's new boat isn't just any ordinary boat. The Project 721 is a 417-foot superyacht with several decks, three masts, and even its own “support yacht” with a helipad, reports Bloomberg . 

Reportedly, it's the largest vessel ever built by the Dutch luxury yacht builder, Oceanco. 

This Oceanco yacht is smaller than the one Jeff Bezos purchased.

The monstrous yacht’s estimated cost is $500 million, and that cost doesn’t even include the support boat. 

Business boomed for Bezos during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The world hadn’t even heard about COVID-19 when Bezos ordered his boat a few years ago. However, the COVID-19 pandemic boosted Amazon's business. Worldwide, people were forced to stay home and have many of their necessities sent directly to them.

If you needed toothpaste, Amazon was there for you. 

In 2020, Amazon (AMZN) stock climbed 75 percent and made Bezos about $75 billion richer than he already was. According to Bloomberg , his total net worth is almost $200 billion. 

Sales for luxury superyachts have surged.

Apparently, Bezos isn’t the only member of the super-rich to buy a superyacht during the COVID-19 pandemic. Superyacht sales surged at the end of 2020 and in the first quarter of 2021. The demand for extravagantly high-end yachts has outstripped supply, Bloomberg reports. 

“The market’s been roaring,” Sam Tucker, head of superyacht research at London-based VesselsValue, told Bloomberg . “It’s impossible to get a slot in a new-build yard. They’re totally booked.”

Boats have actually been a popular pandemic purchase for many people, not just the ultra-wealthy. According to the National Marine Manufacturers Association, boat sales hit a 13-year high last year. When it comes to social distancing, day-drinking on a boat is a better option than going to a bar or restaurant. 

How many yachts does Jeff Bezos own?

By all accounts, the Project 721 superyacht is Bezos’s first yacht. He caught the yachting bug in 2019 while sailing on his friend billionaire Barry Diller’s yacht, Eos. 

Comedians roasted Jeff Bezos over his yacht purchase.

After news came out about Captain Bezos and his ginormous boat, it didn’t take long for the jokes to start.

“The founder of Amazon is reportedly building a $500 million superyacht that is so big, it requires a ‘support yacht’ to travel with it. This is like the billionaire version of having a second fridge in your garage,” said comedian and late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel.

“It sounds like an old-time comedian’s routine, doesn’t it? Jeff Bezos is so rich, even his boats have got boats. Bezos is so rich, when he goes to the A.T.M., the A.T.M. asks him for money.” said James Corden, host of The Late Late Show .

“The pandemic has been a boom time for billionaires, and they are using their profits to give back to hard-hit communities, as long as those communities build giant, shiny new yachts,” joked Late Show host Stephen Colbert. 

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First look at Jeff Bezos’ new superyacht, the Oceanco Y721

Jeff Bezos Oceanco Sailing Yacht Y721 Launched

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has gifted himself a sleek new yacht.

A $ 500 million superyacht , which upon delivery, will break world records.

Oceanco project 721, allegedly bought by Jeff Bezos, is launched at the Zwijndrech shipyard

That superyacht is Project 721 or Y721, the largest superyacht from the luxurious Dutch shipyard Oceanco , just launched in Zwijndrecht. Delivery is scheduled for 2022 after it completes sea trials.

Upon delivery, the superyacht will hold a number of world records, including the title of the world’s largest sailing yacht, Oceanco’s largest superyacht and the longest ship built in the Netherlands.

Based on the Black Pearl, the most recognized built by Oceanco , and also the DynaRig sailing yacht, the world’s largest and most advanced, the Y721 has three decks, measuring 127 meters (417 feet) in overall length. She will feature three masts and a bowsprit, and comes with a black hull and a classic, elegant silhouette.

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Bezos' Wait Is Over — World's Largest Superyacht Worth $500 Million Finally Delivered To Amazon Founder

Zinger key points.

• Koru cost $500 million, while its annual operating cost is estimated to be around $25 million.
• The vessel was commissioned by Jeff Bezos, whose net worth is the third-highest in the world.

Amazon founder  Jeff Bezos  has finally gotten his pricey, luxurious superyacht that has been catching eyes. 

What Happened: The superyacht, which was reportedly priced at $500 million and ordered by Bezos, was handed to its new owner on Thursday, Business Insider reported, citing yachting publication Boat International.

The vessel, otherwise known as Koru, is 127 meters long, the world’s largest sailing yacht and the largest one built in the Netherlands, according to Boat International. 

Sea trials of the vessel had been taking place since February, marking the final phases of construction. Construction of the yacht, which previously went by the code name Y721, took about five years. 

See Also: How To Invest In Startups

At one point last year, Oceano, the Dutch custom yacht builder responsible for Koru, found itself mired in controversy when it requested the dismantling of a historic bridge in Rotterdam to allow for Koru’s three tall masts to pass under the bridge. Locals protested against the dismantling, forcing Oceano to tow the boat under the cover of night to another shipyard without its masts. The masts were installed later.

In early March, reports had suggested the yacht was ready to set sail en route to its new owner.

The yacht is reportedly the tallest in the world, with a height of 230 feet, and requires a crew of 40 sailors to operate. Apart from its $500 million price tag, it also involves an annual operating cost of $25 million.

Why It's Important: Bezos, who stepped down as Amazon's CEO but continues to be the e-commerce retailer's executive chairman, is the world’s third-richest man with a net worth of around $125.1 billion, according to Forbes.

The Amazon founder is well known as the partying type — in 2022, he and his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez welcomed the new year on a $42,000 per week superyacht in the Caribbean.

Read Next:  Construction Of Jeff Bezos' Beverly Hills Megamansion Stalled Following Attempt To Expand Property

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Jeff Bezos' Superyacht Is So Massive It Had To Be Docked Next To Oil Tankers In Florida

The billionaire's sailing yacht, the koru, completed its journey from the mediterranean to the u.s. where it towers over other superyachts..

Jeff Bezos is insanely rich. So much so that his superyacht is bigger than other rich people’s superyachts, which is pretty wild if you think about it. Bezos’ recently completed ship, the Koru, is currently docked down in Florida where its massive size made it a bit difficult to dock.

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Luxury Launches reported that the Koru, which is currently the biggest sailing ship in the world, recently completed its months long journey from the Mediterranean all the way to Port Everglades in South Florida. Any other billionaire’s boat wouldn’t have any trouble docking at the port, which can accommodate yachts in size up to 400 feet. The 416-foot Koru dwarfs that in nearly every dimension.

The half-a-billion-dollar boat is nearly twice the length of an Airbus A380 with an internal volume of 3,300 GT. Moreover, its triple masts measuring 230 feet make the vessel nearly half the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

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The Koru is so big that it had to be docked near two 600-plus-foot oil tankers. Equally huge are the docking fees and the cost to keep this thing running. Using another superyacht as an example, Luxury Launches says that current docking rates at Port Everglades can run $22,000 for just 10 days. That’s in addition to the daily upkeep costs  of $137,000 for the Koru, which should be chump change for Bezos.

Don’t forget about the Koru’s $75 million support yacht , Abeona, that follows the Koru just so Bezos’ fiancé Lauren Sanchez can land her helicopter on it. Abeona won’t be joining the Koru in Florida, however. The smaller yacht is headed to the Bahamas where it’s expected the Koru will meet up with it soon.

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Is Jeff Bezos’s $500 million yacht made with ‘blood timber’ from Myanmar? (commentary)

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• The founder of Amazon.com and the second wealthiest man in the world, Jeff Bezos, has donated billions of dollars through his Earth Fund to combat climate change and protect nature.
• Yet he also commissioned Oceanco to build the largest sailing vessel in the world, at a reported cost of $500 million, a 127 meter-long ‘mega yacht’ which uses the highly prized tropical wood teak for its decking, much of the world’s best supply of which comes from Myanmar.
• Myanmar teak has been labeled ‘blood timber’ following the country’s violent February 2021 coup d’état, and so far, Oceanco has declined to confirm its source, making it a “very controversial choice for a European yacht builder, especially one seeking to source the finest materials for a client burnishing his environmental credentials,” a new op-ed argues.
• This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.

Following tea with King Charles III, then Prince of Wales, the king of global retail made an extraordinary announcement on the next stage in his bid to help save the planet.

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon.com and the second wealthiest man in the world, had already donated $1 billion (approx. £805.8 million) through his Earth Fund to combat climate change and protect nature.

Now he turned his attention to trees.

At the CoP26 UN climate summit in Glasgow in November 2021, he revealed he would halt deforestation and desertification, not in the rainforest that bore his company’s name, but in Africa by planting 20 million trees across the continent in a project called The Great Green Wall.

Meanwhile, 700 miles away, shrouded in secrecy, he was engaged in another ambitious and hugely expensive project – but there are concerns this one may be connected to massive illegal deforestation, genocide, corruption, the financing of a brutal military dictatorship and circumventing EU law.

Well, three years earlier, Bezos commissioned Oceanco, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, to build him the largest sailing vessel in the world at a reported cost of $500 million (almost £403 million).

It was codenamed Y721, a 127 meter-long ‘mega yacht’ with an aluminum and steel hull and three gigantic masts making the vessel half the height of the Great Pyramid of Giza. No expense was spared, and it was literally bedecked from bow to stern in undeniably beautiful teak.

Teak is highly prized in luxury yacht building for its durability, water-repellent properties and elegant appearance. And as the best teak on Earth is found in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), it may be assumed that it will have been used for the acres of decking on Bezos’s yacht, although neither he nor Oceanco have confirmed it.

My organization, Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA)’s repeated enquiries to all involved in the construction and fitting out of Bezos’s new toy – which has guest accommodation for 18 and a crew of 36, plus its own 247 foot support tender with a helipad and mini-submarine – have been met with stony silence.

That’s because teak, especially Myanmar teak, is a very controversial choice for a European yacht builder, especially one seeking to source the finest materials for a client burnishing his environmental credentials.

Since 2013, the European Union has taken a particularly tough stance on imports of teak from Myanmar by member states, fearing it had been illegally harvested. Five years later, it adopted the ‘common position’ that it is impossible to guarantee that timber from Myanmar had been felled legally due to failings in documenting the chain of custody.

See related: Time to jettison Myanmar teak, some yacht-making insiders say

The EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) requires due diligence by importers to trace timber from the moment a tree is cut down through to importation by another country. This is not possible in Myanmar, so any timber imports from that country are in violation of the law.

Where then did Oceanco, owned by Mohammed Al Barwani, an Omani billionaire with business interests in fossil fuels and mining, get its teak for Y721? And when? The yacht builder has been reluctant to be totally transparent on the issue.

However, when asked by  Mongabay , a spokesperson said : “At Oceanco, we ensure all teak used on our projects meets the EUTR-order 995/2010, which is verified by third-party verification to ensure due diligence.”

He cited Double Helix Tracking Technologies as the company used for verification.

Double Helix is an interesting outfit based in Singapore. It claims to use a unique process and genetic mapping to pinpoint where a tree originated, right down to the precise forest, to prove it was legally felled.

“Double Helix claims that it can reliably identify the exact place of harvest of timber by using DNA analysis,” stated the EUTR Expert Panel on Myanmar Teak in December 2020.

“However, neither this nor other methodologies used to identify the region in which timber was harvested can reliably exclude that the timber tested was harvested from within or outside specific forest harvesting or conflict areas, as the possibility of attribution is limited to the country and some areas could not be sampled.”

As EU experts concluded, “This method can therefore not help exclude that timber comes from a conflict area or was harvested in another district than foreseen.”

In June 2022, the expert group cast further doubt on Double Helix’s ability to verify the origin of teak from Myanmar. It noted that despite the Myanmar Forest Certification Committee (MFCC) recognizing Double Helix as an independent verification body, it is “… unlikely to guarantee independent verifiability of the legality of the harvest and the traceability throughout the supply chain, due to a system shortcoming in the recognition process.”

In other words, in the view of the EU, it was inconceivable. So, it is down to the competent Dutch authorities if they intend to uphold the law to investigate whether the yacht’s decking is Myanmar teak and, if it is, how it ended up in Holland.

The level of deforestation in Myanmar is cataclysmic – it has lost tree cover in an area roughly the size of Switzerland since 2001, according to data from Global Forest Watch, and EIA estimates that if it continues at its current rate, the country’s forests will disappear by 2035.

The state-owned Myanmar Timber Enterprise (MTE) has always maintained that the wood it exports is legal and sustainable, often comes from old stockpiles, and complies with annual felling quotas. MTE, which is rife with corruption, is a monopoly controlling all aspects of the harvesting, processing, marketing and export of the country’s teak.

It is not just the importation of the so-called ‘king of woods’ into Holland, whether legal or illicit, that is casting an ugly shadow across the decks and impressive bowsprit of the Bezos mega yacht.

Myanmar teak has now been labeled ‘blood timber’ following the country’s genocide against the Rohingya and a brutal coup d’état by the military in February 2021. To date, the military has killed an estimated 3,463 people, including 363 children, in response to pro-democracy movements. A further 21,879 people have been arrested and 154 sentenced to death.

Immediately after the coup, the junta seized control of MTE and has been using profits from the auction of the country’s precious and dwindling ‘blood timber’ to fill its coffers ever since – all while Indigenous peoples in Myanmar are still subjected to illegal land grabs by loggers and suffer other human rights abuses.

At the same time, as EIA recently revealed, vast amounts of teak are being imported into Bezos’s homeland despite the U.S.’s Lacey Act of 2018, which constitutes the world’s first ban on trade in illegally-sourced wood products. Following the coup, the Biden administration imposed sanctions on companies such as MTE and some of the ruling generals for their appalling human rights record. The E.U., Canada and the U.K. did likewise.

None of this is a good look for a man who wants to look good.

Bezos once proclaimed, with trees in mind: “We simply can’t address climate change without reversing the loss of nature and vice versa.”

So, perhaps he could set an example and use his unique position and fabulous wealth to speak out against Myanmar’s brutal junta and illegal logging in the country?

It would involve him embracing ‘Koru’, the Māori word for ‘new beginnings, life and hope’ – but, after all, that is what he’s named his yacht.

Paul Woolwich is Head of Communications for the Environmental Investigation Agency .

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See Mark Zuckerberg’s glossy new $300M, 287-foot superyacht ‘Launchpad’

All aboard S.S. Facebook.

Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly gifted himself a $300 million megayacht, dubbed “Launchpad,” ahead of his 40th birthday.

The staggering 387-foot-long vessel was seen floating at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., after arriving at its berth earlier this week, The Sun reported Thursday.

The multi-layered luxury ship’s sleek exterior was designed by Espen Øino International and boasts a steel hull and an aluminum superstructure, according to SuperYacht Times.

Reportedly ranking as the 45th largest yacht in the world, the interiors are just as aesthetically pleasing and reportedly executed by Zuretti Interior Design company, a France-based company specializing in unique and custom yacht design.

The breathtakingly beautiful floater stands out with a navy blue theme matching an American flag perched proudly on its wood-paneled stern.

There are several outdoor areas where the social media maven will be able to relax with his family and the indoor levels feature glass paneling allowing for tons of natural light.

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There also appears to be a helipad perfect for whenever the Facebook co-founder wants to travel to his vessel by air.

The Feadship-built yacht, built in 2022, can comfortably fit 24 guests aboard, requires a crew of 48, and is said to cost $30 million a year for upkeep and usage, according to Superyachtfan.com .

Boatworld insiders have been buzzing with speculation that Zuckerberg is the owner of the newly minted mega-cruise ever since it made its main voyage from the Netherlands last week.

The tech titan was spotted touring the Russian-commissioned megayacht in early March, though the impressive boat didn’t arrive stateside until this week due to sanctions, according to The Sun.

The website reported that Zuckerberg purchased the pricey yacht – along with its own $30 million partner boat — most likely as an early 40th birthday present to himself.

The boat reportedly traveled to Florida after being granted special permission to be imported just weeks ahead of Zuckerberg’s birthday on May 14.

Zuckerberg’s yacht is just 30 feet shorter than the length of fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos’ 417-foot megayacht Koru, which the Amazon boss snagged for a whopping $500 million.

Zuckerberg’s rep did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.

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Amazon.com, Inc.

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• Showboat: Amazon boss Jeff Bezos revealed as owner of $500m superyacht

Jeff Bezos .

But even by the standards of the super-rich, his latest purchase is likely to make waves.

Jeff Bezos go head to head

The billionaire businessman has been revealed as the owner of a mammoth superyacht worth a reported $500m (£354m) that is scheduled for completion next month.

The vast vessel, known by its project name Y721 , is an imposing 127 metres long, spans several decks and is set to boast three huge masts.

Details of the project have been kept a close secret, but some information has now emerged through Oceano — the boat’s Dutch manufacturer — as well online forums for yacht enthusiasts.

Lauren Sanchez are said to have ordered a separate support yacht to enable helicopter landings.

The luxury yacht market has flourished during the pandemic as the ultra-rich have shrugged off the wider economic downturn.

The floating palaces have also proved an attractive option for billionaires to holiday and socialise at a time when lockdowns have crippled travel and shuttered hotels.

Bezos, whose personal fortune is estimated at $200bn by Bloomberg, is said to have placed his order before the pandemic hit.

In addition to the eye-watering price tag, the Amazon chief will have to pay an estimated $50m to $60m per year in upkeep costs.

Read more: Bezos bets on the barbers: Amazon to open London hair salon

Diane von Furstenberg , who own a yacht named Eos.

He has also been snapped in the Balearics on a yacht owned by David Geffen , the Hollywood mogul behind animation studio Dreamworks.

Jeff Bezos revealed as owner of $500m superyacht appeared first on CityAM.

© City AM, source Newspaper

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Lauren takes the prow! The curvaceous winged GODDESS on Jeff Bezos' 416-footer - bears striking resemblance to none other than... Ms. Sanchez!

• Jeff Bezos' extravagant 416ft yacht Koru has a figurehead on the prow that bears a striking resemblance to his glamorous girlfriend Lauren Sanchez, 53
• Exclusive DailyMail.com photos show the polished wooden sculpture of a curvaceous woman carved in the style of a Roman goddess, dressed in a flowing gown with long tresses 
• EXCLUSIVE: Bezos and Sanchez are engaged - and the diamond is GINORMOUS  

By Ruth Styles For Dailymail.com

Published: 12:45 EDT, 18 May 2023 | Updated: 14:42 EDT, 22 May 2023

View comments

It cost half a billion dollars and has an extravagant 250ft support boat complete with a helipad – but that doesn't mean Jeff Bezos ' vast new yacht is lacking a personal touch.

For the Amazon boss, the world's third richest man, that translates to a figurehead that bears a striking resemblance to his glamorous girlfriend Lauren Sanchez , 53.

Exclusive DailyMail.com photos offer a first look at the polished wooden sculpture, which sits on the prow of the Amazon boss' 416ft love boat.

It depicts a curvaceous woman carved in the style of a Roman goddess, dressed in a flowing gown and with long hair - and a face that bears more than a few similarities to that of the millionaire former TV personality.

The new pictures were obtained by DailyMail.com shortly after Bezos, 59, and the real Sanchez were photographed enjoying their inaugural vacation on the enormous vessel this week which is currently moored off the coast of Spanish island Mallorca.

Jeff Bezos' extravagant 416ft yacht has a figurehead on the prow that bears a striking resemblance to his glamorous girlfriend Lauren Sanchez, 53. The couple, who had spent the weekend at the Miami Grand Prix before jetting to Europe, have been an item since their affair was exposed in January 2019 – ending both their marriages

The Koru, which underwent sea trials in February before being handed over to Bezos last month, is the second largest sailing ship in the world 

Exclusive DailyMail.com photos show the polished wooden sculpture of a curvaceous woman carved in the style of a Roman goddess, dressed in a flowing gown and with long hair

Bezos and Sanchez arrived in Mallorca on a private jet on Monday and were flown out to his superyacht by helicopter

The couple, who had spent the weekend at the Miami Grand Prix before jetting to Europe, have been an item since their affair was exposed in January 2019 – ending both their marriages.

Photos of Bezos with Sanchez were splashed across the National Enquirer, accompanied by a series of toe-curling text messages including one written by the Blue Origin founder that read: 'I love you, alive girl. I will show you with my body, and my lips and my eyes, very soon.'

Shortly before publication, the Albuquerque-born billionaire and then-wife Mackenzie released a statement that said they planned to divorce after 25 years while describing the split as 'amicable'.

Novelist Mackenzie, 53, walked away with a $35.6billion settlement and swiftly married again, to Seattle science teacher Dan Jewett; only to dump him just as swiftly in September 2022.

Despite that inauspicious beginning – which led to Bezos publicly accusing the Enquirer of extortion and claiming it threatened to publish racy photos of him and Sanchez – the couple appear more in love than ever.

Photos taken of the pair on the deck of the $500m superyacht this week show the duo soaking up the Spanish sunshine, with Bezos baring his trim figure in a pair of pale blue swimshorts while mom-of-two Sanchez was pretty in a hot pink bikini.

Photos taken of the pair on the deck of the $500m superyacht this week show Bezos baring his trim figure in a pair of pale blue swimshorts while mom-of-two Sanchez was pretty in a hot pink bikini 

DailyMail.com photos offer a first look at the polished wooden sculpture, which sits on the prow of the Amazon boss' 416ft love boat

Their trip on the yacht, which is named the Koru after the Maori word for 'new beginnings', comes more than five years after it was commissioned

Bezos ' new yacht was constructed over a period of five-years - and is the tallest in the world, measuring over 230ft tall

Bezos has been very open about his love for Sanchez. They were pictured enjoying their inaugural vacation on the yacht this week moored off the coast of Spanish island Mallorca

Their trip on the yacht, which is named the Koru after the Maori word for 'new beginnings', comes more than five years after it was commissioned.

Known then as 'Project 721', the ship was built in the historic port of Zwijndrecht, close to Rotterham in the Netherlands, by sailboat specialists Oceanco.

Previous designs include the 350ft Black Pearl – an all-black aluminum sailing yacht designed for Russian billionaire Oleg Burlakov who died of Covid in 2021 and whose family still own the ship.

The Koru, which underwent sea trials in February before being handed over to Bezos last month, is the second largest sailing ship in the world – surpassed only by the Philippe Starcke designed Sailing Yacht A, which is owned by Russian fertilizer billionaire Andrey Melnichenko.

Last year, before Koru had even been launched, the vast size of her masts sparked an international controversy when Rotterdam announced that the middle section of the 100-year-old Koningshaven Bridge would be removed so the superyacht could make its way into the North Sea.

According to reports, Bezos had said he would pay to have the bridge dismantled and rebuilt again - but his request was refused.

Koru sails with a smaller 250ft support vessel that has been kitted out with a helipad and is stocked with a collection of speedboats and supercars for Bezos and Sanchez to enjoy. Bezos' superyacht (back) pictured near the support vessel (foreground) and a smaller vessel 

Furious locals also created a petition to pelt the boat with rotten eggs on its maiden voyage - which garnered thousands of signatures.

In response to the backlash, Rotterdam's mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb said no permit had been applied for, and the masts were eventually attached downstream in Rotterdam harbor.

The three-masted schooner yacht was finally delivered at the end of April and was sailed from the Netherlands to Mallorca via Gibraltar.

Along with a private submarine, Koru sails with a smaller 250ft support vessel that has been kitted out with a helipad and is stocked with a collection of speedboats and supercars for Bezos and Sanchez to enjoy.

The main ship, which is painted midnight blue and has gold accents, boasts three decks, a pool and a huge sun terrace – the same one Bezos and Sanchez were seen using earlier this week.

The interior is reportedly inspired by Eos, a 305ft yacht owned by former Fox CEO Barry Diller, and the megaboat costs $25m-a-year to maintain.

Share or comment on this article: Curvaceous figurehead on Jeff Bezos' yacht bears a STRIKING resemblance to Lauren Sanchez

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Unforgotten boss's new crime drama gets first look ahead of 2025 release

I, Jack Wright promises "many twists and turns."

The new series promises to provide viewers with "many twists and turns" after the titular character, who is a powerful businessman, leaves his family in "disarray when they learn of his suicide."

When Jack's final will and testament is relayed to his third wife and two sons, the family are shocked to discover that they have been largely cut out of his "enormous fortune".

Related: Best streaming services in 2024

The official logline continues: "As DCI Morgan and DC Jones delve further into the case, they realise Jack's cause of death was in fact murder. Their sights turn to the Wright family, where the mother of all feuds is beginning.

"As each family member becomes more reckless and desperate in their bid to own a piece of Jack's legacy, dark secrets and resentments are revealed with explosive consequences."

A Discovery of Witches actor Trevor Eve takes on the role of Jack Wright, while Citadel 's Nikki Amuka-Bird plays his wife Sally and John Simm and Daniel Rigby star as his two sons, Gray and John.

Meanwhile, Harry Lloyd ( Game of Thrones ) and Liz Kingsman ( Hijack ) have been cast as DCI Morgan and DC Jones, respectively.

Related: Unforgotten series 5's ending, explained – What does the final killer twist mean?

Other cast members include Rakhee Thakrar ( Sex Education ), Zoë Tapper ( Liar ), James Fleet ( Bridgerton ), Sabrina Bartlett ( The Larkins ) and Percelle Ascott ( Domino Day ).

I, Jack Wright, which is directed by Tom Vaughn from a script written by Lang, is set to premiere on Alibi in early 2025.

In other news, Lang's hit ITV crime drama Unforgotten officially began filming its sixth season earlier this year .

"I'm incredibly excited to be about to start filming the sixth series of Unforgotten , with a story that has been gestating for nearly eight years, since the 23rd June 2016, when our country seemed to fracture in two," Lang said in a statement.

I, Jack Wright will premiere on Alibi in early 2025.

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Freelance Reporter, Digital Spy After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022. In that role, Iona wrote across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. Following her internship, Iona now contributes to DS as a freelance reporter. 

 Iona has reported from the Black Adam red carpet, and interviewed celebrities ranging from Love Island stars to the cast of Disney's live-action The Little Mermaid .

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40m • Shehab Khan follows the holy month of Ramadan and sees how it's observed

1h • The former gymnasts & their powerful fight for justice

1h • Journalist Robert Moore lifts the lid on Donald Trump's latest comeback

1h 5m • Timely documentary about the history of a controversial NHS unit

Series 1 • Starmer's victory speech, the rise of Reform and more

From excitement to agony - here are the must-watch moments

30m • How a groundbreaking covert police operation caught a killer

Watch key moments as Reform UK secure several seats

The Labour leader vows to 'rebuild Britain'

Sir Ed Davey hails the Liberal Democrats' 'historic result'

Rishi Sunak speaks outside No 10

Starmer speaks minutes after Labour wins General Election

Catch up on the results as big names are booted out

30m • The ITV News archives reveal the real-life stories behind 'Mr Bates vs The Post Office'.

1h • Compelling story of the children taken to Russia after war broke out