Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has purchased a 417-foot superyacht that is so massive it requires its own “support yacht” with a helipad that will follow Bezos’ new $500 million toy wherever it sails.
Bloomberg reports that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is preparing to retire with a modest boat he can use for travel and relaxation. His new vessel is a 417-foot superyacht that is so huge it requires its own “support yacht” with a helipad. The estimated cost of the superyacht, not including the support yacht, is $500 million.
The luxury yacht is being manufactured by the Dutch yacht maker Oceanco, which has yet to release many details about the vessel called Project 721.
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.
Bezos very likely ordered his boat well before the pandemic, as assembling such a vessel takes some time. U.S. boat sales actually hit a 13-year high last year according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association, and the sale of superyachts has increased drastically according to analysts.
Sam Tucker, the head of superyacht research at London-based VesselsValue, told Bloomberg that the number of transactions in recent quarters “was record-breaking — the second-hand market is absolutely red hot.” He added that the demand for high-end yachts had outstripped supply, saying: “It’s impossible to get a slot in a new-build yard. They’re totally booked.”
Bezos may be taking to the sea, but other billionaires are staying on land. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg recently doubled his real estate holdings in Hawaii.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan or contact via secure email at the address lucasnolan@protonmail.com
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