Mark Zuckerberg’s $300 million superyacht passed through Seattle’s Ballard Locks on Tuesday, the same day Meta disclosed plans to cut nearly 1,400 jobs in Washington state.
The 387-foot Launchpad, built by Dutch shipbuilder Feadship, traveled from Elliott Bay through the locks toward Lake Union, drawing a crowd along the walkway.
The boat’s arrival and the job cuts do not appear to be related, but the irony was not lost on the crowds that hustled down to the locks to catch a glimpse of the giant yacht after word spread through the neighborhood and online. Some booed from the shore and heckled the crew.
“Superyacht-wise, this is the biggest one I’ve had in 14 years,” said a lock operator who was helping to guide the vessel through the large lock.
Bumpers on the side of the boat were about the size of small SUVs, while the back deck had a covered pool and hot tub. More than a dozen crew members were visible, many enjoying the trip through the channel on a partly sunny evening.
The Meta CEO did not appear to be aboard. A crew member, asked if Zuckerberg was on the yacht, shook his head no. Another said the crew wasn’t in town for the FIFA World Cup, and planned to “come and go.”
Launchpad flies a Marshall Islands flag, a common registry for large yachts. One heckler shouted to “pay some fucking taxes.”
The layoffs will impact about 20% of Meta’s Seattle-area workforce. They are part of a companywide reduction of roughly 8,000 positions as the company accelerates spending on AI infrastructure, including capital expenditures that could reach $145 billion this year.
Thanks to Ed Lazowska for tipping us off to the yacht’s arrival.
