Jeff Bezos' superyacht: What to know about the lavish 'Koru'
The two, who went public with their relationship in 2019 and got engaged in 2023, will tie the knot in Venice, Italy, the city previously confirmed. The wedding comes about six years after the tech mogul, 61, and former television journalist, 55, founder began dating and their nuptials are shaping up to be the event of the year, despite ongoing protests against it by locals.
The billionaire founder was photographed June 25 arriving at Venice's historic Aman Hotel in a water taxi with Sánchez.
In the lead up to the wedding, Bezos and his luxurious possessions are back in the spotlight. Here's what to know about his superyacht, Koru.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
How big is Koru?
Koru is the largest sailing yacht in the world, according to Netherlands-based custom yacht builder Oceanco, which built the vessel.
The three-masted schooner is estimated to be 417 feet long and includes a midnight blue hull, several decks, three jacuzzis and a pool atop the deck, per Oceanco and Yacht World. The masts are about 230 feet high, Yacht World reported, making them almost the same height as the Great Pyramid of Giza.
In 2022, the yacht became embroiled in controversy after news emerged that part of Rotterdam's historic Koningshaven Bridge, locally known as De Hef, could be dismantled to transport the boat from Oceanco's inland dock in Alblasserdam to the North Sea, according to prior media reports. While city officials initially planned to take apart the bridge to allow the tall masts of the boat to pass through, public backlash prompted them to walk back on their decision, the New York Times reported at the time. Oceanco later transported the masts separately and the finished product was delivered to Mallorca in 2023, German media outlet Spiegel and Boat International reported.
What does 'Koru' mean?
Koru is Māori for loop or coil and is symbolized by a spiral shape. The word references new beginnings and the start of a new chapter, focused on change and personal growth.
The yacht's support vessel, meanwhile, is named Abeona after the Roman goddess of journeys, Architectural Digest reported.
Koru features
The superyacht's exterior was designed by Dutch company Dykstra Naval Architecture, while the interior was handled by interior design firm Mlinaric Henry & Zervudachi, Oceanco said.
Oceanco describes the interior as 'timeless, contemporary style, with natural wood tones complemented by a palette of warm neutrals and beautifully patterned textiles.'
Lauren Sánchez shot down speculation about Koru's figurehead
It has been suggested that the figurehead adorning Koru looks like Bezos' wife-to-be, Sánchez. However, Sánchez shut down the rumors in a November 2023 interview with Vogue, telling the media outlet that the figurehead, an ornamental symbol located on the bow of a ship, is one of Bezos's favorite mythological figures, Freyja, Norse goddess of love, fertility, war, and gold.
'I'm very flattered, but it's not,' Sánchez remarked to Vogue.
In pictures: Koru
Bezos proposed to Lauren on Koru
Bezos popped the question to Sánchez on Koru during a trip to the Cannes Film Festival in May 2023, when he hid a box containing a pink diamond engagement ring under her pillow, Sánchez shared with Vogue.
"When he opened the box, I think I blacked out a bit," she told the outlet.
Who was Jeff Bezos' first wife? All about philanthropist MacKenzie Scott
When is Jeff Bezos' wedding to Lauren Sánchez?
Bezos and Sánchez have been rather tight-lipped about their upcoming nuptials, and the exact date of their wedding has not been revealed. Reuters and The New York Times reported the three-day wedding is likely to occur between June 26 and 28.
About 200 guests, including some of the couple's closest celebrity friends such Oprah Winfrey, designer Diane von Furstenberg and husband Barry Diller, Mick Jagger, Salma Hayek, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, Eva Longoria, and Kim Kardashian, are expected to be in attendance. Five of the city's most luxurious hotels have been booked out to host the wedding party.
Bezos and Sánchez are not the first celebrity couple to choose Italy for their destination wedding. Previously, George and Amal Clooney also wed in Venice in 2014, as did Salma Hayek and her billionaire husband François-Henri Pinault in 2009.
Contributing: Anna Kaufman, Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY; Reuters
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hypebeast
21 minutes ago
- Hypebeast
Soho House Goes Private in $2.7 Billion USD Deal
Soho House, the exclusive global network of members-only clubs, is set to be taken private in a $2.7 billion deal USD, capping a turbulent period as a public company. The transaction is being led by New York-based MCR Hotels, following a period of financial struggles that saw the company's value nearly halve since its 2021 market debut. Under the terms of the agreement, shareholders will receive $9 USD per share, a 17.8% premium over the previous closing price. This news sent the company's shares surging by 16% in premarket trading. As part of the new ownership structure, founder Nick Jones and executive chairman Ron Burkle's investment firm, Yucaipa, will retain majority control of the business. In a move to strengthen its leadership, the company announced that actor and tech investor Ashton Kutcher will join its board of directors. Additionally, hospitality veteran Neil Thomson has been named the new chief financial officer, effective immediately. The deal has received a vote of confidence from prominent hedge fund manager Daniel Loeb, who, as a major shareholder, expressed his support for the planned move. This privatization will allow the company, which began as a single meeting place for creative people in London in 1995, to focus on its core business away from public market pressures. The new financial backing from MCR Hotels and others is expected to give the brand more stability for future growth.
Business Insider
34 minutes ago
- Business Insider
Amazon (AMZN) Unleashes ‘Household OS' Market Strategy
Just last week, Amazon (AMZN) announced its Same-Day Delivery service to include perishable grocery items at no additional cost for Prime members, putting it in direct competition with retail giants like Walmart (WMT). This move could spark two reactions from investors: concern over margin pressure or recognition that Prime is solidifying its role as the essential operating system for the American household. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. While margin erosion may be a near-term risk, I believe the latter view better captures Amazon's long-term value proposition—supporting my bullish stance that AMZN remains one of the market's most compelling stocks. Financial Firepower for the Final Frontier Before diving into frozen pizza and milk, it's worth stepping back. Amazon has significant room to experiment, backed by strong financial performance. Its Q2 2025 results show the business firing on all cylinders, generating the massive cash flow needed to bankroll a long-term, capital-heavy push into the $1 trillion-plus U.S. grocery market. Amazon's core strength lies in its ability to leverage existing advantages—such as logistics, scale, and capital—to break into new markets. A prime example is Amazon Web Services, launched in 2006, more than two decades after the company's founding. Today, AWS has grown into a powerhouse, generating $30.9 billion in revenue in Q2 alone. Of course, not every experiment succeeds—take the failed Fire Phone, for instance—but unlike a typical entrepreneur who risks losing everything, Amazon has the financial cushion to absorb the occasional flop. For years, a common trope around Amazon was that it had to continually sacrifice profitability in pursuit of growth. Thanks to AWS, that's no longer the case. The company is now simultaneously expanding both revenue and profits, showcasing impressive operating leverage. Meanwhile, Amazon's core e-commerce business remains robust. North America segment sales rose 11% year-over-year to $100.1 billion in Q2, supported by its massive, regionalized U.S. fulfillment network that positions inventory closer to customers. This not only enables faster delivery—often the same day—but also lowers average shipping distances, creating cost efficiencies that reinforce Amazon's competitive moat. It's Not About Groceries, It's About the Flywheel Amazon's move to expand Same-Day Delivery into groceries should be seen in context. This isn't a speculative experiment like the Fire Phone. Having already absorbed the heavy capital costs of building a faster, more efficient fulfillment network for general merchandise, Amazon can now leverage those 'sunk costs' to attack the grocery vertical. Adding temperature-controlled zones to existing advanced facilities is far less expensive than building a cold-chain logistics network from scratch—positioning Amazon, quite literally 'primed,' to capture share in the grocery market. But the real story may lie in the indirect benefits. Fresh groceries increase customer stickiness by creating high-frequency, routine purchases that embed Amazon into daily consumer behavior. They also generate valuable data to enhance ad targeting and expand the company's high-margin advertising business. Most importantly, free, fast grocery delivery raises the value of a Prime membership, helping drive new sign-ups while justifying future price hikes. In short, Amazon's Same-Day grocery push doesn't just add a new revenue stream—it accelerates the flywheel. Navigating the Headwinds That said, risks remain. The unit economics of online grocery are notoriously tricky. McKinsey & Company estimates that a $100 online grocery order can produce a net loss of about $13, a key reason so many companies have struggled to make the model profitable. While Amazon's scale provides an edge, its margins could take a hit if grocery losses aren't offset quickly, particularly in the early adoption phase. This risk is compounded by the fact that Amazon's margins are already under strain from heavy AI investments. On top of that, entrenched competitors like Walmart—currently the leader in online grocery—are unlikely to cede ground easily. The result could be a prolonged, costly battle that squeezes profitability across the sector. Is Amazon a Buy, Hold, or Sell? On Wall Street, AMZN earns a consensus Strong Buy rating based on 44 Buy, one Hold, and zero Sell ratings in the past three months. AMZN's average price target of $265.22 implies an upside potential of 15% over the next 12 months. Amazon's Grocery Bet Could Reshape Retail In summary, Amazon's expansion into same-day perishable delivery is about more than selling groceries—it's another step in a decades-long strategy to become the central utility of American commerce. While entering the notoriously difficult grocery sector carries risks, including margin pressure and fierce competition, Amazon's scale, financial strength, and operational capabilities position it to not only redefine the retail landscape but also further entrench Prime as the essential gateway to modern consumer life.
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Amazon cloud chief says replacing junior employees with AI is the 'dumbest thing I've ever heard'
Don't replace your junior employees with AI, said Amazon cloud chief. "They're the most leaned into your AI tools," said Matt Garman. The CEO of Amazon Web Services also said cutting junior staff for AI could wreck future talent pipelines. Matt Garman, Amazon's cloud boss, has a warning for business leaders rushing to swap workers for AI: Don't ditch your junior employees. The Amazon Web Services CEO said on an episode of the "Matthew Berman" podcast published Tuesday that replacing entry-level staff with AI tools is the "dumbest thing I've ever heard." "They're probably the least expensive employees you have. They're the most leaned into your AI tools," he said. "How's that going to work when you go like 10 years in the future and you have no one that has built up or learned anything?" Garman said companies should keep hiring graduates and teaching them how to build software, break down problems, and adopt best practices. He also said the most valuable skills in an AI-driven economy aren't tied to any one college degree. "If you spend all of your time learning one specific thing and you're like, 'That's the thing I'm going to be expert at for the next 30 years,' I can promise you that's not going to be valuable 30 years from now," he said. Instead, he said students should focus on developing critical reasoning, creativity, and the ability to adapt as technology evolves. Garman and Amazon did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. AI is coming for junior employees Tech leaders have been vocal about how AI could replace the work of entry-level staff. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in June that AI is already beginning to act like junior-level coworkers. "You hear people that talk about their job now is to assign work to a bunch of agents, look at the quality, figure out how it fits together, give feedback, and it sounds a lot like how they work with a team of still relatively junior employees," Altman said of AI agents during the Snowflake Summit 2025. Google's chief scientist, Jeff Dean, said earlier this year that AI will soon be able to replicate the skills of a junior software engineer, adding that it could happen within the next year. The pressure is also showing up in data. According to Goldman Sachs, the unemployment rate for 20- to 30-year-olds in tech has risen by nearly 3 percentage points since early 2024, over four times the increase in the overall jobless rate. "While this is still a small share of the overall US labor market, we estimate that generative AI will eventually displace 6-7% of all US workers," Jan Hatzius, Goldman Sachs' chief economist, wrote in August. Others don't agree that junior staff are expendable. GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke said last month that young engineers frequently bring fresh perspectives and are more likely to have been early adopters of AI. "Folks that go to high school now, or to college, or even kids earlier in their education, they get to use AI much faster," Dohmke said in a July episode of "The Pragmatic Engineer." "They get it because they are taking this with an open mind. They don't have the, 'This is how we've always done it,'" he added. Read the original article on Business Insider Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
