It's one thing to hear about a $500 million yacht, but it's another thing entirely to see it casually drift by while you're on a normal boat. For one TikToker, that massive difference in scale became a viral moment, sparking a heated online debate about extreme wealth and its environmental consequences.
The video, posted by Azure Voyages (@azure.voyages), gives a stunning up-close look at Jeff Bezos' sailing yacht, named Koru, moored in Corfu, Greece. The sheer size of the vessel is hard to miss, and it's a scene that's drawing a lot of attention — and a lot of anger.
@azure.voyages Casually drifting by Jeff Bezos' $500million sailing yacht 'Koru' #corfu #jeffbezos #amazonprime #koru #laurensanchez ♬ Not Like Us Dam (Instrumental) - Cici Beats
Here's the thing about these floating mansions: They have a massive environmental impact. According to CleanTechnica, Bezos's yacht is estimated to have released 7,000 tons of carbon pollution over the past year. That's more than 445 times the annual pollution of an average person in the U.S. In fact, a single superyacht can release more carbon than 1,500 cars every year. Beyond that, they're responsible for wastewater, noise and light pollution, and particulate matter in their exhaust.
This kind of excessive display isn't an isolated incident. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's $300 million megayacht has its own fleet of support vessels. Australian billionaire Clive Palmer also sparked outrage when he parked his 400-foot yacht in a local river just to get a good view of a fireworks show. And these displays of wealth sometimes come with international consequences, as was the case when a Russian billionaire's superyacht, the Phi, was blocked from leaving a London harbor due to sanctions.
While the view of the superyacht is impressive, many viewers couldn't get past the staggering cost and what it represents.
One commenter put it simply: "Nice but at what cost?"
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Another pointed out the disparity, writing, "Lots of room for the homeless to live in."
A third joked about the owner's other famous venture, "'This item is not eligible for return, please contact the seller' Amazon."
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