Bill Gatesco-founder of Microsoft Corp. and renowned philanthropist, is on his way down the ranks of the world’s billionaires.
Despite a net worth of nearly $128 billion, Gates sits at No. 9 on the Forbes Billionaires Index, a significant drop from his previous position at No. 7 a month ago. This is his lowest ranking since 1990, when he ranked 16th.
Gates has been recognized not only for his immense wealth, but also for his environmental advocacy, making his superyacht ownership somewhat controversial. In 2021, he paid around $25 million for his first superyacht: the Wayfinder, a 224-foot catamaran built by Astilleros Armon. The yacht is designed as a ghost ship, usually accompanying a larger mothership, which until recently was not disclosed to the public.
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The mothership, called Project 821, is under construction at Feadship. It will be one of the largest and most luxurious yachts built by the shipyard. Scheduled for delivery in 2024, Project 821 spans 390 feet with an internal volume exceeding 7,000 gross tonnage (GT).
Details about the yacht have been kept under wraps, but recent leaks reveal it is on the market for 600 million euros ($642 million). The price is significantly higher than Feadship’s previous builds, perhaps because its unfinished state offers potential buyers the opportunity to personalize the yacht.
Alongside Project 821, the Wayfinder is also up for sale and was spotted on the rental market earlier this year, suggesting a change in Gates’ approach to its assets.
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The reasons for these sales are not specified, leaving room for speculation about his motivations. Some suggest that the costs of maintaining and operating these extravagant vessels are impractical, while others speculate that Gates is stepping up his commitment to environmental causes. Its past statements have highlighted its awareness of its large carbon footprint, mainly due to private flights, and its continued efforts to mitigate its environmental impact.
“Even if I don’t care where I rank on the list of the richest people in the worldI know that as I succeed in giving, I will move down and eventually disappear from the list altogether,” Gates wrote in a 2022 Gates Notes blog post, reinforcing his commitment to philanthropy.
This aligns with his longtime goal of donating most of his wealth to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
These moves could mean a deeper alignment of Gates’ lifestyle with his public advocacy for sustainability and reduced consumption. The sale of the yachts could be seen as an example of Gates reducing luxury consumption to reduce his environmental impact, boosting his credibility as a climate campaigner amid growing global concern about change. climatic.
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