Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s $500 million yacht is reportedly not very climate friendly.
An analysis by Indiana University researchers found his $500 million superyacht apparently generates thousands of tons of carbon emissions annually, the New York Post reported Saturday.
However, Bezos previously pledged to shell out billions of dollars in the fight against so-called “climate change,” the outlet noted.
“The Amazon founder’s 417-foot sailing yacht ‘Koru,’ produces an astounding minimum of 7,154 tons of greenhouse gasses annually — roughly 447 times the entire annual carbon footprint of your average American, the Indiana researchers found,” the report stated.
Video footage shows Koru on its maiden voyage after it reportedly finished traveling from the Netherlands to Gibraltar in April:
Bezos’s superyacht is so big it has to have a “support yacht” with a helipad that follows the vessel when it is sailing, Breitbart News reported in May 2021.
The outlet continued:
Half a billion dollars is an unthinkable amount of money to the average person but for Bezos, this is just a small fraction of the $75 billion that he gained in 2020 alone. Bezos’ net worth stands at around $200 billion.
Amazon stock, the primary source of Bezos’ fortune, has risen a staggering 75 percent in the last year as the coronavirus pandemic disrupted consumer behavior, benefiting Amazon hugely as many turned to online shopping.
U.S. billionaires collectively gained $1.1 trillion in 2020, making them around 40 percent richer than before the pandemic hit.
In May, Bezos and his girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez, became engaged and the pair sailed around Europe on the superyacht, according to Breitbart News.
The report noted that in 2022, “Bezos announced his plans to give away the majority of his wealth during his lifetime, with his donations going to environmental charities and other leftist causes.”
According to the Post, Indiana anthropology PhD candidate Beatriz Barros said billionaires like Bezos spend money investing in issues such as climate change.
“But because they are so rich and so powerful, they feel like they are entitled [to travel in carbon-producing superyachts], whereas you and I should drive less, should eat less meat,” she explained.