jeff bezos yacht bridge story

Jeff Bezos' superyacht will see historic bridge dismantled

• Published 3 February 2022

Rotterdam has confirmed it will dismantle a historic bridge to allow a superyacht built for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to fit through.

The record-breaking luxury yacht is being built by Dutch firm Oceanco and was linked to Mr Bezos last year.

The vessel is reported to be 417ft (127m) long and too tall to fit through the Koningshaven Bridge.

A spokesman for the mayor confirmed the plan to reporters, with Mr Bezos set to foot the bill through Oceanco.

Reports emerged in Dutch media on Tuesday that the middle section of the Dutch city's bridge, known locally as De Hef, would be temporarily removed to allow the 130ft (40m) high boat to sail through.

The move is controversial because the steel bridge has a long history, and is now a national monument. It previously went through a major renovation which saw it out of action from 2014 to 2017, when officials said it would not be dismantled again.

The AFP news agency quoted the mayor's office as saying the jobs created by the construction of the vessel prompted the plan, and pledged the bridge would be rebuilt in its current form.

"It's the only route to the sea," a mayoral spokesman added.

The sentiment was echoed by Rotterdam's local authority project leader Marcel Walravens, who said it would not be practical to finish the yacht's construction elsewhere.

He told the Rijnmond website the project was "very important" from an economic perspective and cited Rotterdam's reputation as the "maritime capital of Europe".

"Shipbuilding and activity within that sector are an important pillar of the municipality," he said.

• BACKGROUND: Jeff Bezos and the secretive world of superyachts
• CONTEXT: Wealth of world's richest 'doubled in pandemic'

Mr Walravens told a local newspaper the project will likely happen in the summer, with officials hoping the section can be removed and replaced within a couple of weeks.

Details about the luxury custom yacht order being built by Oceanco emerged last year. The firm remains tight-lipped about its clients but a Bloomberg biography about Bezos in 2021 appeared to confirm rumours that he would be the owner.

Known as Y721, the vessel will be the largest of its kind in the world , according to Boat International. It is rumoured to boast plenty of luxury features with an accompanying "support yacht" on order with a helicopter landing pad.

The move was criticised by local green politician Stephan Leewis on Twitter , who described "tear[ing] down our beautiful national monument" as "a bridge too far".

Forbes estimates the Amazon founder is worth more than $175bn (£130bn) and currently ranks him as the third richest in the world. Aside from being a giant in the e-commerce industry, Bezos also owns the Washington Post newspaper and space company Blue Origin.

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Rotterdam to partly dismantle historic bridge for Jeff Bezos’s superyacht

Central section of Koningshaven Bridge to be removed to make way for Amazon founder’s $485m superyacht

A historic steel bridge in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam is to be partly dismantled to allow a superyacht built for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to pass, local authorities have announced.

Bezos’s gigantic, 430-million-euro ($485m) yacht is too big for the iconic Koningshaven Bridge, which dates from 1878 and was rebuilt after being bombed by the Nazis in 1940 during the second world war.

The shipyard building the three-masted mammoth in Alblasserdam, near Rotterdam, has asked the local council to remove the bridge’s central section so it can pass through.

“It’s the only route to the sea,” a spokesperson for the mayor of Rotterdam told AFP, adding that the Amazon owner would foot the bill for the operation.

The decision has angered some in the Netherlands as the local council promised after a major renovation in 2017 that it would never again dismantle the bridge, known to Rotterdammers as De Hef.

The mayor’s office emphasised the economic benefits and jobs created by the construction of the boat, but promised that the bridge would be rebuilt in its current form.

The middle section of the huge steel-girdered bridge will be removed to give enough clearance for the 40-metre (130-foot) high boat, Dutch media reported.

The process will take a few weeks and is expected to happen this summer.

Bezos, 57, is one of the world’s richest men after transforming online bookseller Amazon into a global shopping giant.

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Rotterdam to dismantle part of historic bridge so Jeff Bezos’s massive yacht can pass through

Rotterdam has agreed to temporarily dismantle part of its historic Koningshaven Bridge so that Jeff Bezos’s 417-foot-long , three-mast yacht can pass through the waterway sometime this summer, according to a spokeswoman for the city.

The Dutch company Oceano has been building the massive vessel for an estimated $500 million in the nearby city of Alblasserdam. Once completed this year, the ship, known as Y721, will be the world’s largest sailing yacht, according to Boat International .

But to reach the open seas it must first pass through Rotterdam — considered the maritime capital of Europe — and the city’s historic steel bridge, locally known as De Hef, which has a clearance of just over 131 feet.

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Originally built in 1927, De Hef was a railway bridge and the first of its kind in Western Europe, with a central span that could be lifted to allow ship traffic to pass underneath. It was decommissioned in 1994 after being replaced by a tunnel, but later declared a national monument. The bridge underwent a major restoration from 2014 to 2017, after which the city said it would not be dismantled again, according to the Dutch broadcaster Rijnmond , which first reported on the yacht agreement.

Although the exact plans, timetable and costs have not been set, Oceano and Bezos will pay to dismantle the bridge, Rijnmond reported.

Frances van Heijst, the Rotterdam municipality spokeswoman, confirmed by phone that the city would not be footing the bill. She said the shipbuilder bears the cost of hiring a company to carry out the bridge’s deconstruction and reassembly, but that she could not provide an estimate or breakdown of the cost as “a lot of details need to be worked out.”

Representatives for Bezos and Oceano did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Bezos, estimated to be one of the world’s richest people, owns The Washington Post. Last year, he stepped down as chief executive of Amazon, the online retail giant he founded.

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Van Heijst said by email that the city agreed to remove the middle part of the bridge after receiving the request and weighing the economic costs and benefits.

“On the one hand, [there is] the economic importance / employment due to the construction of this ship,” she said. “On the other hand, our concern for De Hef.”

Were permission to dismantle the bridge not provided, Oceano would likely have to sail a half-finished yacht under De Hef and then complete construction elsewhere.

“From an economic perspective, we attach great importance to preserving employment,” van Heijst said.

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Marcel Walravens, a municipality official working on De Hef related issues, told Rijnmond that he considered the removal of the middle part “maintenance” as afterward the bridge would be restored to its original form.

Others are more concerned.

“Jobs are important, but there are limits with what you can and should do with our industrial heritage,” Ton Wesselink, the head of a local history society, Historisch Genootschap Roterodamum, told the website Dutch News .

"We’re happy it’s not happening," Marvin Biljoen, a councilman for GroenLinks, the Dutch Green Party, told the New York Times . "T he bridge is a national monument, which shouldn’t be altered too much. That you could still do that with money anyway bothers us."

Last week, Oceano quietly towed the yacht up the river in the early hours of the morning to a different shipyard, and now, Bezos's boat is nearly completed. The YouTube channel Dutch Yachting shared a video of the boat, and it has three large masts completed:

Expect the superyacht to be on the open seas soon.

Original 2/7/22 : The European port of Rotterdam will dismantle part of its iconic Koningshaven bridge for Jeff Bezos. The billionaire's new yacht is being built in Alblasserdam, in the western Netherlands, and will be too tall to pass under the bridge.

"It's the only route to the sea," a spokesperson for the mayor of Rotterdam told AFP , confirming the news of the bridge's dismantling. According to Dutch news , ship builder Oceanco convinced the city to dismantle part of the bridge. The Rotterdam mayor's spokesperson also confirmed that Bezos would pay for the dismantling and rebuilding of the bridge.

In November, Oceano's chairman, Omani businessman Dr. Mohammed Al Barwani, spoke of the 127 meter (416 feet) sailing yacht the company was working on without mentioning Bezos. Later, Boat International identified the 127m yacht as the one commissioned by the Amazon founder.

The Koningshaven bridge, known locally as the De Hef bridge , was built in 1877. During World War II, the bridge was significantly damaged and rebuilt, subsequently recognized as a historic monument. Between 2014 and 2017, the bridge underwent a restoration, and officials promised it would not be dismantled again.

"From an economic perspective and maintaining employment, the municipality considers this a very important project," Marcel Walravens, the leader of the proposed dismantling project, told Dutch broadcaster Rijnmond . "Rotterdam has also been declared the maritime capital of Europe. Shipbuilding and activity within that sector are therefore an important pillar for the municipality." Walravens says the project will likely take place sometime this summer.

Dennis Tak, a Labor Party city councilor, said he was OK with the dismantling of the Koningshaven bridge because Bezos is paying for it, and it would create jobs. "As a city, this is a great way to take some of his money," Tak told the New York Times .

Dutch residents are not happy, however; they plan to throw rotten eggs at Jeff Bezos's superyacht as it passes through the Rotterdam harbor. Business Insider reports Rotterdam locals are planning an event called "Throwing eggs at Jeff Bezos' superyacht" in protest.

"Calling all Rotterdammers, take a box of rotten eggs with you and let's throw them en masse at Jeff's superyacht when it sails through the Hef in Rotterdam," the event description reads on Facebook. "Rotterdam was built from the rubble by the people of Rotterdam, and we don't just take that apart for the phallic symbol of a megalomaniac billionaire. Not without a fight!" 3,300 people have RSVP'd as going, and 11,600 are interested in the event.

When Bezos's yacht, known as Y721, is delivered later this year—after the bridge is dismantled—the boat will become the world's largest sailing yacht, a title that has been held for nearly a century by American socialite Marjorie Merriweather Post's 1931 boat Sea Cloud .

Along with making history as the largest sailing yacht, Bezos's Y271 is the longest yacht to have ever been built in the Netherlands, and Oceano's largest ever superyacht. It is also rumored to come with a "support yacht," also called a shadow vessel. The superyacht likely cost more than $500 million to build, per Bloomberg .

Bezos is also reportedly the owner of the Flying Fox, a $400 million megayacht.

Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma , a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram .

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The Dutch vow to egg Jeff Bezos' yacht if a bridge is dismantled to let his boat pass

Rachel Treisman

Rotterdam residents appear to be up in arms over a plan to temporarily dismantle the Koningshaven lift bridge, popularly called "De Hef." Remko de Waal/ANP/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Rotterdam residents appear to be up in arms over a plan to temporarily dismantle the Koningshaven lift bridge, popularly called "De Hef."

It's not exactly smooth sailing these days in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam, where locals are voicing their objection to a plan that would temporarily dismantle a historic bridge to enable the passage of a record-breaking yacht reportedly owned by former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

In fact, some are already making plans — albeit in jest — for what they will do if the project comes to fruition: throw eggs at the yacht as it traverses the water under the Koningshaven Bridge, known locally as "De Hef."

Some 13,000 people are "interested" and nearly 4,000 have said they will attend a Facebook event titled "Throwing eggs at superyacht Jeff Bezos," which has been shared more than 1,000 times in the week since its creation.

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"Calling all Rotterdammers, take a box of rotten eggs with you and let's throw them en masse at Jeff's superyacht when it sails through the Hef in Rotterdam," wrote organizer Pablo Strörmann.

He told the NL Times that the protest started as a joke among friends and has quickly gotten "way out of hand." (The English-language news site also notes that this isn't Strörmann's first campaign to go viral.)

The news of De Hef's potential disassembly, however brief, has clearly struck a chord with both locals and international observers.

It all started last week when Dutch broadcaster Rijnmond reported that the city appeared willing to grant a request to dismantle the decades-old steel bridge so that Bezos' yacht could pass through.

De Hef was built in 1927 as a railway bridge, with a midsection that can be lifted to allow ship traffic to pass underneath, according to The Washington Post . It was replaced by a tunnel and decommissioned in 1994, but was saved from demolition by public protests and later declared a national monument.

The ship's three masts are apparently too high for the bridge's roughly 130-foot clearance.

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The sailing yacht in question was reportedly commissioned by the billionaire Amazon founder and is currently being built at the Oceanco shipyard in the Netherlands, according to Boat International . It will consist of three masts with aluminum and steel construction and will measure more than 415 feet in length.

"Once delivered, not only will she become the world's largest sailing yacht but she will also hold the title for the largest superyacht ever built in the Netherlands," it added.

The waterway where the bridge sits is the only way the ship can get from the shipyard in Alblasserdam to the open seas, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . So Oceanco asked Rotterdam officials to temporarily remove the middle section of the bridge.

City spokesperson Netty Kros told the CBC that "the applicant" would cover the costs of the project but did not clarify whether that refers to the yacht's owner, the shipbuilder or both. Bloomberg reports that Oceanco will foot the bill. NPR has reached out to Amazon and Oceanco to confirm these details.

The city appeared to agree to the arrangement last week, with municipal project leader Marcel Walravens telling Rijnmond that the project would proceed for logistical and economic reasons. He said an exact plan was being developed but estimated it would take about a week to prepare and another week to "put everything back in place."

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"At the Koningenne Bridge, we can press a button, and it opens. That's not possible here because De Hef has a maximum height," Walravens said, according to a translation from the NL Times . "The only alternative is to take out the middle part."

That prompted an immediate backlash from locals, lawmakers and social media users, with the Rotterdam Historical Society pointing out that city officials had promised never to dismantle the bridge again after completing a major restoration in 2017.

Officials then walked back the reports, with Rotterdam's mayor telling a Dutch newspaper on Thursday that "no decision has yet been taken, not even an application for a permit," according to The Guardian .

He said the municipality would consider an application and assess the potential impacts, like whether the dismantling can be done without damaging the bridge and who would cover the costs.

Postcard from Rotterdam

Proponents of the plan say the project will bring more economic opportunities to the region, while critics say there's a double standard at play.

"Normally it's the other way around: If your ship doesn't fit under a bridge, you make it smaller," Strörmann told the NL Times. "But when you happen to be the richest person on Earth, you just ask a municipality to dismantle a monument. That's ridiculous."

With a net worth of more than $188 billion, Bezos is the third-richest person in the world behind Tesla founder Elon Musk and French businessman Bernard Arnault, according to Forbes' real-time list .

Hypothetically, if the project does come to pass, and locals do show up with eggs, just how hard of a moving target would the yacht be? The website Curbed set out to find out.

After examining several studies and making a few calculations, reporter Clio Chang says an egg would have to travel about 238 feet to hit the hull — "a difficult, but not impossible, feat."

This story originally appeared on the Morning Edition live blog .

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It’s Official: Rotterdam Will Not Dismantle Historic Bridge for Jeff Bezos’s Superyacht

By Katherine McLaughlin

Five months ago when it was announced that Jeff Bezos had plans to dismantle a historic bridge in Rotterdam so his half-a-billion-dollar superyacht could make it out of the Koningshaven channel, frustrated residents from the Dutch city came up with a plan of their own: Throw rotten eggs at the Amazon founder and his watercraft. 

Last week, according to a report in The New York Times , it became apparent that neither proposition will come to fruition. The company responsible for building the ship, Oceanco, reportedly told the Rotterdam City Council that it will not be requesting a permit to temporarily take apart the Koningshaven Bridge, known locally as De Hef, or “the lift” in Dutch. It was unclear how, or if, the massive yacht will make it out of the port city. 

For the vessel to pass through, the central lift span would need to be removed, which would take about a day according to city officials. 

Bezos hired Oceanco to build the custom vessel, but its three large masts are too tall to safely pass under the bridge. In order to get the boat into the open ocean, the company toyed with the idea of dismantling only the middle part, then putting it back together. Though it was never a done deal (Rotterdam officials briefly confirmed they would allow the bridge’s deconstruction, then quickly retracted the statement saying the decision was still up in the air), when word first spread that the bridge could’ve been taken apart, the sheer possibility was enough to cause public outcry. 

Lift bridge decks can accommodate heavier materials, and, as such, are popular options for railways. 

De Hef, finished in 1927, is a vertical lift bridge designed by architect Pieter Joosting. Originally part of the Breda-Rotterdam Railway, the bridge was saved from demolition even after the railway suspended use in 1993. De Hef has a long history with the city, and was the first of its kind built in Western Europe. It was also the first structure restored after the bombing of Rotterdam in 1940 during World War II. Though it has been dismantled in the past—most recently in 2014 for repairs—at least for now, it will stay put. 

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Jeff Bezos' superyacht won't fit through a historic bridge. So the town is dismantling it.

A Dutch port city will dismantle a historic bridge to allow room for Jeff Bezos' superyacht to pass through this summer and locals aren't happy.

The Dutch port city of Rotterdam said it will temporarily break down the historic Koningshavenbrug Bridge because Bezos' 417 ft long yacht won't fit, Agence France-Presse  reported . 

Bezos’ 485 million, superyacht is being built by the Oceano shipyard in Alblasserdam, Netherlands and will pass through the port city. To make room for the yacht, the middle section of the huge steel bridge will be removed, Dutch News reported . Bezos will pay for the deconstruction of the bridge, according to the outlet.

The city's mayor's office told AFP that dismantling the bridge has created several jobs for the community and the bridge will quickly be rebuilt to its original form afterward.

"It's the only route to the sea," a mayoral spokesman told AFP.

The Koningshavenbrug bridge was built in 1878 and was reconstructed after being bombed by the Nazis in 1940 during World War II.

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In 2017, after a major renovation to the bridge, the local council promised it would never dismantle the bridge again. The announcement the bridge will be taken apart once more, has angered residents, the BBC reported .

"Jobs are important, but there are limits with what you can and should do with our industrial heritage," said Ton Wesselink, local historian, told Dutch News.

The mayor's office argued the dismantling will be economically beneficial for the city and the bridge will be rebuilt to its original form.

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Jeff Bezos to dismantle historic Dutch bridge for $450 million yacht

The koningshaven bridge was built in 1878 and repaired after bombing in world war ii.

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Jeff Bezos will pay for Rotterdam to partially dismantle a nearly 145-year-old bridge so he can sail his $485 million super yacht out after finishing construction on the vessel. 

The Oceanco shipyard in Alblasserdam near Rotterdam has nearly completed the construction of Y721 , the former Amazon CEO’s yacht, but the vessel is too big to sail out with the bridge as it is. The builders asked the local council to remove the bridge’s central section so the yacht can pass. 

Jeff Bezos' superyacht in the Oceanco shipyard. The $485 million vessel will have a height over 130 feet.  (Courtesy Tom van Oossanen/IG: @tomvanoossanen)

"It's the only route to the sea," a spokesman for the mayor of Rotterdam told AFP , adding that billionaire Bezos, 57, would pay for the operation. The super yacht, which will be the largest boat built in Oceanco and one of the largest ever built, requires a 130-foot clearance, at least, to pass through. 

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The Koningshaven Bridge, known to locals as De Hef, dates from 1878 but was rebuilt after the Nazis bombed it in 1940 during World War II. The local council replaced the original swing bridge design after several traffic jams and collisions, changing it to a lifting bridge. 

The local council completed a major repair on the bridge in 2017 and promised not to dismantle the bridge again. 

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The shipbuilders dismissed suggestions that they sail a partially-finished vessel down the river and finish it elsewhere. Marcel Walravens, who managed the renovation, said it would prove impractical. 

"If you carry out a big job somewhere, you want all your tools in that place," Walravens told Rijnmond . "Otherwise you have to go back and forth constantly."

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Walravens noted that the municipality considers the project "very important." 

"Rotterdam has also been declared the maritime capital of Europe," he explained. "Shipbuilding and activity within that sector are therefore an important pillar for the municipality."

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Historic Bridge May Be Dismantled for Jeff Bezos' Big, Beautiful Boat

The ship's three massive masts are too tall for the nearly century-old bridge's 40-meter clearance..

Amazon founder turned rocket-man Jeff Bezos wants to prove that, with enough money, you really can move mountains—or at least, in this case, cherished bridges. That’s according to local reports cited by Dutch News and Boat International which claim the city of Rotterdam will temporarily disable its historic Koningshaven bridge so a luxury superyacht rumored to have been commissioned by Bezos can make its way out to sea.

The main issue here is the  boat is just too damn big. Developed by Dutch custom yacht builder Oceanco, the ship comes out to an estimated 127 meters (417 feet) in length. When completed, the colossus will become the world’s largest sailing yacht, according to Boat international. Oceanco reportedly approached Rotterdam’s municipality and requested the bridge s dismantling because its 40-meter clearance isn’t tall enough to accommodate the yacht’s three gargantuan masts. Oceanco and Bezos have reportedly offered to fund the dismantling themselves.

The hefty bridge meanwhile, a national monument first built in 1927, is known locally as “De Hef,” according to Dutch News. De Hef was reportedly badly damaged during the bombing of Rotterdam in War War II and has since undergone multiple renovations, most recently in 2017. The most recent dismantling was supposed to mark the last time the bridge would be disabled for the foreseeable future, but the Dutch Council reportedly made an exception for the world’s richest man.

Needless to say, not everyone in Rotterdam is thrilled about the idea of manipulating a nearly century-old local landmark at a billionaire’s behest despite claims from some that the project may add temporary jobs. “Employment is important, but there are limits to what you can and may do to our heritage,” Ton Wesselink, a member of the Rotterdam Historical Society said according to the NL Times.

Rumors of the Amazon founder’s  involvement with the boat started with Brad Stone’s 2021 book about the founder called Amazon Unbound, first excerpted in Bloomberg Businessweek . In addition to the 127-meter behemoth, Stone claimed Bezos also commissioned a smaller “support yacht,” that supposedly comes equipped with its own helipad. In related mindless spending efforts, Bezos has also reportedly invested $42 million dollars into a 500-foot tall mechanical clock capable of running for 10 thousand years.

But Bezos isn’t the only billionaire busting out cash for luxury yachts. While the global economies crawled back from a year of lockdowns and millions of Americans struggled to make due on government relief efforts, yacht sales were booming. Superyachts had a banner year in 2021, with a total of 887 sold worldwide according to a report from maritime data firm VesselsValue, viewed by Bloomberg. That marks a 77% increase in sales from a year prior and more than double the yachts sold in 2019.

According to that same report, an unprecedented pandemic era wealth gain among the world’s richest cohort and renewed demand for semi-isolated activities were partly the reason for the surge in yacht sales. Lonely billionaires needed something to spend all that new capital on.

Now though, it appears all that yacht demand has outpaced supply. Recent supply chain disruptions tacked on alongside the ships’ inherently long build times, means the hefty prices may swell even larger, Bloomberg notes .

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Historic Dutch Bridge Being Temporarily Dismantled to Accommodate Jeff Bezos' Yacht

Once completed, the 417-foot-long ship will reportedly be the largest sailing yacht in the world

In order to make room for Jeff Bezos ' new yacht, some temporary changes will need to be made to a historic bridge in the Netherlands.

The city of Rotterdam — a major port city — has agreed to temporarily dismantle part of the Koningshaven Bridge in order to accommodate the yacht, a city spokeswoman told the Washington Post . (Bezos purchased the Post in 2013, but newspaper staff has said they have editorial independence .)

Once completed, the 417-foot-long yacht — which is currently being built in the nearby city of Alblasserdam — will be the largest sailing yacht in the world, per Boat International . The ship is expected to be finished sometime this summer.

Bloomberg previously reported that the ship will likely cost more than $500 million.

As is, the yacht is too tall to pass through the bridge, which has a clearance of just over 13 feet, per the Post .

The 58-year-old billionaire and the company building the yacht will reportedly cover the cost, according to the Dutch broadcaster Rijnmond .

A rep for Bezos did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

A Rotterdam spokesperson, who confirmed to the Post that the city will not be paying for the middle section of the bridge to be dismantled and then reassembled, was not able to provide an estimate of how much the project will cost.

"A lot of details need to be worked out," Frances van Heijst told the newspaper.

Originally built in 1927, the bridge was declared a national monument after being decommissioned in 1994, per the Post .

Following a major restoration, city officials said in 2017 the bridge would be kept intact moving forward, Rijnmond reported.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE 's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

While the decision has caused some controversy, city officials said that they decided to agree to it for economic reasons.

"From an economic perspective, we attach great importance to preserving employment," van Heijst told the Post .

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Bezos Didn't Even Need to Dismantle Bridge to Move Yacht

Turns out, there were plenty of options for moving the world's largest yacht that didn't involve taking apart the koningshaven bridge in rotterdam..

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ big fancy new boat slipped silently from its berth at a Dutch shipyard in the wee hours of Tuesday morning without needing to dismantle any major historical pieces of infrastructure. Instead, the mega super yacht was towed a little out of its way to another shipyard without its mast.

Apparently, that was always an option.

The vessel, with the catchy name Y721, has been under construction for years and still has many months to go before it’s in the hands of one of history’s wealthiest individuals. Built by Oceanco at a shipyard in Alblasserdam, Netherlands, the company originally announced the masts of the yacht would be too tall to fit under the almost 100-year-old Koningshaven Bridge, which caused quite the controversy in the Netherlands . Oceanco applied for a permit to dismantle the bridge and reassemble it once the Y721 had passed through downtown Rotterdam, all at Bezos’ expense.

Known to locals as De Hef, the former railway bridge is a national heritage site. It was heavily damaged by Luftwaffe bombing during WWII. During renovations in 2017, Rotterdam’s city council promised residents the bridge would never again be dismantled. When Oceanco applied for the permit to do exactly that, the Dutch reacted with anger and a promise to lob eggs at the megayacht as it passed through their city, which over 3,000 people signed up on a Facebook group to do. Some went even further, threatening the company with violence should the bridge be dismantled, according to the German publication Der Spiegel . Rotterdam eventually denied the Oceanco the permit to dismantle De Hef.

Instead, the Y721 slipped out of its original shipyard around 3 a.m. Tuesday morning without its three towering masts and under the power of several tugs to head three hours to the Greenport shipyard in Rotterdam. Footage of the Y721 making its way to its new home was captured by Dutch Yachting :

It took three hours for the yacht to make it to Greenport, a trip that usually takes vessels twice as long under tow. The yacht even took a longer, more complicated route to avoid the bridge altogether, even though without its masts it could have slipped beneath the De Her undeterred. At Greenport, the masts will be installed and the ship will be tested at sea. The testing phase provided another wrinkle in the plan to dismantle the De Hef: After initial testing in open water, yachts often have to return to shipyards for improvements and repairs, which would have required even more bridge dismantling.

The 417-foot superyacht cost Bezos an estimated half-a-billion dollars to build and, when finally underway, will earn the title of largest sailing vessel in the world. Oceanco specializes in “green” sailing yacht and motorized vessels.

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Rotterdam May Dismantle Part of Bridge for Jeff Bezos’ Superyacht

The Dutch city of Rotterdam walked back earlier comments that the historic Koningshaven Bridge would be briefly dismantled. On Thursday, officials said a decision had not yet been made.

By Jenny Gross

The Dutch city of Rotterdam on Thursday walked back plans to dismantle part of the historic Koningshaven Bridge so that a superyacht built for Amazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos, could pass through the city’s river, saying that a decision had not yet been made.

This week, city officials had told the news media that Rotterdam had agreed to briefly dismantle the middle section of the 95-year-old bridge for the yacht’s passage this summer.

But on Thursday evening, officials said in another statement that the city had not yet approved the plan, though it had received a request from the shipbuilder to temporarily lift the middle part of bridge.

The city’s statement said the full cost of the dismantling, if approved, would be covered by the shipbuilder. The bridge, known locally as “De Hef,” would be restored immediately afterward.

A city spokeswoman had said that she did not have an estimate of how much the deconstruction would cost. The city statement said that officials would assess the environmental and economic effects of the plans.

A representative for Amazon did not respond to requests for comment about the cost or the yacht’s destination. A spokeswoman for Oceanco, the Dutch custom yacht company that is building the boat, said in an email that she could not comment on projects under construction or clients because of confidentiality reasons.

The city of Rotterdam’s decision to remove part of the bridge was reported on Wednesday by a regional Dutch public broadcaster, Rijnmond . Boat International, which publishes articles about the superyacht industry, reported that the 417-foot sailboat is set to become the largest sailing yacht in the world when it is finished later this year, surpassing the Sea Cloud , a 360-foot sailboat built in 1931 and owned by the Yacht Portfolio, an investment company based in Malta.

The superyacht Mr. Bezos commissioned is likely to cost more than $500 million to build, Bloomberg reported . Mr. Bezos is the world’s second-richest person , after Tesla’s chief executive, Elon Musk.

The bridge, which has a boat clearance of 130 feet, is not currently in use. A Rotterdam tour guide, Eddy le Couvreur, said that the bridge, designed by the Dutch architect Pieter Joosting and a fixture in the Rotterdam skyline, was once used for railway traffic. A vertical lift bridge, it was the first of its kind in the Netherlands, and was copied from similar bridges in the United States. The modern industrial aesthetics of the bridge inspired a short film in 1928, he said.

Until now, tall ships passed under the bridge before assembling their masts and taller structures, he said.

Dennis Tak, a Labor Party city councilor for Rotterdam, said he was fine with the bridge being dismantled — since the city would not be paying for it — because of the jobs the process would create. “As a city, this is a great way to take some of his money,” Mr. Tak said.

The structure is more than a bridge to the people of Rotterdam, said Siebe Thissen, the author of the book “The Boy Who Jumped From the Bridge,” about a working-class man who jumped from the bridge in 1933. “It’s a monument,” he said. “It’s the identity of Rotterdam.”

When city officials tried to take the bridge down in the 1990s since it was no longer in use, there were major protests, he said, calling the bridge a reminder of “the old days” in Rotterdam.

“I think that’s why there is so much turmoil about Jeff Bezos and his boat,” he said, before referring to accusations against Amazon . “People say, ‘Why this guy?’ It’s a working-class town, and they all know that Jeff Bezos, of course, he exploits his workers, so people say, ‘Why should this guy be able to demolish the bridge for his boat?’”

As of Thursday, more than 600 Facebook users said they would attend an event, titled “Throwing eggs at superyacht Jeff Bezos,” where they plan to gather by the bridge to throw eggs at the boat. “Rotterdammers are proud of their city and don’t tear down iconic buildings just because you are super rich,” said Pablo Strörmann, the event organizer, who said he started the Facebook group “mostly” as a joke.

Mr. le Couvreur, who works for the company Tours by Locals, which connects tourists with local guides, said that Rotterdammers would likely enjoy the international attention that the spectacle had brought, he said. “On the other hand, it shows the unimaginable wealth that people like Bezos have created for themselves, that nothing can stand in the way for them living out their dreams and hobbies,” he said, adding that the outlook was “worlds apart from those who will be watching the ship pass through the city.”

Claire Moses contributed reporting.

Jenny Gross is a general assignment reporter. Before joining The Times, she covered British politics for the The Wall Street Journal. More about Jenny Gross

Jeff Bezos’ $500M yacht has a 246-foot support ship, Lauren Sanchez figurehead

Much like Amazon, Jeff Bezos’ $500 million superyacht offers every bell and whistle imaginable, from A to Z.

The colossal, triple-masted Koru began its career serving the world’s third richest man this week, cruising the Mediterranean around Mallorca.

The 417-foot schooner first left Rotterdam in the Netherlands for sea trials in February. Dropping anchor in Mallorca put its jaw-dropping size on full display.

It also showed the extent of Bezos’ fleet: Not only did the Koru sail into harbor, so did its support vessel, Abeona, a mega-boat in its own right, the luxurious fast-launches used to move between the two — and aerial support in the form of his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez’s personal helicopter.

Sanchez also seemingly serves the fleet’s mascot, with the Koru’s figurehead, a part of traditional large sailing ships, modeled after her.

The Koru is the world’s tallest sailing yacht. Its three huge 229-foot masts power it to 20 knots. It’s also the biggest billionaire’s yacht which can move under sail-power alone.

The masts are so tall that Dutch officials considered dismantling the 95-year-old Koningshaven Bridge to allow the vessel past the 131-foot span on its journey from the Oceanco shipyard in Alblasserdam through Rotterdam to the North Sea.

That controversial plan was scrapped after local backlash, including residents being urged to toss eggs at Bezos’ “latest toy,”  the New York Times reported . The superyacht, previously known as Y721, was instead towed to a shipyard in Rotterdam, downstream of the bridge, without its masts.

Bezos, 59, and the bikini-clad Sanchez, 53, appeared ready for the summer as the pair soaked up the sun aboard Koru, a Māori word for loop or coil that symbolizes new beginnings — possibly a coy reference to their relationship.

Sanchez started secretly dating the Blue Origin founder in the summer of 2018. Bezos then announced in January 2019 he and his wife Mackenzie were divorcing after 25 years , while Sanchez finalized her split from husband Patrick Whitesell later that year.

Sanchez plays a critical role in the Bezos fleet: As a helicopter pilot, she was seen landing on the Abeona. She was also at Bezos’ side when he took the wheel of the Koru.

Koru was first seen under construction in 2021 at Oceano’s yard. The company is owned by a fellow billionaire, Oman’s Mohammed Al Barwani.

As many as 18 guests can enjoy the yacht’s three outdoor decks, including one with two pools. The vessel, which has a crew of up to 36, also boasts a cinema, meeting spaces and lounges,  Luxuo reported .

Every detail is designed for luxury, even down to the masts’ technology.

Bezos opted for high-tech “in-boom furlers,” which store the vast canvases at the bottom of the mast, above the deck. Each weighs nearly 2,000 pounds, but they allow his deck to be kept clear of ropes.

Clearing ropes out of the way maximizes entertaining space, and allows for a hot tub forward of the mainmast.

The yacht is also built for speed. Its three masts provide “one of the largest sail areas ever seen in yachting,”  according to SuperYacht Times .

The Koru’s original designer, and the identity of its captain, remain secret. Boat International noted : “With the elegant curve of the bow and a bowsprit, the lines are certainly classic, but we still have no idea which designer drew them.”

The Cayman Islands-flagged vessel also has engine power like most sailing yachts.

And while other billionaires measure yachts by size, Bezos’ is only the 24th largest.

However, since Koru’s masts rule out a helicopter deck, the billionaire commissioned a support vessel, Abeona, named for the Roman goddess of outward journeys.

In addition to a helipad, the 246-foot Abeona features an extra two staterooms for four guests and as many as 45 crew and support staff.

It’s the largest custom-built support vessel ever manufactured by Damen Yachting. On board in Mallorca were at least four jetskis, two fast launches, and an additional dinghy. Its heavy winch is capable of lifting a small submarine, although Bezos is not believed to have one thus far.

The “classic exterior lines” of Koru, are reminiscent of another billionaire’s boat: Eos, a 305-foot sailing yacht owned by Barry Diller, 81, who may have inspired Bezos after hosting him on the vessel.

Favored by megastars like Katy Perry and Bradley Cooper — who were Diller’s guests during 2019’s Google Camp in Sicily — the German-built Eos can accommodate up to 16 guests and 21 crew.

It was the largest private sailing yacht in the world when it was completed in 2006. Diller, chairman of IAC and Expedia, who is worth $3.9 billion, bought it three years later. Intriguingly, its figurehead is modeled on Diller’s wife Diane von Fürstenberg, the fashion designer.

But the $200 million, 305-foot schooner is now dwarfed by Bezos’ boat.

As Koru sailed in the Balearic Sea this week off the coast of Spain, Bezos’ boat symbolically surges past several other tech billionaires’ vessels – including Google co-founder Sergey Brin’s $80 million, 240-foot Dragonfly, and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison’s, $160 million, 288-foot Musashi.

It will cost Bezos, 59, an estimated $25 million per year to operate Koru, but the world’s third-richest man isn’t likely to need a loan with his $140.6 billion fortune,  according to Forbes .

Bezos’ use of sailpower sets him apart from most billionaires, but others are seeking a hi-tech zero-carbon power source: a Japanese billionaire has reportedly commissioned the world’s first hydrogen-powered superyacht.

Germany’s Lürssen Yachts announced in March that they had a hydrogen-powered superyacht in advanced construction.

It declined to identify the future owner of the unnamed superyacht, but specialist publication FuelCellsWorks reported Japanese billionaire tech Yusaku Maezawa, worth an estimated $1.7 billion, commissioned the innovative effort.

Dubbed Project Cosmos, the 374-foot superyacht is designed by Apple’s legendary Marc Newson and was first unveiled in early March at Lürssen’s facility in Rendsburg, Germany.

Once completed as soon as next year, the vessel is expected to utilize emission-free fuel cell technology to generate power lasting up to 15 days while anchored or to travel as far as 1,000 miles at slow speeds.

Three other major shipyards, including in Italy and the Netherlands, are likely to launch their own hydrogen started outfitting newly constructed vessels with hydrogen fuel cells as of March 2022, with the first models reportedly expected in 2024.

Other megayachts expected to soon join Bezos’ Koru in the water include two Lürssen models, the 475-foot Luminance and the 400-foot Jag, and Feadship 821, a 389-foot offering from the Netherlands manufacturer.

But even those won’t best the biggest megayacht in the world, the 593-foot Azzam, which launched in 2013 after being commissioned by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of the United Arab Emirates who died last year.

Azzam, which means determination in Arabic, reportedly cost more than $600 million and is nearly 60 feet longer than the world’s second-largest yacht, the 533-foot Eclipse, owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.

Those monster vessels are expected to be surpassed next year by REV, a 600-foot yacht under construction in Norway which will have space for 36 guests and 54 crewmembers, according to Boat International .

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What yachting industry insiders have to say about Jeff Bezos' superyacht

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Jeff Bezos' yacht , which reportedly cost $500 million to build, completed its first year at sea.

The superyacht, Koru, was a frequent topic of conversation at the Palm Beach boat show.

Here's what industry insiders think about the vessel.

It's been just about a year since Koru, Jeff Bezos ' $500 million megayacht, set sail from the Oceanco shipyard in the Netherlands, capturing the attention of yachting insiders and land dwellers alike.

Even after her first season at sea, the 127-meter ship is still one of the most talked about vessels among those in the know — and not just for the busty figurehead on its prow, which many have wrongly speculated is based on Bezos's fiancée . Koru was a hot topic at the annual Palm Beach International Boat Show, where the yachts of other billionaires were on display for sale or charter.

The overwhelming response from those Business Insider spoke to was awe, with many praising her unique design, commenting on her immense size, or remarking that they'd been lucky enough to see her up close.

"It's absolutely beautiful," said Federico Rossi, the COO of luxury yachtbuilder Rossinavi.

Still, due to the small size of the industry — and the fact that privacy is paramount in the yachting community — even those who complimented Koru mostly did not want to go on record in order to protect professional relationships.

"That thing's amazing," one such superyacht expert told BI. "It's very well done in terms of craftsmanship."

Unlike many other megayachts, Koru, which media billionaire Barry Diller's Eos inspired, is designed as a sailing yacht. That bucks the current trend of more severe-looking explorer boats — though Koru's 75-meter support vessel Abeona is of a more typical style,

"I heard back in 2018 or something that somebody had ordered a classic sailing yacht," the superyacht expert also told BI. "You order 125 meters, that's not really going to be classic. But it is. I think it's pretty cool."

Like most other megayachts, Koru is powered by her engines, which are reportedly innovative in their use of a kinetic energy recovery system. Industry experts, therefore, pointed out that her sails are more for looks than anything else — but that still works in her favor, with many praising her overall aesthetic appeal.

"It's stunning," added a captain who has worked on several megayachts. He said he'd seen Koru in St. Barts, a favorite spot of Bezos and his fiancée Lauren Sanchez , over the holidays.

"There are definitely uglier boats out there," one yacht architect said. "It's not like it's shaped like his rocket," he jokily added, referring to the phallic design of Blue Origin's New Shephard .

Some, though, think the yacht is a bit excessive — which is saying something in a world where bigger is better and $250 million is a normal amount to spend.

"That's over the top. That's an insanely ridiculous boat," a longtime broker who favors discretion said. It's a "whole big show."

And the expert who praised the yacht's craftsmanship balanced his admiring comments by saying Koru's liberal use of teak — a wood traditionally used for yacht decks — was "bizarre."

The material has gained a bad reputation in the industry in recent years, as it typically comes from Myanmar, a country with a checkered human rights record. Plus, it takes a long time to grow, leading to deforestation.

Many shipyards have now turned to alternatives, like bamboo or plantation-grown teak, in their pushes toward sustainability. Bezos' team did not respond to BI's question about the origin of the deck's wood.

Teak or not, the yachting industry isn't generally known for being all that environmentally friendly — or indeed lowkey, so many who BI talked to didn't buy into the idea that Koru is "too much."

"If this is genuinely Jeff's dream come true, then great," Anders Kurtén, the CEO of brokerage Fraser Yachts, said. "I'm genuinely happy for him, and I'm happy for the people who got the opportunity to have employment to work on that."

And Bezos, of course, isn't the only billionaire with a stunning yacht . Billionaires like Jerry Jones and Bernard Arnault have also, at times, turned heads with their boats.

Most recently, insiders have tied Mark Zuckerberg to a 118-meter ship named Launchpad . It's the latest superyacht to capture the yachting world's attention.

So, as she sets sail for her debut summer season, Launchpad may take Koru's place as the main yacht on everyone's radar this year.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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Jeff bezos’ ex-wife giving most of $640m donations to extreme left groups boosting migrant criminals, trans athletes.

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Most of the $640 million in new charitable donations Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ ex-wife MacKenzie Scott is dishing out will go to nonprofits pushing extreme left-wing causes, including helping migrants who commit crimes and boosting male-born transgender athletes who want to compete against women.

Scott will provide 67 migrant-advocacy organizations a combined $122 million for legal aid and other assistance, according to an analysis of 361 awards she announced Tuesday through her foundation Yield Giving.

The big winners include the Florida Immigrant Coalition, which vehemently opposes Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ crackdown on migrants who commit crimes; and the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition, which is fighting that state’s efforts to increase illegal-migrant enforcement. Both scored $2 million awards.

Scott’s other awards include $117 million to 67 prisoner-advocacy groups and other organizations helping jailbirds and ex-cons; and $72 million to 43 groups promoting “gender identity,” “sexual orientation” and other LGBTQ causes – such as championing the rights of biological boys who identify as transgender girls to compete in female sports.

She’s also earmarked another $18 million to 10 groups pushing clean energy.

“Bezos’ wife is using the profits he made through capitalism to [fund] the rope that will hang capitalism,” said Mike Gonzalez, a senior fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, drawing on former Soviet revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin’s famed quote: “’The capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them.”

Scott’s use of Bezos’ money is yet another example of woke philanthropic groups created through the fruits of capitalism – such as the leftist Rockefeller Foundation – using their dollars to undermine free-market principles, added Gonzalez.

“These things that she’s donating money to – whether it’s transgender ideas, helping illegals, prisoner rights, climate change – they’re all trying to transform our system away from capitalism,” he said.

Scott — an author of two novels and the third wealthiest woman in the US — was married to Bezos for nearly 25 years and has four children with him. She parted ways with Bezos in 2019 with a  jaw-dropping $38.3 billion in Amazon stock .

Prior to Tuesday’s announcement, she handed out $16.5 billion of her fortune to groups she and her team researched and selected.

In December 2022, she launched a  database of her charity  under the name Yield Giving.

Scott then began soliciting applications from community-led nonprofits seeking financial assistance. Applicants were required to have budgets between $1 and $5 million and missions “to advance the voices and opportunities of individuals and families of meager or modest means,” Yield Giving said on its website.

The $640 million awarded by Yield Giving during its first round of handouts is more than double what Scott pledged, with 361 of the 6,350 charities who applied getting awards of either $1 million or $2 million.

Megan Peterson, executive director of Gender Justice, cheered Scott’s $2 million “gift” to her nonprofit, saying in a statement it “could not come at a more crucial time” with “a conservative legal movement threatening our fundamental rights here in Minnesota, North Dakota, and across the United States.”

“Building and sustaining a world free of gender barriers requires community organization, education, and changing the ways we talk and think about gender,” added Peterson, whose group recently won lawsuits regarding access to emergency contraception and the rights of trans youth to play sports that are not their biological gender.

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Of the $72 million Scott handed out for LGBTQ causes, at least $16 million went to nonprofits leading the charge for transgender athletes in female sports, including ACLU of Alabama, Baltimore-based Soccer without Borders and OutFront Minnesota.

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn), who has backed legislation seeking to maintain fairness in female sports by ensuring biological boys aren’t participating, said Scott’s spending on such lefty causes is “unfortunate — but it’s her personal money.”

“Democrats running cities across America do this every day with our money, and that’s the real battle we need to keep fighting,” she said.

In a note on her website , Scott wrote she’s grateful to Lever for Change, the organization that managed the award-selection process, and evaluators who are vital “agents of change.”

Reps for Lever for Change and Scott did not return messages.

Elon Musk blasted Scott for her past charitable donations  in an X post he has since deleted: “Super rich ex-wives who hate their former spouse should . . . be listed among ‘Reasons that Western Civilization died.’”

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Breaking news, endorsements | rain expected to return to bay area with two storm systems expected by saturday, endorsements | keeping up with the bezoses: mark zuckerberg buys a super yacht, reports say, a report says that zuckerberg’s luxurious new $300 million vessel was originally was commissioned by a russian oligarch who was the target of sanctions imposed after that country’s invasion of ukraine.

Given that Mark Zuckerberg enjoys a respectable 16th place on a list of the world’s richest people, he probably figured it was time for him to acquire one of the ultimate status symbols for the mega-wealthy — a super yacht.

A new report from The Sun said that Zuckerberg is now the proud owner of a $300 million vessel that he has christened “Launchpad.” The 387-foot-long vessel, which comes with a helipad and a $30 million companion boat, was seen docked this week at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with its unique chrome finish reflecting in the sun.

This purchase shows, among other things, that the Facebook and Meta founder and CEO has branched out from buying islands and building an underground complex to help him survive the apocalypse. Perhaps, he wants to cruise the Mediterranean this summer and be among the moguls who can play host to Leonardo DiCaprio.

The yacht definitely grants him admission to the watery playgrounds of such multibillionaires as Jeff Bezos, Larry Ellison, Bill Gates and any of the Russian oligarchs who haven’t been the target of sanctions imposed by the United States or its allies over Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

In fact, Zuckerberg reportedly came by Launchpad due to the misfortunes of one of those oligarchs. The yacht originally was commissioned to be built by Vladimir Potanin, one of Russia’s richest men who is on multiple sanctions list, according to a report by Autoevolution.com , a transportation industry site. The yacht was known as Project 1010, and the shipbuilder in the Netherlands was legally barred from delivering it to Potanin when it was completed in 2022, though Autoevolution also said that Potanin was not the yacht’s actual owner.

The Sun reported that the yacht recently received “special permission” to be imported. It has since arrived in the United States, a couple months ahead of Zuckerberg’s 40th birthday on May 14 — which raises the question of whether he meant Launchpad as a birthday gift to himself.

It’s quite a gift: Launchpad can comfortably fit 24 guests aboard. It also requires a crew of 48 and is said to cost $30 million a year for upkeep and usage, according to Superyachtfan.com . But shelling out $30 million for maintenance a year shouldn’t be a problem for Zuckerberg, who reportedly earns between $6 million and $12 million a day, The Sun said.

But as spectacular as Launchpad sounds, super yacht fans might say it’s not as spectacular as Jeff Bezos’s super yacht, Koru. The $500 million sailing vessel features very tall masts, a swimming pool, a helipad and room for a second, smaller yacht. The most noteworthy thing about Koru is that Bezos commissioned a special sculpture to decorate its prow. It’s a “curvaceous winged goddess” that is said to bear a striking resemblance to his fiancee Lauren Sanchez.

The Amazon founder, his wife-to-be and the goddess figurehead spent much of last summer sailing around the Mediterranean, cruising from Spain to Croatia and hosting such famous guests as Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom and Usher. The couple also threw a lavish engagement party off the coast of Positano on Italy’s Amalfi coast, attended by another pack of famous friends, including Kris Jenner, Wendi Murdoch and, yes, Leonardo DiCaprio.

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