Zuckerberg's $300 million yacht accused of refusing to help stranded boat off Alaska

An incident off the coast of southeastern Alaska has drawn attention to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's luxury yacht, “Launchpad.” The 387-foot (about 118-meter) vessel, valued at roughly $300 million, was in the area on Monday evening when a small boat, about 21 feet (6.4 meters) long, ran out of fuel and needed assistance.

The small boat had been traveling from Petersburg to Juneau when its crew called for help around 9:30 p.m. A small cruise ship, “Wilderness Legacy,” ultimately responded and towed the boat to safety in Farragut Bay.

Conflicting account

The incident gained extra attention after an account from a passenger aboard the cruise ship. According to the passenger, the ship's captain told passengers that Zuckerberg's yacht had been closer to the stranded boat but had “refused” to help — a statement that reportedly sparked strong displeasure among passengers.

Vessel tracking data also indicates that when “Wilderness Legacy” set out to help, it was farther from the stranded boat than “Launchpad” was, and that the cruise ship passed by Zuckerberg's yacht on its way to the rescue.

Zuckerberg's side denies the claim

Representatives for the businessman deny that the yacht deliberately refused to help. They stated that Zuckerberg and his family were not aboard the yacht at the time of the incident. The crew was reportedly using a different radio channel, and by the time they received information from the U.S. Coast Guard, the rescue operation was already underway.