Zuckerbergâs yacht was closest to stranded boat but ârefusedâ to help: Report
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has responded to questions raised after his 387ft superyacht reportedly failed to assist a stranded skiff and its crew, despite being
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has responded to questions raised after his 387ft superyacht reportedly failed to assist a stranded skiff and its crew, despite being the closest vessel to the boat, The Guardian reported. Zuckerbergâs yacht, Launchpad, is reportedly worth around $300 million. According to reports, the yachtâs crew repeatedly declined to assist after a nearby boat called for help last week. Zuckerberg was not on board at the time, according to a spokesperson who spoke to Forbes. Also Read | Parl Panel asks Meta CEO Zuckerberg to apologise over PM Modi's reel fiasco The 21ft skiff had run out of fuel between Petersburg and Juneau, according to the Alaska Beacon.
It was eventually rescued by a cruise ship that was farther away than Zuckerbergâs yacht. A passenger on the UnCruise Adventures ship Wilderness Legacy, which rescued the stranded boat, described the incident on Bluesky. âIâm on a small-ship Alaska cruise with my son,â the passenger wrote. âOur boat rescued a stranded vessel last night and apparently we did that after the Coast Guard radioed Mark Zuckerbergâs yacht, which was closer, and they repeatedly refused to respond.â The passenger added that there was ânear unanimous booingâ when the shipâs captain announced the incident.
Zuckerberg's response Brian Baker, a spokesperson for Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, said the couple were not aboard Launchpad when the incident occurred. Baker said the yachtâs crew had been operating on a different radio channel and did not hear the initial call for assistance. He added that âthe assist was already underwayâ by the time the crew reviewed the broadcast. The incident has nevertheless drawn attention because of the yachtâs size and proximity to the stranded vessel. Zuckerberg, who co-founded Facebook at 19 and became a billionaire at 22, has faced criticism over the broader social impact of Metaâs platforms and his increasingly visible political ties, including his relationship with US President Donald Trump.
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