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The owner of Inditex spares no expense when it comes to boats, but the superyacht that he will debut at the age of 88 is the biggest floating whim that the businessman has given himself.
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of the richest man in Espaa we know his fortune (69,930 million euros) and little else. We do know that Amancio Ortega is a multimillionaire with simple habits, although in recent years he has removed the veil of austerity with which he covered his private life. The 182 million euros that he seems to pay for his new yacht illustrate opulence
The truth is that the boats were the magnate’s first displays of wealth. Along the Galician coastThey saw the Ortega family go sailing on the ‘Valoria’ until the yacht was sold in 2017. That same year some photos were published in which the businessman was seen in a bathing suit, enjoying himself in a majestic 68.77-meter boat. That ship was the ‘Drizzle’, which was later found to have been owned by him since 2012.
Back in 2018, I bought the ‘Valoria B’,of 47 meters and valued at 30 millionwhich came to Sanxenxo to be the new family boat. Despite so much launching, the founder of the empire Zara he can’t get enough of saltpeter and right now he is immersed in a major nautical operation. As revealed Expansin’ at the end of the year, Ortega He is looking for a buyer for the ‘Drizzle’, for which he is asking 76 million, 20 less than what it cost him a decade ago. The sale will allow the entrepreneur to cover part of the cost of the new boat, which premiered in 2024 with 88 years.
The Feadship Shipowners Club
Ortega has relied on the same shipyard that built his other ships. The decision is justified, taking into account that Feadship, located in the Netherlands, has produced vessels for the greatest fortunes on the planet. Henry Ford II opened the season in 1963 by taking over the ‘Santa María’ (33 meters), the most expensive private boat built up to then by the Dutch company. The parties on board, with Frank Sinatra, Sean Connery O Zsa Zsa Gabor parading the decks and cabins, they earned the label legendary.
Nor was he left behind ‘Highlander’ (50 meters) by Malcolm Forbes ; Launched in 1985, it is still one of the most recognizable yachts in the world today thanks to its unique design and green hull, the same green as dollar bills. Gianni Agnelli , Henry Kissinger , Margaret Thatcher , Elizabeth Taylor or Paul McCartney were some of the guests at this art deco style marine disco.
Less exhibitionist, but larger, are the yachts of Roman AbramovichandLarry Ellison (Oracles). The Russian oligarch wanted to own a fast superyacht and in 2004 the shipyard gave him the ` Ecstasea? , with 43,000 horsepower pushing its 86 meters. For his part, the American had the `Musashi` built in 2011 with a length of 88 meters because his previous boat, the `Rising Sun? (138 meters), it was too big to fit in most of the ports she visited.
Bernard Arnault (Louis Vuitton) and Dmitri Rybolvlev (AS Monaco) boast of having the two largest boats conceived by Feadship, the Symphony (101 meters, launched in 2015) and the Anna (110 meters, 2018). Even Steve Jobs (Apple) chose the same company to bring to life the ‘Venus’, a 79-meter yacht that he himself designed together with the designer Philippe Starck. The technological guru, yes, died before he could see the ship finished.
Of the new Spanish yacht, it is not known how big it will be, although for 182 million euros a length of between 70 and 100 meters is glimpsed. Surely they will have spaces similar to those that the shipyard’s latest creations show off. Without going any further, at the end of February the launch of the ‘Juice’ what with 71 meters and an estimated price of 120 millionboasts an eight-meter swimming pool, a movie theater, a gym, a walking deck and three auxiliary boats stored in its entrails.
Following in the footsteps of the cabals, we can even ask ourselves If the design of ‘Project 2024’ it may end up being the ship of the richest of the Spaniards. This project, presented by Feadship in April 2021, it is intended for “owners who have no experience or interest in the complex technical aspects of construction.”
The ‘2024’ stands out for its aft bathing platform, whose surface area increases by 80% when the lateral wings are unfolded, giving shelter to a 3.3 meter swimming pool. Another innovative solution is the private terrace with swimming pool located in the heart of the yacht and with access from the owner’s cabin. According to its creators, if a client had commissioned this yacht last summer, he could be sailing on it in 2024. Could this be Amancio Ortega’s temptation?
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