Mark Zuckerberg raises eyebrows with latest extravagant expenditure — here are the details
Mark Zuckerberg's superyacht, Launchpad, is heading back across the Atlantic after months of repair at MB92's La Ciotat in the French Riviera, according to Luxurylaunches.La Ciotat is as exclusive as its clients, with a space big enough to service some of the largest yachts in the world. The facilities include a 200-meter dry dock, 1,600 meters of berthing space, environmental management, and electrical capacity to support testing and repair of vehicles hundreds of feet long.Its specialty is refitting vessels between 80 and 120 meters — Zuckerberg's is 119 meters — and it features one of Europe's most impressive lift-and-repair structures that can lift a yacht like Launchpad out of the water in under three hours. The lift alone was a $55 million upgrade for the facility.For Zuckerberg's $300 million, 500-gross-ton Feadship vessel, the repair cost is likely in the low millions. Its tank also holds roughly 423,700 liters and costs around $250,000 to refuel. Depending on its use and the distance of every journey, the yacht needs a refill every few weeks to a few months.In 2025, 24% of U.S. households were living paycheck to paycheck, according to CNN, highlighting how detached billionaires are from the real world. While many of us flinch at the idea of repairing our cars, which might cost a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, Zuckerberg is dropping a few million to repair his superyacht.Yachts produce 860 times more carbon than the average person does in a year, according to an Oxfam study called "Carbon Inequality Kills." While the rich are sailing away on their luxury transportation, their carbon pollution contributes to extreme weather events, rising temperatures, and air pollution, which disproportionately affect lower-income communities.For example, extreme weather affects farmers by reducing crop yields, causes more cardiovascular health issues for people in cities with higher air pollution, and floods and quakes have displaced millions of people, according to Earth.Org.Launchpad is likely heading out to the States or the Caribbean to spend the winter in warmer waters.Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.
