Bill Gates is a pioneering individual, and this is reflected in his businesses, lifestyle, choices, and passions. He has accomplished what mere mortals seldom can on more than one occasion. From co-founding Microsoft, a company with a market cap of $3.12 trillion, to building a home like the tech-laden $120 million Washington mansion for his family that seems right out of a fairytale, and more recently, the first hydrogen fuel-cell superyacht that is a testament to his refined taste. The centibillionaire, worth $154 billion, goes beyond gilded hardware, fancy furniture, and massive swimming pools. He enriches his toys with what he knows best—technology.
The Feadship 821 Yacht is the epitome of the mastery of Microsoft’s co-founder, turned into a floating Xanadu. It was a shame that the world’s richest man gave up ownership of the greenest superyacht ever (basically Bill Gates in the form of a boat), as it is packed with the 68-year-old tycoon’s preferences, luxuries, and traits. It’s a win for whoever purchases this incredible luxury vessel. Listed below are some of the highlights of Project 821 that make it worthy of the accolades it is receiving.
Technology at its heart –
A megayacht worth a whopping $645 million cannot be one with only overdone interiors, multiple pools, winter gardens, and amenities that never end. There has to be more to it, especially when the Gates name is attached to the pleasure craft. Akin to his majestic home, Xanadu 2.0, Project 821, brings aboard oodles of tech. Unlike an ordinary home, the Gates mansion flaunts a state-wide server system and pin-like devices for guests, tracking their preferences like temperature, lighting, and even choice of music. The floors have sensors, too.
Designed for family use, Project 821 flaunts a cool feature where fourteen balconies slide out from the tweendeck space. When closed, they are hidden away, but the balconies slide out at the touch of a button, complete with side railings. On full deployment, their floors become perfectly leveled with the interior room. Sounds like something Bill Gates would suggest right?
A townhouse in the yacht –
A home within a suite is passé; the megayacht that could have been Bill Gates’s most insane property flaunts a four-level townhouse-by-the-sea within the 390-footer. Project 821 gives the owner’s deck a whole new multi-level meaning, with niceties that cannot be housed on a single deck. The ship features a private vertical corridor down to the lower deck. The fitness-conscious can opt for the staircase, and the affluent owners go in their separate elevator.
Every deck is an extension of Bill Gates’s personality, which British RWD Studio brought to life with utmost perfection. The bridge deck allows guests to enjoy beverages in the coffee corner as they engage in challenging games (Xanadu houses a trampoline room). The private dining room serves gourmet food with a side of dazzling views, thanks to the sea terrace. The ambiance inside is welcoming and stylish yet not overdone with neutral hues, textured fabrics, and leathers. Materials such as marble, rattan, fumed and taupe eucalyptus, and limed oak create a luxurious island vibe, much like the glamping concept, albeit with coastal vibes.
Libraries filled with books to keep the Gates’ happy –
Bill Gates and his daughters are known to be voracious readers. He may not leave them his ample wealth, but he will arrange for the wealth of knowledge even in the remotest corners of the Earth where Project 821 may voyage. With that thought in mind, the vessel flaunts a massive library on the main deck, along with several others. Even the staircase is lined with bookshelves, so you can pop open a book simply because you feel like it.
The Gates family is known for their fondness of reading and often finds it difficult to put a book down. Project 821, with its multiple libraries, allows every member to enjoy solitude while engaging in a good book. His 66,000-square-foot Medina abode also boasts a private library with a dome-shaped roof and oculus, a feature of Byzantine and Neoclassical architecture.
Environmentally friendly –
With Project 821 and the backing of Gates, Feadship’s zero-diesel approach came to life. The yacht is environmentally friendly in the truest sense of the term. And why not? The man who commissioned this beauty has exhibited a passion for net-zero homes, is a climate champion, and is revolutionizing the housing sector by promoting energy-efficient, environmentally-conscious residential buildings.
He resides in a technological masterpiece that took seven years to make and is earth-sheltered to maintain a steady indoor temperature. The eco-friendly yacht powered by hydrogen has its own heat recycling system. The waste heat from engines is used in the pool, jacuzzi, and steam room, and the guest areas are maintained at a moderate temperature. It warms the towel bars and bathroom floors, rendering ordinary heaters useless. A smart AC system automatically reduces air conditioning or heating in unoccupied guest spaces.
Hydrogen fuel cell technology –
To create the world’s first hydrogen fuel-cell superyacht and enjoy emission-free power, the original length of the ship was increased by 13 feet to accommodate the double-walled cryogenic storage tank. Bill Gates, who funded a hydrogen startup with $91 million, wasn’t one to compromise on his own superyacht. Although storing hydrogen requires eight to ten times more space than diesel fuel, the extended length of the yacht addressed this challenge. Gates, a significant promoter of hydrogen, set the right example with Project 821 by going beyond mere words.
His climate initiative, Breakthrough Energy, supports the commercialization of clean hydrogen. In terms of energy storage, superyacht Project 821 stores around 543 kWh, which may not seem like much but is sufficient as its hydrogen fuel cells continuously generate power. This extension showcases Gates’s commitment to innovative and sustainable solutions, ensuring that his yacht is both a technological marvel and a testament to his environmental advocacy.
