Wealthy prince sparks outrage as lavish behavior comes to light: 'Wasting money'

A fish-loving Saudi Prince dropped $70 million on a massive sportfishing yacht for his favorite hobby.

A Redditor posted about the purchase, sharing a link to an article on Luxury Launches.

According to LL, the Saudi Prince Turki bin Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has fallen in love with sportfishing, spurring him to buy the "Special One" superyacht. It's the largest known sportfishing yacht, including six decks, a low fishing cockpit aft, a saloon, a lounge area, a large galley, and much more.

The 499-ton boat is a lavish vessel and longer than an Olympic-sized swimming pool at 171 feet. It's rigged with high-end equipment designed to catch larger fish. Supposedly, it's faster than the United States Navy's newest destroyer ship. 

While the boat is an impressive feat, people feel it's excessive. A massive vessel like this requires substantial fuel to move around the ocean, burning toxic oil and gas that contribute to air pollution. 

A normal fishing boat typically uses a few gallons of fuel an hour, depending on factors like speed, size, water conditions, wind, and more. But an opulent boat, like the Special One, likely guzzles hundreds of gallons per hour. The boat releases toxic fumes into the atmosphere, creating an unhealthy environment for people and wildlife.

The prince's interest in big fish hunting is also concerning for the environment. Some recreational fishing can be okay, but hunting big fish species and overfishing can harm oceanic ecosystems. Larger fish are often higher on the food chain, so depleting their populations can cause smaller fish populations to grow out of control. 

It's not clear what species the Saudi Prince is after, but if he's hunting any rare or threatened species, his hobby is hurting the oceans. And the gas-guzzling yacht is certainly worsening pollution.

Redditors were annoyed by the giant yacht, considering it unnecessary and wasteful. 

One person commented on the amount of fuel and money needed to operate the boat, saying, "Imagine the fuel bill to go out trolling."

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Someone else wrote, "Wasting money."

Another person stated, "He'll use it twice," referring to how the wealthiest people often waste money and resources on luxurious purchases that they rarely use.

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