Mallorca, the destination chosen by Mark Zuckerberg to debut his $300 million megayacht
The Facebook founder gifted himself the vessel, which has a tennis court and helicopter, for his 40th birthday. The businessman is now sailing through the waters of the Balearic island with his family to celebrate his father’s 70th
The group of megayachts that have been sailing the waters of Spain’s Balearic Islands since the arrival of good weather has welcomed a new member. While last year it was Amazon founder Jeff Bezos who debuted his $500-million toy called Koru, this year, it was tech entrepreneur Mark Zuckerberg who is sailing the Mediterranean with his latest acquisition: a megayacht called Launchpad. The 118-meter-long vessel, made by Feadship from the Netherlands, is valued at $300 million. The luxury yacht was completed last March and was delivered to Zuckerberg on May 14, the same day that the Meta founder and owner turned 40.
The ship flies the flag of the Marshall Islands, in the region of Micronesia, and, according to its technical specifications, it is 118 meters (387 feet) long, 17 meters (55 feet) wide and has a capacity for 24 guests, to which up to 48 crew members can be added. It can reach a speed of 20 knots with a range of 3,000 nautical miles, and the cost of its annual maintenance costs is more than $30 million.
The luxury yacht was designed by experts from Monaco-based Espen Øino International, which has a long track record in designing large vessels. Little is known about its interiors, beyond the fact that they were designed by Zuretti Interior Design, a French company dedicated to yacht interior design. The Launchpad has three decks, in white and navy blue, the bow has a tennis court, while on the aft deck, there is a helicopter to bring in guests from the mainland. On one side of the hull there is a glazed terrace for sunbathing or dining in front of the sea. During the time that is has been moored in the Bay of Palma, in Mallorca, slides and inflatable water toys have been seen in the sea.
Last week, the crew tested the yacht and the ship’s helicopter, signalling Zuckerberg’s imminent arrival. The social media guru landed in the private area of Palma airport on Friday night, June 14. The businessman and his wife, Priscilla Chan, were snapped leaving the terminal, with their three daughters: Max, August and Aurelia. The family was picked up by a vehicle that took them directly to the port of Palma, where the Launchpad was located. In recent weeks, the megayacht has been moored in the luxurious Club de Mar-Mallorca, fitting in beside the vessels of wealthy sheikhs and businessmen. Over the weekend, the Launchpad sailed to the south of the island, to spots such as Santa Ponça. So far, no photos have been taken of the Zuckerberg family or their guests on dry land.
Last weekend, Zuckerberg himself posted a photo on his Instagram profile, which has almost 14 million followers. In the image, he appears with his entire family as they celebrate his father’s 70th birthday. The group is seen wearing identical T-shirts that read “Ed’s Kids” after his father. Around 20 family members have come together on the megayacht to celebrate the milestone birthday. Zuckerberg’s three siblings also appear smiling in the images, joined by their partners and children.
“Happy Father’s Day to the man who started and continues to inspire our whole family,” Zuckerberg posted. “We’re also celebrating his 70th birthday and it was really something to hear the grandkids (at least the ones old enough) take turns telling papa all the ways he is meaningful in their lives last night at dinner. Here’s to many more.”
Megayacht debuts
The Launchpad, which also has a support vessel called the Wingman, is the latest megayacht to make its debut in Mallorca. Last year, Bezos launched Koru, the largest sailing yacht in the world, measuring 127 meters (416 feet). The Amazon founder and his fiancée, news anchor Lauren Sánchez, sailed the Mediterranean last summer on the $500-million vessel. Both arrived to the yacht directly by helicopter from a private plane that landed in Palma and were also photographed with a group of friends in Ibiza.
The Koru was also docked at the luxurious Club de Mar-Mallorca in Palma, the capital of the Balearic Islands, where producer David Geffen often moors his yacht Rising Sun. Just a couple of weeks ago, this gigantic 138-meter boat welcomed Kendall and Kylie Jenner, who spent a few days off with their mother, Kris Jenner, on the coast of Mallorca. In recent summers, Geffen has regularly sailed across the Balearic Islands with famous friends such as Bezos himself, actor Tom Hanks and singer Paul McCartney.
Chinese tycoon Jack Ma, founder of the Alibaba group, also debuted his megayacht Zen in Mallorca. The ship made its debut in 2021 after its construction was completed in a shipyard in the Netherlands. At the time, Jack Ma had largely out of the public view for two years after publicly criticizing China’s regulatory system. He was spotted on the Balearic island that summer playing golf in the municipality of Calvià, where his yacht was anchored. He liked the island, and he returned in 2022 the following summer.
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