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.
