Billionaire under fire after listing nearly $200 million yacht as he awaits larger one: 'He is taking delivery'

This Houston billionaire is selling his yacht after just four years of owning it — here's why.

Billionaire Tilman Fertitta, owner of the NBA's Houston Rockets and U.S. ambassador to Italy, has decided to sell his 252-foot yacht in favor of a larger, more expensive model.

A spokesperson for Fertitta told the Houston Chronicle: "He is taking delivery of his new 384-foot motor yacht, Boardwalk, from Lürssen next April."

It seems the three-story, 252-foot yacht with a swimming pool and a helipad purchased just four years ago isn't big enough for Fertitta, who has a net worth of over $10 billion. That's because superyachts like Fertitta's aren't about travel — they're symbols of wealth and power. 

There are over 6,000 superyachts in the world, according to SuperYacht Times. These boats are typically over 100 feet long, with the largest superyacht measuring in at 180 meters, or around 590 feet. 

Because of their enormous size and luxury features, yachts produce a significant amount of carbon pollution — "the annual CO2 emissions of the top 300 superyachts are almost 285,000 tons," according to CleanTechnica. That's more annual pollution than some countries produce, and it equates to the annual average pollution of 61,000 gas-powered cars, which individually produce 4.6 tons per year.

Yachts are one of the worst ways to travel in terms of pollution per person, alongside private jets.

The construction of yachts also uses resource-intensive materials such as aluminum and steel. It doesn't end at construction, though. Yachts generate air and noise pollution, disturb marine life, and can destroy underwater habitats as they travel — although docked yachts still pollute.

Some yacht designers are trying to incorporate more sustainable features, such as hybrid engine propulsion, recycled materials, and solar and wind integration, into their yachts. But even with greener modifications, a superyacht is still a superyacht, and some consider them "morally indefensible" regardless.

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