As digital waves crash against the hull of free speech and fair play, billionaire Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s latest shiny toy, LAUNCHPAD, has reportedly hit the water. The astounding 387-foot megayacht features a robust steel hull, paired with an aluminum superstructure and is rumored to have cost the social media mogul around $300 million, making her among the most expensive yachts in the world. A nautical palace equipped with four MTU engines delivering 5,846 horsepower apiece (23,384-hp total), she can reportedly hit max speeds of up to 24 knots (27.6 mph).
Above: LAUNCHPAD, a 387-foot FEADSHIP megayacht reportedly owned by Mark Zuckerberg is one of the largest private yachts in the world. Photo by Arno Lippert.
A 387-Foot Feat Of Engineering
A truly amazing feat of engineering by one of our favorite builders, LAUNCHPAD is reportedly the second largest yacht ever constructed by Feadship. The naval architecture is the work of De Voogt Naval Architects, with exterior design by Espen Øino International and interior aesthetics by Zuretti Interior Design. It is speculated that LAUNCHPAD can host up to 24 guests, likely in a similar number of staterooms, supported by a sizable crew dedicated to both guest comfort and vessel operations, ensuring a luxurious lifestyle aboard.
Above: An overhead view of LAUNCHPAD’s starboard side forward deck while at anchor near Ibiza in the Balearic islands of Spain in the Mediterranean Sea. Photo by Arno Lippert.
Sparking Controversy: “Incognito Mode” For Yachts
But this luxurious megayacht isn’t just a marvel of the seas; it’s a floating reminder of the paradox that is privacy in the hands of a man whose company holds more personal data than Davy Jones’ locker holds secrets. In fact, LAUNCHPAD and its support vessel WINGMAN recently became the focus of controversy when they deactivated their AIS (Automatic Identification System) transponders.
Above: Mark Zuckerberg, founder, chairman and CEO of Meta/Facebook at an event on April 13, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images.
This privacy tactic, known as “going dark,” is generally legal but ironic. The vessel’s “incognito mode” made it impossible to track the yacht’s voyage from Florida to Jamaica, highlighting the disconnect between Zuckerberg’s personal privacy actions and his extensive business dealings handling people’s personal information. One might say Zuckerberg’s celebrity yacht has its own Star Trek-style cloaking device. Or we could call it the Section 230 CDA shield for yachts.
An Impressive Fleet: WINGMAN x LAUNCHPAD
Above: A helicopter approaches the helipad on superyacht WINGMAN in the foreground, while her mothership LAUNCHPAD is seen anchored in the background near Ibiza in the Balearic islands of Spain in the Mediterranean Sea. Photo by Arno Lippert.
Regardless of your stance on privacy and AIS, LAUNCHPAD and her companion ship WINGMAN comprise an impressive fleet to behold. The smaller 220-foot WINGMAN is a superyacht support vessel that was designed to complement the capabilities of her mothership and accompanies LAUNCHPAD wherever she goes. Built by Damen in 2014, she’s rumored to be worth around $30 million and has undergone significant upgrades, including a $5 million refit in 2020.
Above: WINGMAN in the foreground with LAUNCHPAD behind her. Photo by Arno Lippert.
WINGMAN Support Vessel: Equipped For Adventure
WINGMAN boasts a range of high-end features suitable for extensive maritime expeditions including a helipad, built-in dive center with decompression chamber, and substantial deck space for carrying equipment like a Triton submarine, water scooters, luxury tenders and personal watercraft. The vessel is reportedly powered by four diesel MTU engines, enabling a top speed of 21 knots and a cruising range of 8,700 nautical miles at 13.5 knots. She’s certainly packed with all the essentials one might need for a digital detox—except, perhaps, a sense of irony.
Above: Superyacht WINGMAN built by Damen near Ibiza in the Balearic islands of Spain in the Mediterranean Sea. Photo by Arno Lippert.
The Crew Behind The Scenes
From the skilled workers at the shipyards who built LAUNCHPAD and WINGMAN to the crews who man them, and the teams who will maintain, manage, and store these behemoths, Zuckerberg’s nautical adventures aboard his new megayacht and its support vessel are certain to help keep the high seas economy buoyant.
Above: Launchpad near Ibiza in the Balearic islands of Spain in the Mediterranean Sea. Photo by Arno Lippert.
In some ways, LAUNCHPAD could be seen as a metaphor for Meta—sleek, powerful, and capable of disappearing without a trace. Much like our own @YachtWorld Instagram account that mysteriously vanished last month due to an apparent AI-glitch, before we pleaded with Meta to kindly reinstate it—btw, thanks guys! 🙂 We’re happy to report that nearly 300,000 Instagram users who follow the largest collection of yachts for sale in the world can continue to admire some of the most amazing vessels in the world on our account. We just hope LAUNCHPAD’s captain is better at spotting lighthouses than Meta’s crew is at avoiding controversies. Only teasing guys 😉
Bon voyage LAUNCHPAD! May your GPS always be accurate, and your AIS (that’s Automated Identification System, not Algorithmic Inconsistency Syndrome) always be switched on. And Mr. Zuckerberg, we hope your future voyages will be as smooth as your transition from hoodies and data centers to haute couture and megayachts has been. Just remember, the world watches, AIS or not.
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