Billionaire sparks backlash with latest lavish family outing: 'Let them eat cake'

The New York Times tasked two investigative journalists, specializing in maritime/aviation matters and concealed plans, with identifying the owner of a yacht spotted on First Daughter Tiffany Trump's Instagram account.

According to the Times, the paper received a tip that President Donald Trump's youngest daughter was "apparently cruising the Mediterranean" on a yacht belonging to an unspecified "Turkish billionaire."

The outlet sought to determine whether Tiffany Trump's megayacht voyage was in any way linked with her father-in-law Massad Boulos' then-ongoing State Department activity in Africa.

More specifically, the Times speculated that the trip "might be an example of Trump family members benefiting from or associating with foreign business leaders who have stakes in American foreign policy."

Megayachts and superyachts have become a point of contention on social media for several reasons, with two recurring themes: the environmental impact of these massive yachts and their status as a symbol of wealth inequality.

Overconsumption by the ultra-wealthy is often referenced, but rarely quantified when it comes to yachts and private jets. Oxfam is an international organization dedicated to combating wealth inequality and its uneven climate-related impacts, and they crunched the numbers.

Oxfam estimates that a single superyacht emits an average of 5,672 tons of polluting gas each year, an amount that would take an "average person" 860 years to rival.

As for private jets, Oxfam found that "billionaires emit more pollution in 90 minutes" on average than most people emit in their lifetime. The Times identified the vessel featured on Tiffany Trump's Instagram account as the Phoenix 2, which costs $1 million for a weeklong charter.

On Reddit's r/politics, users weighed in on the controversy at sea, lambasting both excessive consumption on display and a broader disregard for the environment.

"They've managed to convince people that renewable energy is the corruption and oil is as American as apple pie," a user griped, referencing the White House's approach to clean energy.

Should the ultra-wealthy pay a tax to help offset their environmental impact? Absolutely 💯 Depends how they're taxed 💰 Only corporations should pay those 🏭 No way 🚫 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"We're reaching comically absurd levels of corruption," another observed.

"America first? Diplomacy is one thing, but how can we ensure America's interests are best represented when commerce and personal relationships are intermingling in this way?" the original poster commented, reiterating the Times' concerns about influence peddling.

The most striking comment was perhaps the most succinct.

"Let them eat cake," the user remarked.

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