Gaming billionaire and Oceanco owner Gabe Newell has launched his project Y722 and christened it Leviathan (a biblical sea monster, used in countless sci-fi and fantasy works as a symbol of massive, imposing power). Yes, the 364-footer is an exceptional yacht, but not on the basis of grandeur, specs, amenities, or its number of pools. In fact, it is special because of its people, over 2,000 of them. Often, the hand that builds a home does not live in it, just as the artist who paints a masterpiece leaves it for another to cherish. But in the case of the Leviathan superyacht, those entrusted with her care also helped shape her very being.
The Oceanco marvel of the Valve tycoon is not just the figment of the owner’s and designers’ minds but the crew’s as well. The crew is, after all, the most connected to a luxury vessel and spends more time aboard than owners or designers. Of course, Newell is known to have made his superyacht $250 million Tranquility, his home and floating office, bringing him closer to understanding yachts, the seas, and the crews themselves. Known to be a harbinger of a flat hierarchy, he believes in people and their genius, not in their titles or positions. With Oceanco and now with Leviathan yacht, the same philosophy is shining.
Furthermore, the 61-year-old has gone a step further by etching the crew’s contributions as an ode on an etched-glass panel in the yacht’s main stairway. This crew helped shape the pleasure craft of the Harvard dropout, and was involved from day one in shaping operations, workflows, and maintenance choices.
This hands-on approach led to changes in how the nearly 5,000 GT vessel looks, Oceanco’s biggest in terms of volume. Instead of expected teak decks, varnished caprails, and gleaming metal handrails, the 364-footer will feature composite rail tops and decks, glass walls along deck levels, honed stone, and wool carpeting instead of silk.
The idea of yachting, for Newell, is not for the crew to be busy polishing finery but to offer exceptional service aboard. With these tweaks, they can deliver a superlative seafaring experience for the owner and guests. With this shift in yacht-building philosophy, the yacht appears to be purpose-led, with time and capability reserved for supporting scientific research in addition to guest cruising.
Newell’s largest ship, in a fleet that also includes Tranquility and $100 million Rocinante, boasts naval architecture by Oceanco and Lateral, interiors by Mark Berryman Design, and diesel-electric propulsion. For now, she is sheathed in secrecy, but there is a basketball hoop on an upper deck, a playful hint at the owner’s involvement, according to Megayachtnews. Between work, Newell likes to hit the gym, shoot some hoops, or mingle with his crew.
The maverick behind the megayacht-
Teen programmer, gaming icon, and now the owner of one of the world’s most respected shipyards, Oceanco, that’s Gabe Newell for you. The Colorado-born teenager once wanted to become a doctor, but delved deep into programming in 1980 during his Harvard days. His life changed course yet again, and fast, after a meeting with Steve Ballmer, then an executive at Microsoft, who convinced him to drop out of university and join Microsoft in Seattle full-time.
Thirteen years at Microsoft later, Newell changed course once more and launched the game company Valve. The billionaire, worth $9.5 billion, created games like Half-Life, Counter-Strike, and Left 4 Dead. Beyond gaming, he invested in Starfish Neuroscience, a company developing brain chips, and Inkfish, an ocean research company that the $400 million Leviathan will likely be part of. And now, he also owns the Dutch yard that gave him this masterpiece, Oceanco.
