Mark Zuckerberg brought his yacht “Launchpad” to Mallorca

In the world of tech billionaires, yachts are all the rage. Jeff Bezos has his “Koru,” Larry Ellison sails the seas in his “Musashi,” and Mark Zuckerberg joined them in the spring with his “Launchpad.” Only Bill Gates apparently backed out – because an environmental activist with a superyacht seems strange at first (read more here).

Zuckerberg, on the other hand, jumped at the chance to buy a yacht that had actually been built for a Russian oligarch. What he apparently didn’t like was the amount of attention that this purchase attracted. After all, the founder of Facebook values ​​his privacy very highly.

Zuckerberg apparently wants privacy

The yacht, which is said to have cost 300 million US dollars, recently disappeared from radar for a while along with the shadow ship “Wingman”. As “” reported, both ships switched off their “AIS” (“Automatic Identification System”) somewhere in the Caribbean. This is not without risk, because the “AIS” is not only used to track a ship worldwide, but also to avoid collisions. Anyone who paralyzes the system does not have to expect penalties, but experts warn that insurance companies are happy to avoid paying out if accidents occur with “invisible” ships. In theory, ships of a certain size, which exceeds Zuckerberg’s “Launchpad” several times, are obliged to switch on the system.

It is conceivable that Zuckerberg will have the system shut down for security reasons if he himself is on board.

However, turning off the “AIS” only solves the problem of tracking via appropriate services – because anyone who happens to be near the “Launchpad” will of course still see it. With a ship that is 118.80 meters long, it is hardly possible otherwise. And so the route of the mega yacht could ultimately be tracked relatively precisely.

Mark Zuckerberg parks next to a sheikh and Michael Jordan

Even before the Atlantic crossing, “Launchpad” and “Wingman” appeared on the radar again. Both ships recently docked at the “Club de Mar”, a yacht harbor in Palma de Mallorca. As the “” reports, this is the ships’ first visit to the Germans’ favorite island. Photos from the harbor prove that the “Launchpad” is definitely not to be overlooked.

Zuckerberg is currently in good company: ships such as Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani’s “Yasmine of the Sea”, Barry Zekelman’s “Man of Steel”, Michael Jordan’s “Mbrace” and the cruise ship “Seven Seas Voyager” are in the immediate vicinity.

The Mediterranean is a popular destination for the super-rich and their yachts in the summer months. In the winter months, the journey then usually continues to the Maldives or the Caribbean.

Note from the editors: In an earlier version of the article, the impression could have been created that the “Launchpad” was not visible on the radar until it arrived in the port of Palma. In fact, however, the AIS was reactivated before the Atlantic crossing. The editors have the relevant records. We have clarified and updated the article in the relevant places.