A jaw-dropping 384-foot superyacht has people talking, with many questioning the ethics and environmental impact of extreme wealth. The luxury vessel, Infinity, belongs to billionaire Eric Smidt, owner of Harbor Freight Tools, and is said to be worth around $300 million. After a photo of the yacht hit Reddit, conversation took off, sparking debates over wealth inequality and the environmental toll of these mega-yachts.
Some were blown away by the yacht's massive size, complete with its own 70-meter (about 230-foot) support vessel. Others saw it as nothing more than an outrageous display of excess.
One person put the cost into perspective, comparing it to a $10,000 car for someone with a $1 million net worth, emphasizing how little this purchase actually impacts Smidt's fortune.
A lot of people have called out how much fuel superyachts like Infinity burn. According to the Guardian, a superyacht with a permanent crew, helicopter pad, submarines, and pools releases about 7,020 tons of planet-warming pollution a year. This is more than 1,500 times what the average car puts out.
This isn't the first time over-the-top luxury has gotten people talking. Just last year, private jets were under fire after a study showed that billionaire-owned planes pump out millions of tons of air pollution every year.
At the same time, there are some efforts to push back against this kind of unchecked excess. The Biden administration cracked down on environmental damage by limiting industrial development in fragile ecosystems, Reuters reported.
In addition, new clean technology is giving hope for cutting down maritime pollution. Researchers are looking into alternative fuels like green hydrogen and ways to use wind power to help big vessels run more efficiently.
For now, though, superyachts still rub the public the wrong way.
"The rewards for digitally enslaving us plebs," one user wrote.
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Definitely 👍 "Looks like the view from the Sandals Grande in St. Lucia," another said.
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One commenter said, "I can't eat every day this week if I want to keep my apartment, but enjoy yourself, Eric."
Big displays of wealth have always been around, but more people are starting to question them. With better sustainable options coming out and new policies in the works, change is happening in different ways, from cleaner technology to the everyday choices people make.
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