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An inside look at jeff bezos’ $500 million superyacht and what it costs to keep it afloat.

Cliché but true, the second-richest man on the planet, according to Forbes , owns the tallest sailing yacht in the world . In fact, the 417-foot Koru is so big, it has its own 250-foot support vessel .

Priced at $500 million, the Koru hit the sea for the first time in 2023 and has since ferried Jeff Bezos and company around the globe. Complete with three massive 229-foot masts, it can reach a top speed under sail of 20 knots, according to the New York Post — which is approximately 23 miles per hour.

Made for a group, up to 18 guests can set sail on the yacht, allowing Bezos to bring family and friends on vacation with him. Here’s a look at the Koru’s extravagant features and how much it costs to operate his floating mansion.

Also take a look at Bezos’ mansion collection.

See More: Robert Kiyosaki: 7 Ways To Become Wealthy Beyond the 9-to-5

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Key Features

As expected Bezos’ yacht is dripping with luxury. With a net worth of $203.8 billion — as of May 4, 2024, according to Forbes — he can afford to outfit the Koru with nothing but the best and he did just that.

The superyacht has three outdoor decks, with two containing swimming pools, according to the New York Post. It also features a cinema, several lounges and multiple business areas, according to Luxuo .

Highly personalized, the yacht is complete with a figurehead modeled after Bezos’ fiancée Lauren Sanchez. Even its masts are luxurious, as the Amazon founder chose in-boom furlers, which keep the canvases at the bottom of the mast above the deck, creating a pristine and spacious rope-free deck.

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Support Vessel

One of the most shocking features of the Koru is the fact that it requires its own support vessel. The $75 million Abeona features a helipad that Sanchez has been spotted using to park her personal helicopter, according to the New York Post.

Designed to carry extra gear, four jet skis, two fast launches and a dinghy were spotted on the Abeona during a 2023 trip to Mallorca, Spain, according to the New York Post. It’s also capable of lifting a small submarine, but Bezos isn’t believed to own one — at least not yet.

Additionally, the support ship has two extra staterooms, which can accommodate four guests. This could come in handy if Bezos wants to entertain a larger group than can fit on the Koru.

On-Board Crew

It probably isn’t a surprise that operating both the Koru and the Abeona is no small task. From staff to drive the boats and maintain them to caring for guests onboard, Bezos needs a small army at sea.

The Koru has a crew of up to 36 people, according to The New York Post. If you think that’s a lot, the Abeona requires up to 45 crew and support staff.

Annual Operating Costs

Purchasing the Koru and Abeona cost Bezos more than half a billion dollars, but his expenses didn’t end there. As you might imagine, the annual cost to maintain a superyacht and its own enormous supporting yacht is more than most people earn in a lifetime.

The Koru costs approximately $25 million in operating expenses per year, according to the Daily Mail . Much less, but still sky-high, Bezos spends around $5 to $10 million on annual maintenance costs for the Abeona, according to Super Yacht Fan ).

When their owners are on dry land, yachts have to find a parking space. However, even this doesn’t always come cheap for Bezos and the Koru.

In November 2023, the billionaire’s yacht arrived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but was too big to fit in the port with all the outer superyachts, according to the Daily Mail. Therefore, it had to be docked with cruise ships at Port Everglades, at a rate of $16,500 per week.

While one week of storage might be more than the average person can afford, picking up the tab for any number of weeks would clearly be no issue for Bezos. While his superyacht and the many expenses surrounding it are clearly astronomical, he’s still living well within his budget.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com : An Inside Look at Jeff Bezos’ $500 Million Superyacht and What It Costs To Keep It Afloat

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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' $500 million megayacht sets sail for its first sea trials — watch video of the 417-foot vessel hitting open water

• Jeff Bezos' new $500 million megayacht hit the open water this week to undergo tests.
• Sea trials are usually one of the last phases of construction, bringing the yacht one step closer to full sail.
• The yacht previously caused uproar for nearly requiring that a historic bridge be dismantled for it to pass.

After drawing the ire of locals for nearly requiring the dismantling of a historic bridge, Jeff Bezos' new megayacht has hit the open water. 

The vessel, estimated to cost $500 million, underwent its first day of sea trials in Europe this week, according to yacht fan club Dutch Yachting, which posted a video of the yacht on Monday. Sea trials consist of several tests and are usually one of the last phases of construction, meaning the Amazon founder's yacht is one step closer to full sail.

The boat's sea trials come after a turbulent year for the megayacht, which was built in the Netherlands. Last year, the Dutch company building it, Oceanco, requested that a historic bridge in Rotterdam be dismantled for the yacht to pass because the vessel's three masts were too tall to pass under the bridge, which has a 131-foot clearance.

Related stories

The yacht, called Koru, measures 417 feet long and is expected to be the biggest sailing yacht in the world once finished.

The bridge in question was the Koningshaven Bridge, colloquially known as "De Hef," which is nearly 100 years old. After it was renovated in 2017, the city vowed not to take it apart again, according to Dutch broadcaster Rijnmond .

The ask didn't go over well. It caused so much public outcry, in fact, that more than 1,000 residents threatened to throw eggs at the yacht if the dismantling came to fruition. Oceanco later withdrew its request to dismantle the bridge , and the yacht was quietly towed under cover of night to another shipyard.

During that voyage, the yacht was towed without its masts, which would be installed later, and it avoided going through the city center and past the Koningshaven Bridge, according to German magazine Der Spiegel .

Watch the latest video of Bezos' yacht here: 

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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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Has the World Finally Had a Glimpse of Jeff Bezos’s $500 Million Mega-Yacht?

By Shivani Vora

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is appears to be getting closer to welcoming the superyacht he reportedly commissioned in 2018: a fancy toy fitting for the world’s second-richest person, given that it costs a reported $500 million and breaks one world record after another.

Called Y721, this vessel of all vessels is being custom designed by Dutch builder Oceanco and was spotted at a shipyard last week in Zwijndrecht, a town in the western Netherlands. It’s reportedly heading to another Netherlands town, Alblasserdam, for a final fitting. With a length of 417 feet, Y721 is the biggest sailing yacht in the world and the longest vessel to be built in the Netherlands. Features include a black hull, classic shape, three large decks, and three masts.

Superyacht Bravo Eugenia , belonging to the U.S. billionaire Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, was built by Oceanco, which is also rumored to be behind Bezos’s new massive vessel.

Y721 is going to totally change the world of yachting with its design and innovation, says Fernando Nicholson, a luxury yacht sales broker with the yachting company Camper & Nicholsons. “It’s a boat with the latest technology and bells and whistles that have never been seen,” he says. “This will be the standard for all superyachts to follow, but in years to come, when its features become more affordable. Right now, only someone with Bezos’s wealth can swing the cost.”

The superyacht is said to be modeled after Oceanco’s famous yacht, the Black Pearl , which the company site says , “is one of the largest and most ecological sailing yachts in the world. She can cross the Atlantic without burning even a liter of fossil fuel.” Y721 will go through sea trails following its fitting-out in Alblasserdam and is expected to be ready sometime next year.

The Flying Fox , allegedly owned by Bezos.

However, it’s only one of two new boats for Bezos: He has also commissioned a shadow vessel called YS 7512 from builder Damen Yachts. This support ship measures 246 feet in length and accommodates 45 additional crew and guests. It will also feature a helipad and meeting space and have a vast amount of storage for Bezos’s endless number of water toys, with diving and snorkeling gear, jet and water skis, waterslides, and surfboards among the bunch. Shadow vessels are a growing phenomenon in the superyacht industry and one more extra toy that their owners want to have at the ready, says Nicholson. “You see them more and more now as an add-on to a superyacht purchase,” he says. “They’ve almost become a must.”

There’s no doubt that Bezos will be sailing the high seas in full panache and style come 2022. But really, is there any other way when you have more money than almost anyone else in the world and attract an endless amount of attention too?

By Brett Berk

By Kristi Kellogg

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Jeff bezos buys $500m superyacht amid luxury industry boom.

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Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will reportedly soon take delivery of a $500 million mega-yacht — proof that the niche industry for billionaires is in its prime.

The world’s richest man — currently worth $191 billion — is expected to soon get his project Y721 yacht, which is due to be finished next month, years after he ordered it, according to Bloomberg Wealth .

While details are mostly being kept under wraps, the vessel will be 417 feet long, span several decks and have three huge masts — and even have its own support yacht with a helipad, according to the outlet.

It will likely cost at least $500 million, and is one of the largest sailing yachts ever built in the Netherlands, the unofficial capital of boat-building for the uber-rich, Bloomberg said.

The price tag may be nothing for Bezos, who has been photographed numerous times on yachting trips with girlfriend Lauren Sanchez .

But it is a symbol of the secretive boat-building industry that is thriving like never before — thanks largely to the COVID-19 pandemic making many of the world’s wealthiest even richer , Bloomberg’s analysis showed.

“The market’s been roaring,” Sam Tucker, head of superyacht research at London-based VesselsValue, told the outlet.

Recent transactions have been “record-breaking” — and “the second-hand market is absolutely red hot.”

“It’s impossible to get a slot in a new-build yard,” Tucker said. “They’re totally booked.”

Yacht builders initially feared a slowdown when the pandemic started — but were instead overwhelmed by orders as the world’s richest people added $1.8 trillion to their collective fortune, Bloomberg reported.

Life at sea is attractive for many now that glitzy social events are canceled on land and celebrities and influencers often get ripped for overindulgences in the public eye.

While Bezos ordered Y721 before the pandemic started, he is one of those who has profited most from people around the world turning to Amazon to shop during the pandemic.

Still, he may want to stay humble about his amazing new purchase, Bloomberg said, noting how fellow billionaire David Geffen was ripped for flaunting his pandemic life on his own superyacht, Rising Sun.

Oceanco, the Dutch yachtmaker responsible for Y721, declined to comment, Bloomberg said.

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F-Line PRESTIGE 500 A Bold Icon

• PRESTIGE 500

Introduction

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