bezos yacht bridge dismantle

Rotterdam Now Won't Dismantle a Historic Bridge for Jeff Bezos's Superyacht

The Amazon founder's new sailing yacht is too tall to pass under the historic Koningshaven bridge.

Update 8/11/22 : Rotterdam now won't dismantle the Koningshaven Bridge for Jeff Bezos's boat. After backlash, the ship's builder Oceano decided to not move forward with a request to alter the bridge to sail the yacht. According to a Rotterdam deputy mayor , Oceano will "for the time being not request the environmental permit for the removal of the bridge."

"We’re happy it’s not happening," Marvin Biljoen, a councilman for GroenLinks, the Dutch Green Party, told the New York Times . "T he bridge is a national monument, which shouldn’t be altered too much. That you could still do that with money anyway bothers us."

Last week, Oceano quietly towed the yacht up the river in the early hours of the morning to a different shipyard, and now, Bezos's boat is nearly completed. The YouTube channel Dutch Yachting shared a video of the boat, and it has three large masts completed:

Expect the superyacht to be on the open seas soon.

Original 2/7/22 : The European port of Rotterdam will dismantle part of its iconic Koningshaven bridge for Jeff Bezos. The billionaire's new yacht is being built in Alblasserdam, in the western Netherlands, and will be too tall to pass under the bridge.

"It's the only route to the sea," a spokesperson for the mayor of Rotterdam told AFP , confirming the news of the bridge's dismantling. According to Dutch news , ship builder Oceanco convinced the city to dismantle part of the bridge. The Rotterdam mayor's spokesperson also confirmed that Bezos would pay for the dismantling and rebuilding of the bridge.

In November, Oceano's chairman, Omani businessman Dr. Mohammed Al Barwani, spoke of the 127 meter (416 feet) sailing yacht the company was working on without mentioning Bezos. Later, Boat International identified the 127m yacht as the one commissioned by the Amazon founder.

The Koningshaven bridge, known locally as the De Hef bridge , was built in 1877. During World War II, the bridge was significantly damaged and rebuilt, subsequently recognized as a historic monument. Between 2014 and 2017, the bridge underwent a restoration, and officials promised it would not be dismantled again.

"From an economic perspective and maintaining employment, the municipality considers this a very important project," Marcel Walravens, the leader of the proposed dismantling project, told Dutch broadcaster Rijnmond . "Rotterdam has also been declared the maritime capital of Europe. Shipbuilding and activity within that sector are therefore an important pillar for the municipality." Walravens says the project will likely take place sometime this summer.

Dennis Tak, a Labor Party city councilor, said he was OK with the dismantling of the Koningshaven bridge because Bezos is paying for it, and it would create jobs. "As a city, this is a great way to take some of his money," Tak told the New York Times .

Dutch residents are not happy, however; they plan to throw rotten eggs at Jeff Bezos's superyacht as it passes through the Rotterdam harbor. Business Insider reports Rotterdam locals are planning an event called "Throwing eggs at Jeff Bezos' superyacht" in protest.

"Calling all Rotterdammers, take a box of rotten eggs with you and let's throw them en masse at Jeff's superyacht when it sails through the Hef in Rotterdam," the event description reads on Facebook. "Rotterdam was built from the rubble by the people of Rotterdam, and we don't just take that apart for the phallic symbol of a megalomaniac billionaire. Not without a fight!" 3,300 people have RSVP'd as going, and 11,600 are interested in the event.

When Bezos's yacht, known as Y721, is delivered later this year—after the bridge is dismantled—the boat will become the world's largest sailing yacht, a title that has been held for nearly a century by American socialite Marjorie Merriweather Post's 1931 boat Sea Cloud .

Along with making history as the largest sailing yacht, Bezos's Y271 is the longest yacht to have ever been built in the Netherlands, and Oceano's largest ever superyacht. It is also rumored to come with a "support yacht," also called a shadow vessel. The superyacht likely cost more than $500 million to build, per Bloomberg .

Bezos is also reportedly the owner of the Flying Fox, a $400 million megayacht.

Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma , a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram .

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• Netherlands

Jeff Bezos’s New Superyacht to Force Dismantling of Dutch Bridge

J eff Bezos’s massive new superyacht is nearing completion, but getting it to its owner will require taking out a bridge.

The 417-foot-long sailing yacht, code-named Y721, is being built by Alblasserdam, Netherlands-based Oceanco. For the boat to reach the ocean, it will have to pass through Rotterdam, and navigate a landmark steel bridge known as De Hef. A lift bridge, De Hef’s central span can be raised more than 130 feet into the air, but that’s still not high enough to accommodate the yacht’s three giant masts.

So the city has agreed to temporarily take apart the bridge’s central section this summer for Bezos’s yacht to pass through, according to Frances van Heijst, a Rotterdam spokeswoman. The NL Times reported the bridge plan earlier Wednesday.

The Y721 will be one of the largest sailing yachts ever built in the Netherlands, the unofficial capital of boat building for the very wealthy. Rotterdam council project leader Marcel Walravens defended the city’s decision to allow the bridge to be dismantled, telling local broadcaster Rijnmond it was the “only alternative” to complete what the municipality considers “a very important project” economically.

Oceanco, and not the city, will foot the cost of the bridge demolition, van Heijst said. It’s likely some of those costs will be passed on to Bezos, the world’s second-richest person with a net worth of $175.8 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

De Hef is considered an icon of Rotterdam’s industrial heritage as a shipbuilding hub, and news of its partial demolition has caused a stir among locals.

“This man has earned his money by structurally cutting staff, evading taxes, avoiding regulations and now we have to tear down our beautiful national monument?” Rotterdam politician Stephan Leewis wrote on Twitter. “That is really going a bridge too far.”

It’s not the first headache caused by Y721’s tall masts. The enormity of the yacht’s sails will make it unsafe to land a helicopter onboard, so Bezos has commissioned a support yacht equipped with a helipad to trail alongside.

Surging levels of personal wealth pushed superyacht sales to record levels last year. A total of 887 such ships were sold in 2021, a 77% jump from a year earlier and more than double the number in 2019, according to a report from maritime data firm VesselsValue. Boat builder Burgess reported more than 2 billion euros ($2.3 billion) in superyacht sales last year.

—With assistance from Brad Stone.

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Mayor denies Dutch city will dismantle historic bridge for Jeff Bezos' yacht

By Megan Cerullo

February 4, 2022 / 2:05 PM EST / MoneyWatch

A Dutch city has not agreed to temporarily disassemble a bridge built in 1927 to make room for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos ' mega-yacht, CBS MoneyWatch has learned.

A spokesperson for the mayor — and the city — on Friday told CBS MoneyWatch that Dutch press reports that Rotterdam would disassemble an historic bridge to make room for Bezos' boat were false, and that it has not received, or approved any such request. 

If Bezos or custom yacht-builder Oceanco asks for an accommodation, the city will consider it.

"The company that built the ship didn't yet ask for a permit so there is not an issue at this moment. When they ask for the permit, then we have to make a decision if we allow it or not, and how, and things like that," the spokesperson told CBS MoneyWatch.

Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb also denied earlier press reports, telling Dutch paper Algemeen Dagblad that "No decision has been made yet," noting that neither Bezos nor his yacht's maker have applied for a permit to take down part of the bridge. 

The Amazon founder's $500 million boat, built by Netherlands-based Oceanco and scheduled to be completed soon, measures 417 feet long and must pass through Rotterdam, under its landmark bridge, to reach its owner, NL Times reported . The problem? The Koninginnebrug bridge, a steel bridge nicknamed De Hef, isn't tall enough to accommodate the ship's three masts, which exceed the 130 feet of clearance the bridge offers.   

Dutch press reports said that the city would remove the central section of the bridge to make way for the yacht, the largest ever built in the Netherlands. 

At this point in time, city officials in Rotterdam, who have been in contact with Oceanco regarding the construction of the superyacht, only know that "there is a big ship that has to go through the ocean some day," a spokesperson told CBS MoneyWatch, adding that they anticipate receiving a request to make room for the boat to pass under the bridge. 

The spokesperson noted that the city has in the past had to deconstruct parts of the bridge to accommodate large vessels. 

"This is not the first time we have to do something about this bridge so that a big ship can go through. Once every few years a big ship has to go through to the other side," the spokesperson said. "So it's not unusual, in a way."

Rotterdam officials were said to have yielded to the billionaire, the world's  second-richest person , given the significance of the project to the local economy. Rotterdam council project leader Marcel Walravens called the construction of the superyacht "a very important project" economically, according to local broadcaster Rijnmond . Dismantling the bridge was the "only alternative," he said. 

Oceanco had agreed to pay for the cost of dismantling operation, Rotterdam spokesperson Frances Van Heijst told the NL Times. It's unclear if Bezos, who is worth roughly $176 billion , would pay for any of the disassembly cost.

The shipbuilder did not respond to a request for comment from CBS MoneyWatch. 

Aboutaleb, the mayor, said the controversial undertaking remains under consideration, but that Bezos still lacks the official approval to move forward. He also said Bezos' wealth and status will not influence his decision. 

"That has absolutely nothing do with this decision. It's about the facts. I want to know them first," Aboutaleb told the Dutch language newspaper.

"It's not an issue of what is going through the bridge," the city spokesperson reiterated. "It's not like if it's a ship for Mr. Bezos all of a sudden the rules are changing. But if there is a call for a permit, we will make a decision based on facts and not emotions. But we are not at that stage at this moment," the spokesperson said.

Some locals oppose altering the bridge on behalf of one of the richest people on the planet. Protesters have organized an event on Facebook at which they vowed to gather to throw eggs at Bezos' yacht when it passes under the bridge, scheduled for June. 

"Rotterdam was built from the rubble by the people of Rotterdam, and we don't just take that apart for the phallic symbol of a megalomaniac billionaire. Not without a fight!!" event organizers wrote on Facebook. 

• Netherlands

Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News 24/7 to discuss her reporting.

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Rotterdam may dismantle historic bridge for superyacht reportedly owned by Jeff Bezos

Rotterdam is considering a request to dismantle part of a historic bridge to allow a yacht reportedly owned by Amazon (AMZN) founder Jeff Bezos to leave the shipyard where it is being built.

The Dutch city has received a request from a local shipbuilder to remove the central section of the historic Koningshaven Bridge so that a superyacht can sail to the sea, it said in a statement to CNN Business on Friday.

Rotterdam officials said the shipbuilder still needs to apply for a permit. The city said it would consider the preservation of the bridge’s structure along with the impact on the environment and local economy, including jobs in the shipbuilding industry, before approving the permit.

The shipbuilder would need to pay for the bridge to be dismantled, the city added. An extensive renovation of Koningshaven Bridge, known to locals as “De Hef,” was completed in 2017 and municipal officials promised it would never again be dismantled, according to Dutch public broadcaster Rijnmond.

Other bridges on the route between the shipyard and the sea would not have to be altered, city officials said.

Rijnmond identified the shipyard as Oceanco, which builds custom yachts. Oceanco is constructing a 127-meter long ship known as Y721 in Rotterdam, according to Boat International . The ship, which has three masts, will be the world’s tallest sailing yacht when completed delivered later this year, the specialist publication reported.

The superyacht was commissioned by Bezos, according to Dutch media and journalist Brad Stone, who reported in his book “Amazon Unbound” last year that the billionaire’s future plans include a 127-meter schooner being constructed by Oceanco.

Oceanco said it was unable to comment on its projects or clients “because of privacy and strict confidentiality reasons.” Blue Origin , the spaceflight services company founded by Bezos, did not respond to a request for comment.

Bezos is the world’s third richest person, with a net worth of $164 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index . News that a historic bridge may have to be temporarily dismantled later this year on his behalf angered some Rotterdam residents.

“I think it’s one of the few more examples … that the more money you have, the more power you get,” resident Matthias Van Der Wilt, 20, told Reuters. If the city approves the permit after “Bezos offers some nice money,” it would show that officials “don’t have character,” he added.

— AnneClaire Stapleton and Wayne Chang contributed reporting.

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Rotterdam May Dismantle Part of Bridge for Jeff Bezos’ Superyacht

The Dutch city of Rotterdam walked back earlier comments that the historic Koningshaven Bridge would be briefly dismantled. On Thursday, officials said a decision had not yet been made.

By Jenny Gross

The Dutch city of Rotterdam on Thursday walked back plans to dismantle part of the historic Koningshaven Bridge so that a superyacht built for Amazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos, could pass through the city’s river, saying that a decision had not yet been made.

This week, city officials had told the news media that Rotterdam had agreed to briefly dismantle the middle section of the 95-year-old bridge for the yacht’s passage this summer.

But on Thursday evening, officials said in another statement that the city had not yet approved the plan, though it had received a request from the shipbuilder to temporarily lift the middle part of bridge.

The city’s statement said the full cost of the dismantling, if approved, would be covered by the shipbuilder. The bridge, known locally as “De Hef,” would be restored immediately afterward.

A city spokeswoman had said that she did not have an estimate of how much the deconstruction would cost. The city statement said that officials would assess the environmental and economic effects of the plans.

A representative for Amazon did not respond to requests for comment about the cost or the yacht’s destination. A spokeswoman for Oceanco, the Dutch custom yacht company that is building the boat, said in an email that she could not comment on projects under construction or clients because of confidentiality reasons.

The city of Rotterdam’s decision to remove part of the bridge was reported on Wednesday by a regional Dutch public broadcaster, Rijnmond . Boat International, which publishes articles about the superyacht industry, reported that the 417-foot sailboat is set to become the largest sailing yacht in the world when it is finished later this year, surpassing the Sea Cloud , a 360-foot sailboat built in 1931 and owned by the Yacht Portfolio, an investment company based in Malta.

The superyacht Mr. Bezos commissioned is likely to cost more than $500 million to build, Bloomberg reported . Mr. Bezos is the world’s second-richest person , after Tesla’s chief executive, Elon Musk.

The bridge, which has a boat clearance of 130 feet, is not currently in use. A Rotterdam tour guide, Eddy le Couvreur, said that the bridge, designed by the Dutch architect Pieter Joosting and a fixture in the Rotterdam skyline, was once used for railway traffic. A vertical lift bridge, it was the first of its kind in the Netherlands, and was copied from similar bridges in the United States. The modern industrial aesthetics of the bridge inspired a short film in 1928, he said.

Until now, tall ships passed under the bridge before assembling their masts and taller structures, he said.

Dennis Tak, a Labor Party city councilor for Rotterdam, said he was fine with the bridge being dismantled — since the city would not be paying for it — because of the jobs the process would create. “As a city, this is a great way to take some of his money,” Mr. Tak said.

The structure is more than a bridge to the people of Rotterdam, said Siebe Thissen, the author of the book “The Boy Who Jumped From the Bridge,” about a working-class man who jumped from the bridge in 1933. “It’s a monument,” he said. “It’s the identity of Rotterdam.”

When city officials tried to take the bridge down in the 1990s since it was no longer in use, there were major protests, he said, calling the bridge a reminder of “the old days” in Rotterdam.

“I think that’s why there is so much turmoil about Jeff Bezos and his boat,” he said, before referring to accusations against Amazon . “People say, ‘Why this guy?’ It’s a working-class town, and they all know that Jeff Bezos, of course, he exploits his workers, so people say, ‘Why should this guy be able to demolish the bridge for his boat?’”

As of Thursday, more than 600 Facebook users said they would attend an event, titled “Throwing eggs at superyacht Jeff Bezos,” where they plan to gather by the bridge to throw eggs at the boat. “Rotterdammers are proud of their city and don’t tear down iconic buildings just because you are super rich,” said Pablo Strörmann, the event organizer, who said he started the Facebook group “mostly” as a joke.

Mr. le Couvreur, who works for the company Tours by Locals, which connects tourists with local guides, said that Rotterdammers would likely enjoy the international attention that the spectacle had brought, he said. “On the other hand, it shows the unimaginable wealth that people like Bezos have created for themselves, that nothing can stand in the way for them living out their dreams and hobbies,” he said, adding that the outlook was “worlds apart from those who will be watching the ship pass through the city.”

Claire Moses contributed reporting.

Jenny Gross is a general assignment reporter. Before joining The Times, she covered British politics for the The Wall Street Journal. More about Jenny Gross

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Rotterdam to dismantle Koningshaven bridge so Jeff Bezos's superyacht can fit through

The Amazon tycoon's superyacht will be the biggest in the world - so big that a bridge near the shipyard building it will have to be taken down to let it out to sea

By Rachel Russell, news reporter

Thursday 3 February 2022 14:34, UK

Rotterdam will dismantle a historic bridge so that a giant superyacht being built for Jeff Bezos in a local shipyard can pass through.

The Amazon founder's vessel will be the biggest sailing yacht in the world, according to Boat International.

The three-masted yacht will stand at 127 metres, meaning it is be too tall to pass under the Koningshaven bridge as it heads out to sea.

The yacht's builder, Oceanco, has asked the city in the Netherlands to take down the middle section of the bridge, which is known locally as De Hef and dates from 1878.

The company and Bezos , 58, have offered to pay for the work.

Marcel Walravens, the project leader at Rotterdam city council, said that it was "not practical" to partially finish the yacht - which is known only as Y721 and is said to have cost €430m - and finish construction elsewhere.

He told RTV: "If you carry out a big job somewhere, you want all your tools in that place. Otherwise you have to go back and forth constantly. In addition, this is such a large project that there are hardly any locations where this work is finished.

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"From an economic perspective and maintaining employment, the municipality considers this a very important project. Rotterdam has also been declared the maritime capital of Europe."

He said it would take about two weeks to dismantle the bridge.

"As the plans look now, the preparation will take about a week. There are a lot of cables on De Hef, and as soon as you remove the first one, it no longer works.

"After that week, we remove the middle part, and with a bit of luck, we will have it back a day later. After that it will take another week to put everything back in place."

The decision has prompted anger among local historians.

Ton Wesselink, of the Rotterdam Historical Society, told RTV: "Employment is important, but there are limits to what you can and may do to our heritage."

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Jeff Bezos' superyacht won't fit through a historic bridge. So the town is dismantling it.

A Dutch port city will dismantle a historic bridge to allow room for Jeff Bezos' superyacht to pass through this summer and locals aren't happy.

The Dutch port city of Rotterdam said it will temporarily break down the historic Koningshavenbrug Bridge because Bezos' 417 ft long yacht won't fit, Agence France-Presse  reported . 

Bezos’ 485 million, superyacht is being built by the Oceano shipyard in Alblasserdam, Netherlands and will pass through the port city. To make room for the yacht, the middle section of the huge steel bridge will be removed, Dutch News reported . Bezos will pay for the deconstruction of the bridge, according to the outlet.

The city's mayor's office told AFP that dismantling the bridge has created several jobs for the community and the bridge will quickly be rebuilt to its original form afterward.

"It's the only route to the sea," a mayoral spokesman told AFP.

The Koningshavenbrug bridge was built in 1878 and was reconstructed after being bombed by the Nazis in 1940 during World War II.

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In 2017, after a major renovation to the bridge, the local council promised it would never dismantle the bridge again. The announcement the bridge will be taken apart once more, has angered residents, the BBC reported .

"Jobs are important, but there are limits with what you can and should do with our industrial heritage," said Ton Wesselink, local historian, told Dutch News.

The mayor's office argued the dismantling will be economically beneficial for the city and the bridge will be rebuilt to its original form.

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It’s Official: Rotterdam Will Not Dismantle Historic Bridge for Jeff Bezos’s Superyacht

Five months ago when it was announced that Jeff Bezos had plans to dismantle a historic bridge in Rotterdam so his half-a-billion-dollar superyacht could make it out of the Koningshaven channel, frustrated residents from the Dutch city came up with a plan of their own: Throw rotten eggs at the Amazon founder and his watercraft. 

Last week, according to a report in The New York Times , it became apparent that neither proposition will come to fruition. The company responsible for building the ship, Oceanco, reportedly told the Rotterdam City Council that it will not be requesting a permit to temporarily take apart the Koningshaven Bridge, known locally as De Hef, or “the lift” in Dutch. It was unclear how, or if, the massive yacht will make it out of the port city. 

For the vessel to pass through, the central lift span would need to be removed, which would take about a day according to city officials. 

Bezos hired Oceanco to build the custom vessel, but its three large masts are too tall to safely pass under the bridge. In order to get the boat into the open ocean, the company toyed with the idea of dismantling only the middle part, then putting it back together. Though it was never a done deal (Rotterdam officials briefly confirmed they would allow the bridge’s deconstruction, then quickly retracted the statement saying the decision was still up in the air), when word first spread that the bridge could’ve been taken apart, the sheer possibility was enough to cause public outcry. 

Lift bridge decks can accommodate heavier materials, and, as such, are popular options for railways. 

De Hef, finished in 1927, is a vertical lift bridge designed by architect Pieter Joosting. Originally part of the Breda-Rotterdam Railway, the bridge was saved from demolition even after the railway suspended use in 1993. De Hef has a long history with the city, and was the first of its kind built in Western Europe. It was also the first structure restored after the bombing of Rotterdam in 1940 during World War II. Though it has been dismantled in the past—most recently in 2014 for repairs—at least for now, it will stay put. 

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Historic Dutch Bridge Being Temporarily Dismantled to Accommodate Jeff Bezos' Yacht

Once completed, the 417-foot-long ship will reportedly be the largest sailing yacht in the world

In order to make room for Jeff Bezos ' new yacht, some temporary changes will need to be made to a historic bridge in the Netherlands.

The city of Rotterdam — a major port city — has agreed to temporarily dismantle part of the Koningshaven Bridge in order to accommodate the yacht, a city spokeswoman told the Washington Post . (Bezos purchased the Post in 2013, but newspaper staff has said they have editorial independence .)

Once completed, the 417-foot-long yacht — which is currently being built in the nearby city of Alblasserdam — will be the largest sailing yacht in the world, per Boat International . The ship is expected to be finished sometime this summer.

Bloomberg previously reported that the ship will likely cost more than $500 million.

As is, the yacht is too tall to pass through the bridge, which has a clearance of just over 13 feet, per the Post .

The 58-year-old billionaire and the company building the yacht will reportedly cover the cost, according to the Dutch broadcaster Rijnmond .

A rep for Bezos did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

A Rotterdam spokesperson, who confirmed to the Post that the city will not be paying for the middle section of the bridge to be dismantled and then reassembled, was not able to provide an estimate of how much the project will cost.

"A lot of details need to be worked out," Frances van Heijst told the newspaper.

Originally built in 1927, the bridge was declared a national monument after being decommissioned in 1994, per the Post .

Following a major restoration, city officials said in 2017 the bridge would be kept intact moving forward, Rijnmond reported.

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While the decision has caused some controversy, city officials said that they decided to agree to it for economic reasons.

"From an economic perspective, we attach great importance to preserving employment," van Heijst told the Post .

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Rotterdam to dismantle part of historic bridge so Jeff Bezos’s massive yacht can pass through

Rotterdam has agreed to temporarily dismantle part of its historic Koningshaven Bridge so that Jeff Bezos’s 417-foot-long , three-mast yacht can pass through the waterway sometime this summer, according to a spokeswoman for the city.

The Dutch company Oceano has been building the massive vessel for an estimated $500 million in the nearby city of Alblasserdam. Once completed this year, the ship, known as Y721, will be the world’s largest sailing yacht, according to Boat International .

But to reach the open seas it must first pass through Rotterdam — considered the maritime capital of Europe — and the city’s historic steel bridge, locally known as De Hef, which has a clearance of just over 131 feet.

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Originally built in 1927, De Hef was a railway bridge and the first of its kind in Western Europe, with a central span that could be lifted to allow ship traffic to pass underneath. It was decommissioned in 1994 after being replaced by a tunnel, but later declared a national monument. The bridge underwent a major restoration from 2014 to 2017, after which the city said it would not be dismantled again, according to the Dutch broadcaster Rijnmond , which first reported on the yacht agreement.

Although the exact plans, timetable and costs have not been set, Oceano and Bezos will pay to dismantle the bridge, Rijnmond reported.

Frances van Heijst, the Rotterdam municipality spokeswoman, confirmed by phone that the city would not be footing the bill. She said the shipbuilder bears the cost of hiring a company to carry out the bridge’s deconstruction and reassembly, but that she could not provide an estimate or breakdown of the cost as “a lot of details need to be worked out.”

Representatives for Bezos and Oceano did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Bezos, estimated to be one of the world’s richest people, owns The Washington Post. Last year, he stepped down as chief executive of Amazon, the online retail giant he founded.

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Van Heijst said by email that the city agreed to remove the middle part of the bridge after receiving the request and weighing the economic costs and benefits.

“On the one hand, [there is] the economic importance / employment due to the construction of this ship,” she said. “On the other hand, our concern for De Hef.”

Were permission to dismantle the bridge not provided, Oceano would likely have to sail a half-finished yacht under De Hef and then complete construction elsewhere.

“From an economic perspective, we attach great importance to preserving employment,” van Heijst said.

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Marcel Walravens, a municipality official working on De Hef related issues, told Rijnmond that he considered the removal of the middle part “maintenance” as afterward the bridge would be restored to its original form.

Others are more concerned.

“Jobs are important, but there are limits with what you can and should do with our industrial heritage,” Ton Wesselink, the head of a local history society, Historisch Genootschap Roterodamum, told the website Dutch News .

Jeff Bezos' megayacht was quietly towed from a Dutch shipyard after the company building it scrapped a request to dismantle a historic bridge to let it pass — watch the video

• Bezos' yacht was moved from a Dutch shipyard before dawn Tuesday, likely to avoid local attention.
• After public outcry from locals, it did not involve the dismantling of a historic bridge.
• Watch Bezos' yacht make its journey.

Jeff Bezos' megayacht has quietly left the Dutch shipyard where it was built, sans a bridge dismantling and crowds of spectators.

The 417-foot vessel , known as Y721 and estimated to cost $500 million, has been under construction by the shipbuilding company Oceanco in a shipyard in Alblasserdam, Netherlands. It was towed to the Greenport shipyard in Rotterdam in the wee hours of the morning Tuesday, according to the German magazine Der Spiegel .

The controversy surrounding Bezos' yacht began in February, when Oceanco requested the city of Rotterdam dismantle the Koningshaven Bridge to allow the vessel to pass through the city. Known colloquially as De Hef, the beloved bridge is considered something of a landmark by locals. It's nearly 100 years old. Upon completion, the yacht will have three masts too tall for the bridge's clearance, which is about 131 feet.

Dutch residents were outraged and planned an event to throw eggs at Bezos' yacht if it required the bridge to be dismantled for its passage. Within days, Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb said no decision had been made to dismantle the bridge and that Bezos or Oceanco might need to foot the bill if it happened.

Earlier this month, Oceanco withdrew its request for the dismantling after the public outcry.

Hanco Bol, a local yachting enthusiast from the yacht fan club Dutch Yachting, saw and recorded a video of Tuesday's relocation, which he posted on YouTube, Der Spiegel reported. He said preparations for the move started about 1 a.m. and the yacht departed at 3 a.m.

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Bol speculated Oceanco "tried to keep the launch and transport under wraps" because the vessel took a route that was longer than necessary but avoided going through the city center and past the Koningshaven Bridge.

"We never saw a transport going that fast," he wrote in the caption of his YouTube video, adding that Bezos' yacht arrived at the Greenport shipyard three hours and 24 miles later.

On its voyage Tuesday morning, Bezos' yacht was towed without its masts, which will be installed later, Der Spiegel reported.

Watch the video of Bezos' yacht moving shipyards here:

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Jeff Bezos to dismantle historic Dutch bridge for $450 million yacht

The koningshaven bridge was built in 1878 and repaired after bombing in world war ii.

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Jeff Bezos will pay for Rotterdam to partially dismantle a nearly 145-year-old bridge so he can sail his $485 million super yacht out after finishing construction on the vessel. 

The Oceanco shipyard in Alblasserdam near Rotterdam has nearly completed the construction of Y721 , the former Amazon CEO’s yacht, but the vessel is too big to sail out with the bridge as it is. The builders asked the local council to remove the bridge’s central section so the yacht can pass. 

Jeff Bezos' superyacht in the Oceanco shipyard. The $485 million vessel will have a height over 130 feet.  (Courtesy Tom van Oossanen/IG: @tomvanoossanen)

"It's the only route to the sea," a spokesman for the mayor of Rotterdam told AFP , adding that billionaire Bezos, 57, would pay for the operation. The super yacht, which will be the largest boat built in Oceanco and one of the largest ever built, requires a 130-foot clearance, at least, to pass through. 

SHIRTLESS JEFF BEZOS COZIES UP TO GIRLFRIEND LAUREN SANCHEZ ON YACHT DURING ST. BARTS GETAWAY

The Koningshaven Bridge, known to locals as De Hef, dates from 1878 but was rebuilt after the Nazis bombed it in 1940 during World War II. The local council replaced the original swing bridge design after several traffic jams and collisions, changing it to a lifting bridge. 

The local council completed a major repair on the bridge in 2017 and promised not to dismantle the bridge again. 

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The shipbuilders dismissed suggestions that they sail a partially-finished vessel down the river and finish it elsewhere. Marcel Walravens, who managed the renovation, said it would prove impractical. 

"If you carry out a big job somewhere, you want all your tools in that place," Walravens told Rijnmond . "Otherwise you have to go back and forth constantly."

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Walravens noted that the municipality considers the project "very important." 

"Rotterdam has also been declared the maritime capital of Europe," he explained. "Shipbuilding and activity within that sector are therefore an important pillar for the municipality."

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Bezos Didn't Even Need to Dismantle Bridge to Move Yacht

Turns out, there were plenty of options for moving the world's largest yacht that didn't involve taking apart the koningshaven bridge in rotterdam..

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ big fancy new boat slipped silently from its berth at a Dutch shipyard in the wee hours of Tuesday morning without needing to dismantle any major historical pieces of infrastructure. Instead, the mega super yacht was towed a little out of its way to another shipyard without its mast.

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Apparently, that was always an option.

The vessel, with the catchy name Y721, has been under construction for years and still has many months to go before it’s in the hands of one of history’s wealthiest individuals. Built by Oceanco at a shipyard in Alblasserdam, Netherlands, the company originally announced the masts of the yacht would be too tall to fit under the almost 100-year-old Koningshaven Bridge, which caused quite the controversy in the Netherlands . Oceanco applied for a permit to dismantle the bridge and reassemble it once the Y721 had passed through downtown Rotterdam, all at Bezos’ expense.

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Known to locals as De Hef, the former railway bridge is a national heritage site. It was heavily damaged by Luftwaffe bombing during WWII. During renovations in 2017, Rotterdam’s city council promised residents the bridge would never again be dismantled. When Oceanco applied for the permit to do exactly that, the Dutch reacted with anger and a promise to lob eggs at the megayacht as it passed through their city, which over 3,000 people signed up on a Facebook group to do. Some went even further, threatening the company with violence should the bridge be dismantled, according to the German publication Der Spiegel . Rotterdam eventually denied the Oceanco the permit to dismantle De Hef.

Instead, the Y721 slipped out of its original shipyard around 3 a.m. Tuesday morning without its three towering masts and under the power of several tugs to head three hours to the Greenport shipyard in Rotterdam. Footage of the Y721 making its way to its new home was captured by Dutch Yachting :

It took three hours for the yacht to make it to Greenport, a trip that usually takes vessels twice as long under tow. The yacht even took a longer, more complicated route to avoid the bridge altogether, even though without its masts it could have slipped beneath the De Her undeterred. At Greenport, the masts will be installed and the ship will be tested at sea. The testing phase provided another wrinkle in the plan to dismantle the De Hef: After initial testing in open water, yachts often have to return to shipyards for improvements and repairs, which would have required even more bridge dismantling.

The 417-foot superyacht cost Bezos an estimated half-a-billion dollars to build and, when finally underway, will earn the title of largest sailing vessel in the world. Oceanco specializes in “green” sailing yacht and motorized vessels.

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Breaking news, rotterdam won’t dismantle bridge for jeff bezos’ super-yacht.

The shipyard that’s building Jeff Bezos’ massive 417-foot-high super-yacht reportedly has scrapped plans to ask the Dutch city of Rotterdam to dismantle a landmark bridge to make way for the Amazon founder’s seaborne plaything.

Oceanco, the company that was commissioned to build Bezos’ $500 million vessel, has abandoned a plan to have Rotterdam temporarily take apart Koningshavenbrug, known locally as “De Hef,” according to the Dutch language news site Trouw.

It is unclear what Oceanco plans to do now that it has abandoned the option of pursuing the bridge’s dismantling.

The article, which cited a backlash from local residents for the about-face, was translated by the site DutchNews.nl. The site obtained documents through the country’s freedom of information laws showing that Oceanco was so taken aback by the public backlash to the original plan that it decided not to go through with it.

The company had said that it needed to have the bridge taken apart in order to allow the super-yacht to sail into the North Sea.

Rotterdammers were so up in arms over the plan that they organized Facebook groups to mount protests. Some have even threatened to pelt Bezos’ super-yacht, which is said to be among the largest vessels in the world, with rotten eggs .

The 150-year-old steel structure, which has a 130-foot clearance and which spans the Meuse River, was refurbished in 2017 after it was bombed during the Second World War. The bridge has gained landmark status and was converted into a national monument.

Rotterdammers noted that city officials pledged it would not dismantle the bridge after the recent renovations from five years ago.

The city of Rotterdam reportedly opposed making the information obtained by Trouw public due to the threats it is said to have received from opponents of the plan.

Bezos’ Y721 super-yacht will be one of the biggest sailing vessels ever made in the Netherlands, which is a hub for boat construction for the very wealthy,  according to Bloomberg .

The yacht’s towering height has presented other problems for the world’s  second-richest man . The boat’s tall masts would present a hazard to helicopters, so the former Amazon CEO commissioned a support yacht with a helipad to follow in its wake, the outlet said.

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You can't buy that on Amazon! Jeff Bezos' new $500M superyacht - the TALLEST ship in the world at 230ft high - sets sail after five-year construction

• The sailing yacht is nearly half the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza
• The self-made billionaire spent a whopping $500 million on construction
• READ MORE:  Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez touch down on private jet for Miami break after relaxing Caribbean vacation 

By Milica Cosic

Published: 04:42 EDT, 5 March 2023 | Updated: 04:50 EDT, 5 March 2023

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Billionaire Jeff Bezos ' new yacht has been revealed after a five-year construction - and it will be the tallest in the world, measuring over 230ft tall.

The Executive Chairman of Amazon commissioned for the boat - called Koru - to be built in 2018 and the brand-new superyacht was constructed for a whopping $500 million.

And it seems that money is no object for Bezos as, after all, he is the third richest person on the planet with an estimated net worth of $115.4 billion. 

Previously known as Y721 or Project 721, the yacht now goes by the name of Koru which means 'new beginnings' in Maori.

Reportedly, the megayacht is set to be delivered to Bezos within the next couple of months. 

The vessel is 127 meters in length - with triple masts that reach 70 meters - making the sailing yacht nearly half the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza. 

Bezos' mammoth vessel was so tall that it was unable to pass under the Koningshaven Bridge in The Netherlands, and so asked for the bridge to be dismantled

The megayacht is set to be delivered to Bezos within the next couple of months, after being built in shipyard Oceanco, which is based in the Netherlands

A view of a yacht, which was built on the wharf in Zwijndrecht, near Rotterdam, Netherlands. Image taken in 2021, while construction was still underway

Locals were left angry at plans to dismantle a historic bridge in the city, as one Facebook group called for people to pelt the multimillion dollar yacht with rotten eggs

And with a big price tag comes a big upkeep cost. Reportedly this will cost around $25 million annually.

The multi-million dollar project it is the most recent build from shipyard Oceanco, which is based in the Netherlands.

Bezos’s net worth was calculated in 2018 at $112 billion, making him the richest person in the world

The shipyard has specialised in building large custom yachts up to 160m in length for over 30 years - including the legendary Black Pearl.

And Bezos' mammoth vessel was so tall that it was unable to pass under the Koningshaven Bridge in The Netherlands when it was being transported.

Therefore, when it was being built, Bezos reportedly asked the Dutch city of Rotterdam to dismantle the 95-year-old landmark in order to allow his yacht to pass under it.

According to reports, Bezos said he would pay to have the bridge dismantled and rebuilt again - but his request was refused.

In fact, locals also signed a petition to pelt the boat with rotten eggs on its maiden voyage - which garnered thousands of signatures. 

As a result, Bezos readjusted his expectations and the sails on his yacht so it could fit underneath the bridge.

This saw Oceanco quietly tow the enormous yacht to another shipyard where its masts were added. 

Koru will join a fleet of superyachts, helicopters, and planes already owned by the American entrepreneur and his millionaire girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez.

The Executive Chairman of Amazon commissioned for the boat - called Koru - to be built in 2018 and the brand-new superyacht was constructed for a whopping $500 million

Most extravagantly a smaller 250-ft support vessel (not pictured) will sit alongside the mammoth one, complete with a helicopter landing pad for Bezos or his celebrity guests

Koru will join a fleet of superyachts, helicopters, and planes already owned by the American entrepreneur and his millionaire girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez (pictured with Bezos above at a disco party in 2022)

What else do we know about Koru's design? 

While Oceanco remained pretty tight-lipped about the project while it was being constructed.

But new pictures taken in February showed the new vessel in a different light.

The finished length of the yacht is 127 meters long or 416 feet. It is a sailing yacht so those do tend to be shorter in length.

Meanwhile, the masts on the vessel reach 70 meters or 230 feet.

It was modeled on with three enormous masts so it can be powered largely by kinetic energy from the sails. 

What this extremely advanced and green technology means is that the sails can be managed by a single person rather than an entire crew.

Koru was first spotted being rolled out of a shipbuilding shed last year, the yacht features a black hull, white superstructure and elegant silhouette.

The aluminum and steel schooner will boast three decks including one with a swimming pool. 

Most extravagantly a smaller 250-ft support vessel will sit alongside the mammoth one, complete with a helicopter landing pad for Bezos or his celebrity guests.

This smaller yacht is expected to be loaded with an array of toys including luxury cars, jet skis, speedboats, and perhaps even a personal submarine.

This smaller ship and its pad are reportedly currently being built by Damen Yachting also in the Netherlands.

Reports that Bezos asked the city of Rotterdam to take apart the recently restored Koningshaven Bridge, known locally as De Hef, sparked anger in the city

The finished length of the yacht is 127 meters long or 416 feet. It is a sailing yacht so those do tend to be shorter in length.

What about the interior?  

It is highly unlikely that we’ll get a look inside Jeff Bezos’s new vessel any time soon.

However, the interiors onboard are reported to be inspired by Eos, which is a 305-ft yacht that belongs to his close friend, Barry Diller, who is the founder and former CEO of Fox.

The interiors onboard Eos were created by the late François Catroux, who was known for his glamorous designs for the world’s most notable royals, aristocrats and media moguls. 

But with Bezos being the richest man in the world, we can only image how incredible it will look on the inside.

The self-made billionaire is now dating TV personality Lauren Sanchez (left). The pair were first pictured together in 2018, enjoying a meal together

Who is Jeff Bezos?

Bezos was born on January 12, 1964, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

While growing up, Bezos developed a sharp interest in computer science and so he went on to graduate from Princeton University in 1986 with a degree in computer science and electrical engineering.

After university, Bezos found work at several firms on Wall Street, including Fitel, Bankers Trust and the investment firm D.E. Shaw. 

American entrepreneur Jeff Bezos, 59, is the founder and chief executive officer of Amazon.com, Inc..

Bezos founded Amazon by creating a list of 20 potential products he believed could sell well online. With $1 million raised from friends and family, Bezos rented a house in the city and established his new online book business from his garage... which later became to be known as Amazon. 

Thanks to its relentless expansion strategy, in 2019, Amazon was believed to control 37% of all online retail sales. 

However, he stepped down as CEO to become executive chairman in July 2021, now owning a bit less than 10% of the company.

Aside from Amazon, Bezos founded a spaceflight company, Blue Origin, in 2000.

In 2013, Bezos entered the media business by purchasing American newspaper The Washington Post for $250 million in cash. 

Bezos’s net worth was calculated in 2018 at $112 billion, making him the richest person in the world. 

And according to Forbes, his real time net worth is now at $115.4 billion.

The billionaire philanthropist (right) was previously married to one of the richest men on earth, Jeff Bezos. The pair were married for 25 years before announcing their divorce in 2019

Is Bezos married? 

In 1993 Bezos married Mackenzie Scott, an author and philanthropist, after meeting when they both worked at D.E. Shaw. 

After more than 25 years of marriage, in January 2019 the pair announced they were divorcing. 

Bezos and MacKenzie have four children together: three sons and a daughter adopted from China. 

The self-made billionaire then started dating TV personality Lauren Sanchez in 2019, after finalizing his divorce.

She is a TV personality, actress, and businesswoman. 

Lauren and Bezos are thought to have been having a fling since January 2018.

Rumours then began to speculate after a photo emerged in April 2018 of them enjoying a meal together.

It is rumored that Bezos made his divorce announcement from his wife MacKenzie in believing that photos of himself and Sanchez would soon be made public.

Since going public, the couple were photographed courtside at Wimbledon and relaxing on a luxury yacht off the French-speaking Caribbean island St Barths in 2019. 

Sanchez has three children, while - following his divorce - it is understood that Bezos shares 50/50 custody of his four children.

Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos' home in  Los Angeles

Jeff Bezos spent a record $165 million on a Beverly Hills love nest for his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez, purchasing the opulent Warner Estate from David Geffen

Bezos also purchased these two connected buildings that were formerly the Textile Museum in Washington, DC, which is a structure of 27,000 square feet (2,500 square meters) and includes a 7,000 square foot formal garden

Splashing the cash 

And aside from owning some of the world's most exclusive yachts - and much more - Bezos has an extremely massive real estate portfolio.

The billionaire has picked up several properties in his home state of Washington, a number of New York City apartments, a few sprawling estates in California, a ranch in Texas, and a number of places in Washington, D.C. 

In 2007, the tech guy snapped up a Spanish-style mansion in Beverly Hills for $24.45 million. 

The Amazon founder also splurged on a trio of Manhattan apartments overlooking Madison Square Park in early 2019 - paying a total of $80 million. 

In 2021, the Amazon founder reportedly acquired a 14-acre compound in Hawaii for a whopping $78 million. 

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