Have you ever seen a 400-foot mega yacht in person? I have. Last week, in Miami, and when you witness it, you realize why it is one of the most popular ways for the wealthiest people in the world to flex. Oprah has a yacht that is over 400 feet long. So does Bill Gates. And, of course, Jeff Bezos has one, and it just hit the open seas outside Rotterdam after Bezos took possession.
Its internal serial name is &721, and it took years to build in the Netherlands by a company called Oceanco. Bezos has a new name for his new boat; “Koru.” Here’s the inside scoop on the name — it is a Maori symbol representing the spiral of an unfurling fern frond.
If you’re wondering what the story of a Koru is, here’s what the government of New Zealand says about it.
“Its circular shape conveys the idea of perpetual movement, and its inward coil suggests a return to the point of origin. The koru, therefore, symbolizes the way in which life both changes and stays the same.”
Now here’s the rub; Bezos one-upped his frenemies, who are also worth billions, by making his boat a sailing vessel. And it will be the largest sailing vessel in the entire world.
This boat was so big that Oceanco had to petition the Rotterdam government for permission to dismantle the historic bridge in their city for the ship to enter the open water. It was highly controversial because the bridge survived massive shelling by the Nazis in WWII — so it has tremendous sentimental value to the Dutch, who were ticked that it may have to be compromised for the whims of a centi-billionaire.
No need to worry because the construction was moved to a different shipyard so the bridge could stay intact.
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