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The Street
The Street
Rob Lenihan

Jeff Bezos' Superyacht Is Missing One Thing. It Cost Him $75 Million

Shucks, we knew something was missing.

So, here we have Jeff Bezos, founder and former CEO of Amazon (AMZN) and third richest man in the world at the moment.

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Bezos, who takes a backseat in the big bucks department behind Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk and Bernard Arnault, CEO of luxury empire LVMH  (LVMUY) , was a faced with a dilemma that we can all related to.

The billionaire’s $500 million superyacht, dubbed Koru, a Maori word for "loop" or "coil" set sail last month.

However, the ship, which comes with a pool, a spa, outdoor lounges, a gym and a theater, was missing one critical feature.

Now, brace yourselves, but it turns out that the Koru doesn't have its own helipad.

And you thought you had problems. Honestly, what in the helipad is this world coming to?

Chopper Fears

The problem is that the ship's sails are the same height as the Great Pyramid of Giza, and there just wasn't room for a helipad.

You may recall that this is the vessel that was too tall to go under the Koningshaven Bridge, requiring Bezos and the ship’s maker, Oceanco, to first offer to pay for the steel bridge to be taken apart, and ultimately find another route to the ocean.

The lack of landing facilities is significant because Bezos' girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez, is a trained helicopter pilot and founder of Black Ops Aviation, the first female-owned aerial film and production company.

Bear in mind, Bezos was in a helicopter crash in 2003 and was severely shaken by the experience.

"Avoid helicopters whenever possible," Bezos told Fast Company in 2004 about the accident. "They're not as reliable as fixed-wing aircraft."

In contrast, Sánchez is in the cockpit of a helicopter at least three times a week to keep up with the latest instruments and technology.

"This is one of the only places I feel entirely in control,” Sánchez said.

Support Ship

She was able to communicate her passion for piloting to the founder of the aerospace company Blue Origin and now Bezos is looking to a chopper pilot's license for himself.

Nice story, but how is Sánchez supposed to get aboard the Koru -- take the D train?

Don't worry, we're sure you'll be happy to know that this issue has been resolved. 

For a mere $75 million, Bezos bought a support ship to shadow the Koru and provided that much-needed helipad and a hanger, according to Luxury Launches

The 279-foot Abeona was built at the shipyard in Vlissingen, the Netherlands and comfortably accommodate 45 people, as well as water scooters, sea bobs, and even a submarine.

After completing her sea trials in December, the largest support vessel in the world departed the shipyard in the Netherlands before arriving in Gibraltar, where she is currently located

And speaking Blue Origin, Sanchez is slated to take to the stars next year as she leads an all-female mission to outer space. 

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