An armada of boats sounds like something that belongs to an entire country. But in 2024, one of the largest armadas in the world is a group of luxury yachts belonging to a single video game billionaire.
One person posted about it on Reddit, saying, "[Today I learned] Gabe Newell, co-founder of Valve Corporation, has an armada of luxury yachts worth around $1 billion."
They cited an article from LuxuryLaunches, which read: "Not a Saudi prince or an oligarch, but it is American video game billionaire Gabe Newell that has an armada of luxury yachts worth around $1 billion." These vessels include the world's deepest-traveling research submersible, a hospital ship, and a luxury yacht that's 365 feet long, among others.
Redditors were left scratching their heads. "After you have one, buying further yachts seems like a really pointless thing to do with your money," one person opined.
Beyond wondering about the emotional satisfaction of amassing an armada, many people were angry that the purchases were even a possibility.
"Some people are really into one thing," one person said. "The plebs collect stamps. John Travolta collects planes for the airstrip built into his estate. We live in different worlds. It's almost impossible to comprehend the vast, chasm of inequality separating us from the mega rich."
Another agreed, saying, "Yeah this s*** isnt to be lauded, and it isnt impressive. Its complete s*** tier behavior and a huge problem."
The main reason so many people take issue with private yachts is their extreme environmental cost. The Guardian, for example, estimated that a fully staffed and operational super yacht pollutes the environment at 1,500 times the rate of a family car — and cars are already a great deal more pollutive than public transportation, walking, biking, and electric vehicles.
There has been similar public outcry around the excessive use of private jets for travel among the wealthy and famous. According to research from Yale University, a private flyer in 2024 produced roughly 500 times as many planet-warming emissions as the average person did.
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"Just one of the billionaires destroying our planet," one person vented.
Because of this, more people are encouraging affluent travelers to cut back on their private travel, while some countries are levying increased taxes on these methods. Others are hoping that, if private travel continues, it can at least transition to renewable energy sources.
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