Jeff Bezos’ new $ 500 million, 417-foot superyacht – the second largest in the world – may not hit the high seas after plans to demolish the historic Dutch bridge to reach the sea were halted due to public outrage
- Plans to demolish a historic Dutch bridge to make way for Jeff Bezos’ super yacht have been stopped
- The $ 500 million, 417-foot seagoing vessel will be the largest yacht in the world when completed this year
- For the yacht to reach the sea, however, the historic Koningshaven Bridge in Rotterdam will have to be dismantled
- Plans to demolish the bridge have halted temporarily after riots by locals who demanded that rotten eggs be thrown at the yacht
The nearly $ 500 million, 417-foot yacht will be the largest yacht in the world when completed in the Netherlands this year.
Plans to demolish a historic Dutch bridge to allow Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ new yacht to go from a shipyard to the sea have been halted following public outcry from locals.
Oceanco, the company in Alblasserdam, the Netherlands, which is building Bezos ‘behemoth, said in a statement that it would temporarily halt the logistical plans to demolish the iconic Koningshavenbrug bridge in Rotterdam, the Netherlands – known as De Hef – to replace Bezos’ to allow vessel of nearly $ 500 million. , Y721, to get out to sea, Trouw News said according to NL Times.
Oceanco received reports from angry locals – which led to the decision.
One of the builders on Bezos’ yacht shared that a fear of vandalism persists because some residents were angry about the possible demolition of the bridge that was built over the Nieuwe Maas river in 1927 and renovated in 2017.
De Hef was first built over the Nieuwe Maas River in 1927 and was a massive feature of Rotterdam’s history.
The Amazon CEO, 58, is pictured with his three-year-old girlfriend, 52, Lauren Sanchez.
According to reports in February 2022, it was originally sought to move Bezos’ superyacht out of the sea by breaking down the bridge.
News broke in February about the possible plans for the bridge leading to more than 3,900 people ‘interested’ in a Facebook event calling on Rotterdam residents to throw rotten eggs at Bezos’ new yacht.
The event was organized by Pablo Strörmann and reads: ‘Take a box (rotten) eggs with you and let’s throw it en masse at Jeff’s super hunt when it sails through De Hef in Rotterdam.
‘Rotterdam was built out of rubble by the people of Rotterdam, and we are not just taking it apart for the phallus symbol of a megalomaniacal billionaire. Not without a fight! ‘
It is unclear whether the event followed and how many people attended it.
The vessel is being built at the Oceanco shipyard in Alblasserdam. It is unclear how the 417-foot yacht will reach the sea once completed this year
Reports that the city has already agreed to dismantle the historic bridge have sparked outrage in the city, with one Facebook group calling for people to bombard the yacht with rotten eggs
The 417ft (127 meter) yacht features three massive masts and three decks.
The ship is currently being built at the Oceanco’s shipyard in Alblasserdam in the west of the Netherlands.
‘Oceanco yachts tell the characteristic stories of their owners, who come to us with visions that go beyond the yachts that already exist. “Sometimes, even beyond our ideas of what a super-hunt can be,” reads the company’s website.
In general, new ships are able to pass through the iconic bridge with a clearance of 130 feet before assembling their masts. However, Bezos’ yacht is higher than the bridge and builders recommend that it is not wise to sail out when the vessel is partially built.
“Our customers come to us because they do not want another repetition of a blueprint, they want a yacht that is theirs,” boasts Oceanco.
“We embrace cooperation, partnership and openness while checking our egos at the door.”