Australian billionaire Clive Palmer (worth $4.2 billion), the mining magnate, is a very determined man. He is back with an old dream of remaking an old, sunken ship. Yes, the 70-year-old tycoon has unveiled designs for his Titanic II project, and it’s safe to say the plans, and the ship are all grand. Nearly a decade ago, Palmer first shared his vision to build a second Titanic at a press conference at London’s Ritz Hotel.
The project was shelved to be revived in 2018, and it stalled again owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and so on. Now, the billionaire is more resolute and richer than ever before to finally make the ship of his dreams sail. Palmer shared, “So I could do the Titanic. I’m gonna do it,” he said. “It’s a lot more fun to do the Titanic than it is to sit at home and count my money. All you need to be happy, I’ve found in my life, is to have someone that loves you, somewhere to sleep at night and enough for a good meal. Beyond that, the rest is an illusion – it’s like playing golf.”
The enthusiastic billionaire has a plan in place that involves securing a shipyard for construction on the vessel starting early next year. The glorious ship, which will be modeled on the original maritime masterpiece, will make its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York come June 2027. The mega-project is touted to be a 56,000-tonne ship that would cost between $500m and $1bn.
It should be known that Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov’s stellar superyacht $800 million Dilbar is one of the largest in the world by volume of 16,000 tons. The Titanic II project will be three times its size and a vision dominating the world’s oceans if it sees the light of the day.
3D renders of the ship reveal a replica of the original RMS Titanic with nine decks, the same interiors and cabin layout as the original, complete with ballroom, swimming pool, and Turkish baths, per Tatler.
‘While every bit as luxurious as her namesake, Titanic II will have every modern amenity along with 21st-century technology and the latest navigation and safety systems,’ the company said. The new ship’s design revealed 835 cabins segregated as 383 in first class, 201 in second, and 251 in third.
The original vessel’s bridge along with a traditional dining room, first-class dining saloon, grand ballroom, gymnasium, squash court, and casino, will all teleport you into the aristocratic world of star-crossed lovers Jack and Rose Dawson. With the plan having taken shape twice before and tanked much like the Titanic, will the third time be a charm for the billionaire? Only time will tell…
Who is Clive Palmer?
This 69-year-old former member of the Australian Parliament, who calls himself a ‘National Living Treasure’ became a billionaire in 2019. He sure did well for himself after dabbling in several businesses like real estate in the 1980s to the world of mining and never looking back. Palmer owned the Queensland Nickel and the Palmer Nickel and Cobalt Refinery. The tycoon also owned a $40 million yacht named Australia that has a jacuzzi, a massive owners suite, a 10-person formal dining room, and two bars.
