So many billionaires and so many boats! How can Alibaba founder Jack Ma be left behind? The former English teacher’s 289 feet Feadship vessel is called Zen, and it’s been spotted in the idyllic Balearic Islands in Spain. Interestingly, while a group of wealthy Asian businessmen accompanied the owner of Ali Express, his superyacht was kept company on Club de Mar Mallorca by Amazon co-founder Jeff Bezos’s $500 million sailing yacht Koru. While Koru is visibly larger, Zen is quite the strapping competitor demanding equal if not more attention on one of the most consolidated private marinas worldwide. Read more about the 2021 Feadship stunner and her maverick owner below-
Quite a Zen yacht-
launched early in 2021 by Dutch superyacht builder Feadship the complete custom-made Zen flaunts exterior design and naval architecture by De Voogt Naval Architects and interiors by Nauta Yachts and FM Architettura. Owned by Chinese tycoon Jack Ma the vessel is shrouded in secrecy owing to her extremely low-profile and private owner. In fact, even the Dutch shipyard cannot divulge information about Zen due to contractual obligations.
However, it is known that the 289-footer is a massive yacht that sleeps up to 16 guests with accommodation for up to 25 crew, and the captain. With a beam of nearly 43 feet, the interiors are spacious, and the vessel boasts a volume of 2,562 GT. While dark glass windows intercept what lies beneath, it doesn’t take a genius to guess the interiors will reflect the taste of a tycoon. Or judging by her name Zen, we presume the yacht will be inundated with materials like light-colored wood, bamboo, leather, and mother-of-pearl with touches of greenery to create a serene atmosphere.
Images of the exterior display four gigantic decks with ample open deck space and presumably a plethora of amenities safeguarded from prying eyes for the magnate to enjoy sans worry.
From a school teacher to the ‘Jack Ma’?
Jack Ma, the Chinese entrepreneur, founded Alibaba Group, one of the world’s largest e-commerce companies. Jack Ma was born on September 10, 1964, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. The 58-year-old started his career as an English teacher. A loan of $60,000 from friends catapulted Jack into the business world. Jack Ma founded Alibaba.com, an online marketplace designed to connect Chinese manufacturers with international buyers. The group expanded into technology, finance, cloud computing, and more, leaving Ma with a net worth of $23.8 billion. Today, the Alibaba Group ranks among the most influential companies in the global e-commerce industry with platforms such as Alibaba.com, Taobao, Tmall, and AliExpress.
In 2014, the businessman turned to philanthropy and established the Jack Ma Foundation, which worked on significant subjects like education, environmental protection, and public health initiatives. Come 2019, he stepped down as executive chairman of Alibaba Group and left his empire in the hands of Daniel Zhang.
