Mark Zuckerberg finds himself at the center of the controversy. Not for a new project or a million-dollar deal, but for his superyacht Launchpad. The 118-metre luxury vessel in Alaska allegedly refused to provide assistance to a small boat in difficulty. According to the Alaska Beacon, although the approximately $300 million yacht was closer to the vessel in difficulty, it was the Wilderness Legacy, a small cruise ship from UnCruise Adventures, that intervened. A spokesperson for Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, however, rejected this reconstruction to Forbes, specifying that the couple was not on board and that the Launchpad crew was operating on a different radio channel.
Accusation and defense
According to The Guardian, the Launchpad crew repeatedly failed to voluntarily respond to requests to help the small boat that ran out of fuel between Petersburg and Juneau. The Coast Guard would have contacted Zuckerberg’s yacht by radio, but only received refusals.
Mark Zuckerberg’s spokesperson offers a very different reconstruction. According to his version, when the yacht’s staff examined the request “the rescue operation was already underway”.
Technically, Zuckerberg is not directly responsible for the incident, but the episode will not improve his already “tarnished” public image. There have been many protests against Meta’s father in recent times due to the social impact of his platforms, the recent rapprochement with President Donald Trump and his particularly luxurious and reserved lifestyle.
The superyacht Launchpad
Launchpad was delivered by the Dutch shipyard Feadship in early 2024. At 118 meters it was, at the time of delivery, the largest yacht ever built by Feadship.
Launchpad’s size is comparable to that of a small cruise ship, with two certified helipads, a movable bottom swimming pool, a large beach club and a private terrace with Jacuzzi tub. The yacht is powered by four diesel engines of 3,900 kilowatts each. The tank can hold 423,700 liters of fuel.