The tech tycoons Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos have more in common with each other than the other contenders in the top five of the rich list. Both command fleets of superyachts that include Damen Yachting support vessels (Abeona for Jeff Bezos and Wingman for Mark Zuckerberg). Both spend upward of $30 million annually on the maintenance of their maritime giants. And both are among the rare billionaires who actually sail their goliaths across the globe for months at a stretch. It’s no surprise, then, that when it comes to pampering their Feadship and Oceanco flagships, they chose the same sanctuary, La Ciotat on the French Riviera.
It has been quite an eventful year for these two nautical showpieces. Zuckerberg made headlines when Launchpad appeared in Tahiti, where he was expected to surf but failed to show up. The $300 million motor yacht then made its way to the Arctic Circle, sailing all the way to Svalbard, Norway, where its arrival stirred protests. After heliskiing in the north, Zuckerberg shifted course to warmer climes, cruising the Mediterranean and hosting Meta’s top brass in Greece. The family eventually capped their summer at Lake Tahoe before Zuckerberg returned to business and Launchpad returned to rest at La Ciotat, the supremely superlative superyacht spa.
It is no coincidence that the 416-foot Koru has joined the Feadship beauty for utmost care and touch-ups. Bezos’s Koru, the 416-foot Oceanco sailing yacht crowned with three masts soaring 230 feet high, has been just as busy. From the Monaco Grand Prix to the French Riviera, from Mallorca to Venice, where the billionaire’s grand wedding took place, and now to La Ciotat, the world’s largest sailing yacht, worth $500 million, has made its presence felt across the Med.
According to our calculations, Launchpad has logged at least 13,700 nautical miles this year, while Koru has sailed around 8,500. After such mileage, both icons of modern yachting are more than ready for a little TLC and are rubbing shoulders at one of the best yards in the world, as seen on Marine Traffic.
What’s on the maintenance list?
Koru hasn’t undergone any maintenance work since November 2023, which means it was the right time to head to the superyacht spa in the Med; the absolute best, trusted by top billionaires. Launchpad’s presence there only confirms the fact. The 416-footer will perhaps undergo a paint job, deck caulking repairs, door and window seal adjustments, and small vibration or noise cures. There are imperative lifesaving and firefighting gear services, radios and navigation equipment tests, logbook reviews, and ISM checks to go through. With extensive use, it is best to get machinery checks like the main engines and generators, filters, fluids, belts, cooling circuits, watermakers, HVAC chillers, bow thruster, hydraulic power packs, and stabilizers.
In the case of Koru, even the rig and sails require a full inspection. For business to run smoothly onboard, it is essential to get satellite comms and networking upgrades, software updates, while maintaining CCTV and security tweaks. Even the toys and tenders undergo a check, but most, in this case, are stored on Abeona, the $75 million support vessel.
Why La Ciotat?
La Ciotat is one of the premier refit and maintenance yards in the Mediterranean, where superyachts with their billionaire owners flock regularly. After making the most of summer, the tycoons head back to business while their yachts go back for a vacation of their own at La Ciotat. The yard is proficient at handling yachts in the 100m+ bracket with top-notch drydock facilities, painting sheds, and high-capacity technical services tailored for vessels like Koru and Launchpad. Proximity to the French Riviera and Balearics makes it logistically ideal, but it is offerings like The Atlas 4,300-ton shiplift platform, seven hard-stand slots for 80- to 115-meter yachts, and the fact that it is the first of its kind in France, that make the real draw.
