Tilman Fertitta is on tour. The US ambassador to Italy appointed by Donald Trump is crossing the peninsula by sea with his 117 meter mega yacht. The occasion is the celebration of the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of American independence and the eightieth anniversary of the Republic. Fertitta will touch thirteen Italian regions and so far, with his “Boardwalk”, he has already visited Civitavecchia, Naples, Vibo Marina, Palermo, Cefalù, Gallipoli and Bari. But the diplomatic event has become a political case given the surveillance at the expense of the Italian State with units of the Financial Police, Coast Guard, helicopters and police force personnel.
Coast Guard, Financial Police, helicopters and police for the Tilman Fertitta tour
“Italy cannot become the free escort of the United States ambassador’s private megayacht”, says Avs MP and co-spokesperson for Green Europe, Angelo Bonelli, announcing a parliamentary question on the topic. The request to the government is to disclose the number of men employed, the means used and the related costs.
“The yacht – assures Bonelli – is accompanied and monitored by naval units of the Guardia di Finanza and the port authorities-Coast Guard, helicopters and personnel of the Italian police forces”. Not, therefore, “a simple assistance, but an impressive security and maritime police device”, says the Avs exponent who underlines how “the orders of the Police Headquarters also specify that the ambassador is the recipient of a protection measure corresponding to the first level of risk, ensured by specialized personnel from the Rome escort department”.
Bonelli therefore asks “why does the safety of a US ambassador sailing on his private mega yacht have to be guaranteed by Italian naval aircraft with resources from the Italian state? Why aren’t American security apparatuses used? How many men and vehicles are removed from the control of the territory and coasts? And how much does all this cost Italian citizens?”.
Fertitta pays for the trip but the escort is Italian: how much can it cost
The US Embassy specified that Fertitta personally financed the Boardwalk trip. The tour, called “Freedom 250 Coastal Diplomacy” was organized to mark the 250th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence and includes meetings with local communities, administrators and business representatives from thirteen Italian coastal regions.
As an ambassador, according to international conventions, the Italian State has the obligation to protect him. Bonelli claims that according to the orders of the Police Headquarters, Fertitta would be the recipient of protection corresponding to the first level of risk, entrusted to specialized personnel from the “Escort Department” in Rome.
It’s great to be back in Naples as part of #CoastalDiplomacy!
As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, this is the perfect place to begin exploring Southern Italy and highlighting the ties that connect our countries.
Naples is also deeply connected to the story of… pic.twitter.com/WfLhSoLdHo
— Ambassador Tilman J. Fertitta (@USAmbItaly) June 25, 2026
There are no public reports on the costs incurred – the government could report them in the chamber given the probable request as a parliamentary question – but given the men, means and levels of protection mentioned it is reasonable to think that the allocations for Fertitta’s escort could reach tens of thousands of euros every day. Bonelli had in fact cited “Financial Police units, Coast Guard, helicopters and police force personnel”, as well as an escort which provides for higher salaries for staff.
Tilman Fertitta’s yacht: a 117 meter floating palace
When Fertitta arrives in the Italian ports designated as tour destinations it does not go unnoticed. His mega yacht Boardwalk steals the show. It is brand new, given the delivery on 14 May 2026 from the German shipyard Lurssen. Valuation: about $450 million, according to industry sources.
At 117 meters long and 18.6 meters wide, the Boardwalk has a steel hull and aluminum superstructure: it is one of the largest yachts ever built by Lurssen and exceeds in length many ferries used in coastal connections.
The Fertitta yacht has eleven cabins, two helipads, a large swimming pool with Jacuzzi, beach club, cinema, spa, gym and a green grass carpet for golf. In the garage there is space for three smaller twelve-metre boats, an amphibious vehicle, off-road vehicles and other equipment intended for travel on land. The external lighting is made up of around three thousand light points which shine on the docks in the port.
Previously, Fertitta had a 76.5 meter Feadship for several years, delivered in 2021 and now called Boardwalk V, put up for sale for 149 million euros. Before that, the entrepreneur had owned a 50-meter Westport of the same name, later renamed Night Howl.
Who is Tilman Fertitta and how does he have a fortune of 11 billion dollars
Tilman Joseph Fertitta, born in Galveston, Texas, in 1957. Forbes estimates his assets at 11 billion dollars: Fertitta has built his fortune in the restaurant, hotel, casino and entertainment sectors. Through “Fertitta Entertainment” he controls the Landry’s group, the Golden Nugget brand and a network which, according to the embassy’s official biography, includes approximately 600 properties in 36 American states and in over 15 countries. He is also the owner of the Houston Rockets, an NBA basketball team.
In the United States he also became a television personality thanks to the program “Billion Dollar Buyer”, in which he evaluated products and companies interested in joining his group’s commercial network. Donald Trump chose him as ambassador to Italy and San Marino. The US Senate approved his nomination on April 29, 2025 with 83 votes in favor and 14 against. His move from business to diplomacy was governed by an agreement with the US Office of Government Ethics.
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Fertitta has undertaken to leave operational roles in his companies, while retaining passive economic interests. He retained ownership of the Houston Rockets, but must refrain from diplomatic decisions that could have direct and foreseeable effects on the financial interests of the NBA.
The connection with Italy is also familial. Fertitta has Sicilian origins and indicates Cefalù as the place from which his family left. “My great-grandfather left Cefalù in 1887”, recalled the ambassador, who visited the Sicilian town during the coastal tour.
Thank you, Cefalu! 🇮🇹🇺🇸
Returning to the place where our family’s story, like so many other American families, began was truly unforgettable.
It reminded me of the deep connection we will always have with Sicily and the millions of Italian-Americans who continue to be bridges… pic.twitter.com/fJm3Bm2EOE
— Ambassador Tilman J. Fertitta (@USAmbItaly) July 6, 2026
Presenting the tour he explained that the origins of Cefalù are part of what unites Italy and the United States “beyond the headlines”.