Beachgoers in Italy were stunned when Mark Zuckerberg’s massive yacht “Launchpad” and his support yacht “Wingman” appeared at a small port near Naples in the south of the country.
For most residents, that’s not something they get to see every day.
Mark Zuckerberg tried to keep a relatively low profile by avoiding the usual hot spots in Italy, like Portofino or Venice.
Instead, his Italian holiday started near Elba, a small island in Tuscany, located around 10 km (6.2 miles) from the coast.
Pictures of the yacht were first posted to Facebook, ironically, on various groups for Elba tourists and residents, and then they went viral and were picked up by various Italian news outlets.
After leaving Elba, Zuckerberg traveled south to a small town called Castellammare di Stabia near Naples. The yacht appears even more than gigantic than it already is because she is moored at a small port, next to vastly smaller boats. Including the other yacht Zuckerberg owns, Wingman.
Wingman boasts a range of high-end features suitable for extensive maritime expeditions including a helipad, built-in dive center with a decompression chamber, and substantial deck space for carrying equipment like a Triton submarine, water scooters, luxury tenders and personal watercraft.
Mark Zuckerberg’s yacht is like a city on water
Launchpad is like a city on water. At 390 feet or 118 meters, it’s larger than a soccer pitch. It cost Zuckerberg around $300 million to buy, and an additional $30 million per year in running costs.
While specific details about the interior amenities of Mark Zuckerberg’s mega yacht are scarce due to the yacht’s privacy, it is believed that it has multiple opulent guest suites, a master bedroom with a private balcony, and lavish bathrooms.
It also boasts a cinema, game room, and possibly even a virtual reality lounge, given Zuckerberg’s tech background. A gym, spa, sauna, and perhaps even a yoga studio.
It has multiple decks with swimming pools, hot tubs, sunbathing areas, and alfresco dining options.
Launchpad was manufactured by Feadship, the same shipyard that also built Bill Gates’ yacht. Feadship also made the yacht that belongs to Michael Latifi, a billionaire who spent $141,000 just to watch the Monaco GP from the deck of his yacht.
Yachtworld reported recently the paradox in Zuckerberg’s mega yacht. “It’s a floating reminder of the paradox that is privacy in the hands of a man whose company holds more personal data than Davy Jones’ locker holds secrets. In fact, Launchpad and its support vessel Wingman recently became the focus of controversy when they deactivated their AIS (Automatic Identification System) transponders,” it says.
“This privacy tactic, known as “going dark,” is generally legal but ironic. The vessel’s “incognito mode” made it impossible to track the yacht’s voyage from Florida to Jamaica, highlighting the disconnect between Zuckerberg’s personal privacy actions and his extensive business dealings handling people’s personal information,” Yachtworld notes.