We didn’t think the day would come so soon when Breakthrough, the revolutionary superyacht originally built for Bill Gates, would be linked to any name but his. But good things can’t stay hidden forever. The futuristic vessel may have found a fitting new steward in 45-year-old Canadian billionaire Patrick Dovigi, CEO of Green For Life Environmental (GFL), a man who turned trash into a billion-dollar empire.
Dovigi is allegedly eyeing the 390-foot Breakthrough, per The Yacht Report, the world’s first hydrogen-powered superyacht by Feadship. It seems like the perfect match for this $645 million marvel. Designed to run on green hydrogen, the yacht follows a zero-diesel approach and can cruise between harbors while powering all amenities with emission-free energy.
For someone who built North America’s fourth-largest waste management company, Breakthrough is more than a statement. It is a natural continuation of his vision. The squeaky-clean mogul, who doesn’t smoke, drink, or indulge in any vices, is also a car enthusiast who swaps vehicles every six months. And it seems yachts are no exception. He parted with the magnificent Ahpo in less than two years.
Dovigi acquired the floating palace Ahpo from billionaire Michael Lee-Chin in 2023 for $362 million. Now, the 377-foot, six-deck Lürssen masterpiece is listed for $370 million through a joint central agency between Edmiston and Moran Yacht & Ship. When Ahpo sold in 2023, it became the biggest brokerage deal ever, completed in just 90 days.
If Edmiston and Moran manage to sell Ahpo and secure Breakthrough for Dovigi, it will mark another milestone. Breakthrough has stirred global attention not only for its pioneering hydrogen tech but also for its design. Jamie Edmiston even called it “The most extraordinary yacht ever built. The one that will change it all.”
Change is something Dovigi knows well. He transformed GFL from the ground up into a waste empire that now employs more than 9,500 people and serves over four million households across nine Canadian provinces and 23 U.S. states. His former yacht, Ahpo was a floating display of exceptional taste and design. If he acquires Breakthrough, it will not just be another yacht. It will be a symbol of progress and sustainability.
Dovigi owned AHPO for less than two years –
Are you really a billionaire if you don’t own a superyacht? On the one hand, we saw Dovigi list his family-friendly 377-footer for $370 million. On the other, rumors surged that he was eyeing Breakthrough. Dovigi purchased Ahpo in 2023 for $362 million. It is now listed as a joint central agency between Edmiston and Moran Yacht & Ship. The 5,257 GT vessel features luxurious amenities, including a warm swimming pool, a sprawling beach club with a sit-up bar and waterside lounge, a 12-seater cinema with a starlit ceiling, and a protected winter garden.
The yacht’s hammam is a showcase of refined design. The cinema pays tribute to Hollywood legends with classic portraits on the walls. A table engraved with a map of Jamaica honors the original owner’s heritage. Whoever takes the helm next will be sailing away with a floating masterpiece.
Who is Patrick Dovigi?
Born and raised in Ontario, Patrick Dovigi was a promising hockey goaltender who also pursued business management at Ryerson University. Even while playing minor league hockey, Dovigi was already gaining business experience. In 2002, he joined Brovi Investments, where he was first exposed to the waste management industry.
By 2007, he founded Green For Life Environmental Inc. In just a decade, GFL’s revenue surpassed $2.7 billion, with half of that coming from the United States. Today, his company’s signature lime-green trucks serve over 100 municipalities in Canada and hundreds more in the United States.
Dovigi lives a lavish lifestyle with his Brazilian wife, Fernanda, and their five children in Toronto’s elite Rosedale neighborhood. The couple also owns a private island in Muskoka Lakes, a lavish $59.75 million Aspen home once owned by the actor Jack Nicholson, and property on the coast of British Columbia. Thanks to Fernanda’s design skills, they have also developed and sold designer cottages in Muskoka.
“Some say I have an eye for building, and my wife has an eye for design,” he once said. Together, they share a deep love for art and have collected at least 18 large-format prints by photographer Edward Burtynsky. They also own a life-sized statue of a security guard by hyperrealist sculptor Marc Sijan.
Despite his busy schedule, Dovigi manages it all with precision, often flying between cities on the company’s Bombardier jet. Today, he is worth over $1 billion and leads one of North America’s most recognizable waste management firms.
