TORONTO -- Despite what you may have read, Bill Gates is not buying a first-of-its-kind superyacht.
Recent media reports have linked the Microsoft co-founder to the Aqua, which is believed to be the first hydrogen-powered luxury yacht in the world.
According to Sinot, the company developing the superyacht, the 112-metre-long Aqua will contain an onboard spa, gym and hydro massage room as well as several bedrooms and a 14-seat fine dining area, among many other amenities.
A number of media organizations, primarily in the U.K., have reported that Gates plans to buy the first Aqua for approximately 500 million pounds, which works out to about $860 million Canadian.
However, Sinot says there is no truth to any of these claims.
In a statement posted to its website on Monday, the yachtmaker says Aqua "is not linked to Mr. Gates (or his representatives) in any form or manner" and the company has "no business relationship" with the famed tech mogul.
"Unfortunately, all 'information' in these recent articles is incorrect," the statement concludes.
Given that vigorous denial, it seems fair to assume that Gates is indeed not about to purchase the first Aqua yacht – but if he does have US$645 million burning a hole in his pocket, there are plenty of other things he could spend it on.
The world's first "giga-mansion" is currently under construction in the ritzy Los Angeles neighbourhood of Bel Air. When it is complete this summer, it will reportedly include 20 bedrooms, 30 bathrooms, five swimming pools and its own nightclub. Gates could pay its US$500-million list price and still have more than enough left over to buy the US$115-million estate that was once home to Sonny and Cher.
The yacht's purchase price isn't enough for Gates to join his former Microsoft colleague Steve Ballmer in the NBA owners' club – Ballmer paid US$2 billion to acquire the Los Angeles Clippers in 2014 – but it would be just about enough for him to buy his way into the NHL. The hockey league's new franchise in Seattle, which starts play in 2021, is paying a US$650-million expansion fee to join the club; surely the clout of having Gates as an owner could convince the league to give him a tiny discount.
Of course, there are other ways to spend huge sums of money that may seem a little more near and dear to Gates' heart.
Last week, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced that it will spend up to US$100 million to help find a vaccine for the COVID-19 coronavirus and improve treatment options for patients. The foundation has spent more than double that in the past decade on efforts to improve sanitation technology in parts of the world where indoor plumbing may not exist. In 2018, he pledged US$1 billion of the foundation's money to the fight against malaria.
Add those commitments up, and the result isn't just enough to buy the world's first hydrogen-powered superyacht at its reported purchase price – it's enough to land the second one, too.
