The Daily Observer London Desk: Reporter- Sarah Marshal
Jeff Bezos and his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez have been spotted relaxing on the Amazon founder’s new superyacht, which is reportedly worth almost $500m.
The 59-year-old billionaire was photographed aboard the 417-foot-long vessel as it set sail along the coast of Spain on Monday, 15 May.
The couple’s maiden voyage comes nearly five years after the vessel was first commissioned in 2018 for half a billion dollars. The yacht – named the Koru after the Maori word for “new beginnings” – comes complete with three decks and a pool.
In photos, Bezos was seen shirtless on the megayacht’s sundeck, while Sanchez was dressed in a pink bikini and white cover-up as the pair enjoyed the sunshine.
Bezos reportedly arrved to his yacht via helicopter, making use of the vessel’s helipad, after being flown to Mallorca on a private jet.
The 250-foot tall boat even came equipped with a figurehead that bore a striking resemblance to Bezo’s 53-year-old girlfriend. The polished wooden sculpture, which sits at the prow of the yacht, depicts a woman carved in the style of a Roman goddess, complete with long hair and a flowing gown.
Koru, previously known as Y721, is the tallest sailing yacht in the world with three masts measuring more than 230 feet, according to Boat International. It reportedly cost Bezos $485m.
The boat’s exterior has a classic design of a black hull with a white superstructure. Although the brand-new vessel doesn’t come with a helipad, the Amazon founder reportedly purchased a support yacht, worth $75m specifically to land his helicopter.
The Koru was constructed by Dutch yacht maker Oceano near Rotterdam in the Netherlands. It caused quite a scandal in February 2022 when the vessel nearly required the historic Koningshaven Bridge to be dismantled because its masts were too tall to pass under the bridge.
Indeed, the vessel is officially the tallest yacht in the world, standing at more than 230ft (70m), and is the length of four blue whales at 416ft (127m) – one of just four yachst in the world to boast a length of greater than 100m.
When Oceanco requested the city of Rotterdam dismantle the 100-year-old bridge – known to locals as “De Hef” – outraged citizens planned to throw rotten eggs at the superyacht. The yacht maker rescinded its request and ultimately hauled the 417-foot vessel to a separate shipyard to install the masts.
The clever design of the three masts, which see the yacht powered by kinetic energy, mean Bezos does not need an entire crew to staff the vessel – instead the Koru can be manned by one person (although no doubt the billionaire will have staff on hand for more of his voyages).
Guests visiting Bezos aboard his new superyacht are able to arrive via helicopter thanks to the vessel’s helipad, while other transport on board includes a fleet of cars, jetskis and smaller speedboats.
The yacht reportedly costs $25m a year to maintain, according to Page Six, but Bezos has more than enough money to cover the maintenance – his net worth is an estimated $141bn.
