We’ve all heard the adage, “Behind every successful man is a woman.” It turns out this rings true even in the case of the groundbreaking Feadship vessel, Breakthrough. While the world focuses on how Microsoft’s Bill Gates, worth $105 billion, commissioned one of the cleanest, greenest, and most powerful superyachts for the high seas, there’s more to the story than meets the eye. The 390-foot Feadship masterpiece, Breakthrough, is not just the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell superyacht, a sanctuary of luxury and sustainability for the centibillionaire and his family, but also the brainchild of his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates.
According to Kevin Koenig, aka TheYachtFella, on Instagram, the real credit for this floating mansion goes to 60-year-old Melinda. As the vessel, known as Feadship Project 821, began sea trials, this surprising revelation emerged. At Luxurylaunches, we put on our thinking caps and realized there may be truth to the claim. The presence of a cozy townhouse aboard, designed to create a private, home-like atmosphere, seems more in line with Melinda’s vision than Bill’s.
Known for her distaste for over-the-top, tech-heavy spaces (including their Washington home, the $130 million Xanadu 2.0), Melinda once shared in a CNN interview, “We certainly spend money on ourselves. You see it in the house that we built. We won’t have that house forever, though.”
She further explained, “Anyway, just to be clear, the house was being built before I came on the scene. But I take responsibility for it.” Melinda also mentioned that she didn’t see Xanadu as her forever home, stating, “I’m actually really looking forward to the day when Bill and I live in a 1,500-square-foot house.” Following their $76 billion split, she swapped the extravagant estate for a more modest home, finally realizing her dream of a cozier, low-key living space.
“I live in a neighborhood,” she told TIME magazine. “Now I can walk to little stores, to the drugstore, to a restaurant. I absolutely love it.” Returning to the superyacht Breakthrough, this luxurious vessel offers accommodations for guests in 15 staterooms, but the owners envisioned a homier environment with a four-level townhouse for themselves by the sea. With two cozy bedrooms, a home gym, a pantry, and two offices, each complete with its own fireplace, this space has it all, according to the Daily Mail. While the ship is decked out with cutting-edge technology, it also has a warm, personal touch, featuring inviting coffee corners, a games area on the bridge deck, and a private dining room where you can enjoy gourmet meals on the sea terrace. You’ll find nifty tech details like 14 balconies and seven fold-out platforms that open at the push of a button. Plus, there’s a pool, a Jacuzzi, a huge library, and even a cinema.
The yacht would have taken no less than 5 years to complete, meaning Melinda’s influence could still be felt throughout its design, which features both exterior and interior elements by RWD Design. However, with the couple’s split before the yacht was finished, Gates decided to part ways with the $645 million behemoth, a reminder of their 27-year marriage. Now that Breakthrough has completed its sea trials, the vessel is seeking a new owner, perhaps another billionaire, before the end of this year.
