Mark Zuckerberg sparks outrage after details of skiing trip go public: 'The definition of selfish'

Few things illustrate the wealth gap between the super-rich and the rest of us quite like the spectacle of a megayacht whisking billionaires across the seas. A recent voyage by centibillionaire Mark Zuckerberg elicited a fierce backlash from Redditors.

In the thread, referencing a post from Luxury Launches, users condemned Zuckerberg's 5,300-mile trip from San Francisco to go heli-skiing in Norway.

Mark Zuckerberg, wanting to make the best of Easter holidays, sailed his $300 million superyacht with a helicopter (and a $30 million support yacht) 5,300 miles from San Francisco to Norway so he could go heliskiing on icy fjords. He also bypassed local helicopter permits by landing it on his yacht.
byu/blinkycosmocat inABoringDystopia

Some poked fun at the hagiographic nature of the source article. "Kinda weird to glaze rich people," one commenter said.

Most focused on the grotesque display of wealth. "The definition of selfish. An absolutely awful person," a user said. Another sarcastically quipped, "Man I'm sure glad I ride my bike to work so Mark can sail his yacht to Norway."

Someone pointed out the trip's environmental cost, commenting, "More carbon than all of us reading this thread will burn in our lifetimes."

This raises an important point about the trip's harmful environmental impact. A megayacht, classed as 100 feet or longer, burns through a colossal amount of fuel to travel relatively short distances. It takes around 2,200 gallons of diesel to go 100 nautical miles, so the impact of a 5,300-mile journey is staggering.

Put another way, the average American's annual pollution footprint is about 16 tons of carbon, per Greenly. So the latter comment is actually a bit of an understatement.

Another popular sentiment in the discussion was the hypocrisy. "I'm starting to think Zuckerberg is not the climate activist he makes himself out to be," one commenter said.

The environmental pledges of the largest companies often stand in stark contrast to the actions of the people behind them.

While everyone is responsible for making sustainable transport choices, it's evident that the ultra-wealthy are on an entirely different plane of existence. A study by Oxfam estimated that the 50 richest people on Earth cause more harmful emissions in 90 minutes than the average person does in their lifetime.

Reining in the excesses of the ultra-rich may seem complicated, but one user had a novel suggestion, jokingly referencing headlines about killer whales attacking ships in Western Europe: "Someone should summon the orcas."

Do you think billionaires spend their money wisely? Definitely No way Some do Most do Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.