What yachting industry insiders have to say about Jeff Bezos' superyacht

27.03.2024 - 09:57 / insider.com / Jeff Bezos / Barry Diller

It's been just about a year since Koru, Jeff Bezos' $500 million megayacht, set sail from the Oceanco shipyard in the Netherlands, capturing the attention of yachting insiders and land dwellers alike.

Even after her first season at sea, the 127-meter ship is still one of the most talked about vessels among those in the know — and not just for the busty figurehead on its prow, which many have wrongly speculated is based on Bezos's fiancée. Koru was a hot topic at the annual Palm Beach International Boat Show, where the yachts of other billionaires were on display for sale or charter.

The overwhelming response from those Business Insider spoke to was awe, with many praising her unique design, commenting on her immense size, or remarking that they'd been lucky enough to see her up close.

"It's absolutely beautiful," said Federico Rossi, the COO of luxury yachtbuilder Rossinavi.

Still, due to the small size of the industry — and the fact that privacy is paramount in the yachting community — even those who complimented Koru mostly did not want to go on record in order to protect professional relationships.

"That thing's amazing," one such superyacht expert told BI. "It's very well done in terms of craftsmanship."

Unlike many other megayachts, Koru, which media billionaire Barry Diller's Eos inspired, is designed as a sailing yacht. That bucks the current trend of more severe-looking explorer boats — though Koru's 75-meter support vessel Abeona is of a more typical style,

"I heard back in 2018 or something that somebody had ordered a classic sailing yacht," the superyacht expert also told BI. "You order 125 meters, that's not really going to be classic. But it is. I think it's pretty cool."

Like most other megayachts, Koru is powered by her engines, which are reportedly innovative in their use of a kinetic energy recovery system. Industry experts, therefore, pointed out that her sails are more for looks than anything else — but that still works in her favor, with many praising her overall aesthetic appeal.

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"It's stunning," added a captain who has worked on several megayachts. He said he'd seen Koru in St. Barts, a favorite spot of Bezos and his fiancée Lauren Sanchez, over the holidays.

"There are definitely uglier boats out there," one yacht architect said. "It's not like it's shaped like his rocket," he jokily added, referring to the phallic design of Blue Origin's New Shephard.

Some, though, think the yacht is a bit excessive — which is saying something in a world where bigger is better and $250 million is a normal amount to spend.

"That's over the top. That's an insanely ridiculous boat," a longtime broker who favors discretion said. It's a "whole big show."

And the expert who praised