For the longest time, the world debated whether Amazon co-founder Jeff Bezos’s $500 million Koru was the largest motor yacht. Eventually, it was settled as the largest sailing yacht in the world. The 416-foot Oceanco mammoth has been the center of attention for nearly two years since its delivery. However, another tech billionaire’s new toy seems poised to surpass the goliath, trailed by a stunning $75 million shadow vessel, Abeona. This contender isn’t Mark Zuckerberg’s $300 million superyacht Launchpad but Project Ali Baba, purchased by Sergey Brin, the billionaire co-founder of Google.
The Lürssen giant measures 466 feet, surpassing Zuckerberg’s 387-footer, which boasts a swimming pool, a glass observation lounge, a spacious beach club, and several bars. The only commonality between these two tech moguls is that both purchased floating mansions from sanctioned Russian businessmen. Launchpad was initially commissioned by Russian oligarch Vladimir Potanin, while Project Ali Baba was commissioned by Russian billionaire Leonid Mikhelson.
With the acquisition of Project Ali Baba, a luxury vessel worth $450 million, Brin has become the owner of the largest superyacht in the USA. Only the $400 million Rising Sun comes close, with a length that’s 10 feet shorter. David Geffen’s 453-footer features a massive wine cellar, onyx bathrooms, a double-height cinema, and a spa. Let’s take a closer look at the motor yacht of the moment and its tech tycoon owner.
The amazing Project Ali Baba –
With sea trials complete, the man who co-founded Google with Larry Page in 1998 may take delivery of Project Ali Baba by the end of this year. That sounds like the perfect way to end the year and begin the new one with a bang aboard a luxury vessel that is also the renowned shipyard Lürssen’s biggest megayacht yet. Construction on the ship started in 2019, and in December 2023, Project Ali Baba was prematurely launched after a technical failure at the dock gate in Lürssen’s Bremen facilities.
It has been sheathed in secrecy for years, but with a delivery date approaching, details are slowly emerging. The sleek diesel-electric hybrid features an exterior design by Germán Frers, with interiors and social areas by Nauta Design. It is known that the four-decker boasts 2,000 sqm of interior space and 1,000 sqm of exterior space. With a volume of 9,400 GT, the humongous ship will accommodate 24 guests in 12 staterooms, served by a crew of 45. As far as its performance is concerned, the vessel boasts a maximum speed of 20 knots and a cruising speed of 12 knots.
Who is Sergey Brin –
Like many successful tech stories, Sergey Brin and Larry Page founded and launched Google from a dorm room near Stanford University. This venture turned Brin, who also enjoys outdoor activities like skating, skiing, gymnastics, and even trapeze, into the world’s eighth-richest person, with a net worth of $130 billion. To cater to his free-spirited nature, a superyacht like Project Ali Baba seems like the perfect addition to the thrill-seeker’s life, allowing him to immerse himself in nature and all its wonders. The twice-divorced father of three stepped down as president of Alphabet, Google’s parent company, in December 2019 but remains a board member and a controlling shareholder.
