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Shame on you– you insist on driving your Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat even with the latest impassioned environmental activists berating your vehicular choices. Okay, well, that happens. But, even with your gas-guzzling supercharged muscle car, you’re not using anywhere near as much fuel as the hyper-wealthy jet setter and their massive luxury boats. That’s right: mega yachts are cruising the open seas despite the plight of environmentalists everywhere. 

Mega yachts are all the rage despite their environmental impact

Sure, you can easily spend one million dollars on a world-class hypercar. However, once you get into toys that float, they can demand tens or hundreds of millions of dollars and environmentally damaging impacts. For instance, depending on your travel plans, you could spend over $200,000 on fuel alone. And all that burned fuel doesn’t do much to help our oceans and their biodiversity. 

Still, as you might imagine, mega yacht ownership is rarified air. On average, mega yachts over 100 feet long can net well over 70 million dollars. And as you might imagine, the truly massive examples can cost much more than that. A 300+ foot yacht with a crew of 50 could cost an average of 275 million dollars, per Forbes. 

The mega yacht known as Azzam is moored at a harbor.
The mega yacht Azzam | makasana via iStock

Moreover, building super yachts and mega yachts is best left to the professionals. As such, one name has emerged as the most popular builder of these opulent sea-farers. It’s Lürssen, a German firm headquartered in Bremen. This includes what is more than likely the largest privately owned mega yacht in the world: the Azzam. According to Boat International, the Azzam is over 590 feet long. 

Sure, that sounds big. But let me clear up just how massive that is in practical terms. It is, and I’m not jesting here, longer than military warships. Specifically, a Ticonderoga-class U.S. Navy cruiser is around 567 feet long, or about 23 feet shy of the Azzam. And that’s with a crew of around 370 servicemembers. Unsurprisingly, the Azzam reportedly required 600 million dollars to produce. That’s before you factor in the massive cost of fueling the Azzam.

Of course, calling a mega yacht a “boat” is liable to earn you some raised eyebrows amongst the luxury nautical crowd. Typically, a “boat” stops being a boat and starts being a “ship” at around 100 feet in length. That, or some definitions include vessels large enough to transport their own lifeboats, like a cruise ship or mega yacht. Either way, these hulking vessels represent some of the most excessive purchases in the world.

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Staff Writer

Erik Sherman

Erik Sherman joined the MotorBiscuit team as an Autos Writer in 2022. An admitted petrolhead and an avid motorcyclist, Erik has owned everything from classic cars to motorcycles to modern driver’s cars. Erik also has extensive experience with military and emergency vehicles, ranging from ambulances and fire engines to MRAPs and Humvees. Erik is an eager car and motorcycle reviewer with expertise covering everything from sports cars and electric motorcycles to pontoon boats and jet skis.

Erik holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He also studied Chinese, Energy, and European Politics at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Erik’s background is unorthodox; he is a United States Marine Corps (USMC) combat veteran, water survival practitioner, and a former firefighter/EMT. Additionally, Erik is a regular volunteer and former instructor with the American Red Cross (ARC). When he’s not working, you can find Erik on his motorcycle or out for a spirited drive.