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> What drives a mega wealthy person to choose a [mega] yacht Private jets allow them traveling without the inconvenience of other people. Mega yatchs allow the

> What drives a mega wealthy person to choose a [mega] yacht Private jets allow them traveling without the inconvenience of other people. Mega yatchs allow them having a private hotel that follows them as they travel. A mega wealthy person has a busy schedule meeting with other elites, and they will often want to do that with maximum comfort and privacy. As long as the schedule isn't too tight, their crew can guarantee that the yatch will be there for them when they arrive, without the risk of having to see or be seen by lesser people. The fact that the immense majority of people can't do the same is just the icing on the cake.

defrost 3y ago
Having a fancy floating house boat is strictly the small beer end of mega yachts for the ultra wealthy. Paul Allen's Octopus was so much more: [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus_(yacht) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus_(yacht) [2] https://www.boatinternational.com/yachts/editorial-features/iconic-yachts-octopus https://www.boatinternational.com/yachts/editorial-features/...
- onos 3y ago
  This is an interesting example. The wiki said he was worth $200B at his death, while his boat cost $200M when built. When he died it sold for 230M. So in a sense it was an asset, in that it did not depreciate (ignoring inflation). Though I’m sure it cost a lot to operate and maintain. So he spent 0.1% of his wealth on this! Pretty reasonable budget to spend on something you enjoy IMHO. He also put it to use on some exploratory missions, rescue mission etc.
  - zamnos 3y ago
    isn't that 0.1% of his wealth? For comparison, if your net worth is $500k, that's like spending $500 on something.
xeromal 3y ago
I don't think you've seen what a mega yacht looks like. My point was that a mega yacht is absolutely in excess of what any human being can use. There is definitely at least partially some form of status symbol wrapped up in one
- GauntletWizard 3y ago
  The mega yachts are absolutely status symbols, but you should also see them as an extension of the private hotel concept - they're not just a private hotel for the owner, but for their friends and business partners, as well as conference venue.

defrost 3y ago

Having a fancy floating house boat is strictly the small beer end of mega yachts for the ultra wealthy. Paul Allen's Octopus was so much more: [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus_(yacht) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus_(yacht) [2] https://www.boatinternational.com/yachts/editorial-features/iconic-yachts-octopus https://www.boatinternational.com/yachts/editorial-features/...

onos 3y ago
This is an interesting example. The wiki said he was worth $200B at his death, while his boat cost $200M when built. When he died it sold for 230M. So in a sense it was an asset, in that it did not depreciate (ignoring inflation). Though I’m sure it cost a lot to operate and maintain. So he spent 0.1% of his wealth on this! Pretty reasonable budget to spend on something you enjoy IMHO. He also put it to use on some exploratory missions, rescue mission etc.
- zamnos 3y ago
  isn't that 0.1% of his wealth? For comparison, if your net worth is $500k, that's like spending $500 on something.

xeromal 3y ago

I don't think you've seen what a mega yacht looks like. My point was that a mega yacht is absolutely in excess of what any human being can use. There is definitely at least partially some form of status symbol wrapped up in one

GauntletWizard 3y ago
The mega yachts are absolutely status symbols, but you should also see them as an extension of the private hotel concept - they're not just a private hotel for the owner, but for their friends and business partners, as well as conference venue.