Billionaire sparks outrage after pulling up to seaside town in $300 million yacht: 'Totally obscene'

The global superyacht industry has reached 6,000 active vessels. Their owners are mostly ultra-wealthy and have carbon-intensive lifestyles. 

For example, a $300 million superyacht named Leviathan built by Oceanco includes 15 dedicated gaming PCs, a hospital, a science lab, a movie theater, and a basketball court, as reported by Supercar Blondie. Its owner, billionaire Gabe Newell, created the game launcher Steam and is considered, according to SB, the "godfather of PC gaming."

SB reported that the yacht stopped in Poole, England, before embarking on a trip across the Atlantic to Seattle, Washington. 

"We knew we were asking for unusual things, and Oceanco embraced it with open arms," Newell said to SB. 

The story about the ship racked up thousands of likes and almost 200 comments from a social media post on SB's Facebook page. 

People are growing more tired of billionaire purchases and over-the-top endeavors that are putting everyday people at risk. For example, many people see Mark Zuckerberg's $300 million megayacht as an unnecessary symbol of excess. Luxury superyachts are often criticized because they consume dirty energy and pollute our air while serving no benefit to the public. 

In light of that, solar-powered yachts are being developed as lower-impact alternatives to traditional luxury yachts. One model, the Silent 120 Explorer, is designed to be silent and run primarily on solar energy and battery storage. 

For everyday people, these stories are creating concern over how ultra luxury travel affects shared coastlines and air quality. 

High-impact, private travel like megayachts produces significantly larger environmental footprints than low-impact alternatives. Supporting companies with stronger environmental policies can influence how luxury goods are built and help keep our planet clean. 

"I got video passing by this boat when it was docked in South Florida many years ago. It's the size of a small cruise ship up close," one Facebook user commented under SB's post. 

Should taxpayers help pay to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? We should pay for all of it 👍 We should pay some but not all 💸 Corporations should foot the bill 🏭 Charities should pay for it 🙏 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"How much more proof do people need that they charge too much for games? Totally obscene wealth," another added. 

"How long can hypercapitalism stay afloat?" a third insightfully questioned in the comment section. 

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