Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s $300 million superyacht, Launchpad, is facing scrutiny after a stranded boat in Alaska was rescued by another vessel despite reportedly being closer to Zuckerberg’s yacht. The incident happened on Monday night near Kuiu Island in southeast Alaska.
A 21-foot skiff that was travelling from Petersburg to Juneau ran out of fuel. The crew asked for assistance from the relevant authorities at around 9:30 pm, reports the US Coast Guard. The Coast Guard first established that the boat was not in distress but later made a marine assistance request to passing ships.
According to the Alaska Beacon, based on ship-tracking data, Launchpad and Wingman were nearer to the distressed boat compared to the MV Wilderness Legacy. The Wilderness Legacy is a small cruise ship that operates for UnCruise Adventures. Even though it was farther from the scene of the accident, the cruise ship diverted its route to assist the distressed boat.
A passenger on the cruise told the Alaska Beacon that the captain said Launchpad had been closer but had declined to assist. The passenger later wrote on Bluesky: “Our boat rescued a stranded vessel last night, and apparently we did that after the Coast Guard radioed Mark Zuckerberg’s yacht – which was closer – and they repeatedly refused to respond.”
The passenger also said: “Frankly, if I was Mark Zuckerberg I would be absolutely ecstatic at a chance to do something helpful for someone in need and maybe get some good PR out of it.”
The incident has raised questions about why Launchpad did not respond to the assistance request. However, Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan’s spokesperson gave a different account. Brian Baker told Forbes that neither Zuckerberg nor Chan was aboard the yacht at the time.
He said the crew had been monitoring a different radio channel. According to Baker, they became aware of the assistance request only after the rescue was already underway. This explanation has added another layer to the incident.
It is said that the value of Launchpad is about $300 million. It is one of the best-known superyachts of a tech billionaire, measuring 387 feet. The yacht is accompanied by a support ship called Wingman. The luxurious yacht features two helipads, a swimming pool, and a wellness area.
With the help of four engines, the luxury yacht can achieve a maximum speed of 24 knots. The incident in Alaska has made the famous yacht acquire undeserved popularity due to communication problems between the yacht and the Coast Guard.
Sudeep Singh Rawat is a Copy Editor at NewsX Digital with over five years of experience in digital journalism. He covers national and international news, with a focus on politics, crime, technology, public affairs, and trending topics. Before joining NewsX Digital, he worked with Business Standard, The Sunday Guardian, and other digital media organisations. His reporting focuses on breaking news, enterprise stories, and explainers that inform readers through accurate, balanced, and context-driven journalism.
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