Can a megayacht really be green? That's the question Redditors asked after Bill Gates put his yet-to-be-completed large boat up for sale.
The asking price is €675 million, according to The Telegraph (via Yahoo), which reported that the "green" aspect of the ship may be more aspirational than existent.
It is fueled by hydrogen, but of course, there is a catch: diesel generators for longer and faster trips (they can reportedly run on hydrotreated vegetable oil).
The specs alone belie the descriptor. The yacht is two meters longer than Jeff Bezos' and features a four-story private townhouse with a gym. There are 14 retractable balconies, a spa, a pool, two hot tubs, a movie theater, a library, a games area, a coffee corner — and a hospital.
It sounds amazing. It also sounds unnecessary — like, no one-needs-to-experience-this-ever unnecessary. Twelve guest rooms and accommodations for 44 crew members?
As the original poster wrote: "Green super yachts? They're taking the p*** now."
The top comment stated: "Maybe the part underneath is painted green? Because there is no way they are actually pretending that there are eco-friendly yachts."
Another user wrote "Super yacht" and "green" on separate lines and said, "Pick one."
"Nothing these billionaires do is whatever 'green' is," someone else said.
The Telegraph pointed out that Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, is "a leading advocate of decarbonising the energy system." The yacht, more than four years in the making, signaled his dedication to such initiatives, but the industry has tanked with Russia's war in Ukraine and global economic uncertainty.
And even if this particular project is hypocritical, Gates has been pushing the investment in renewable energy and divestment from the dirty energy sources that overheat the planet. The outlet cited an op-ed he wrote in The New York Times in December.
"Very wealthy individuals should also be making changes to their lifestyles to bring their emissions close to zero," Gates stated. "If you fly in a private jet, as I do, you can afford the extra cost of sustainable aviation fuel made from low-carbon crops and waste."
He also put the onus on companies and governments to lead us into a cleaner future.
As for Gates selling his boat before it's even completed?
"He must have been buying too many avocados on toast," one Redditor joked. "Poor guy."
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