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Jeff Bezos’s New Superyacht to Force Dismantling of Dutch Bridge

J eff Bezos’s massive new superyacht is nearing completion, but getting it to its owner will require taking out a bridge.

The 417-foot-long sailing yacht, code-named Y721, is being built by Alblasserdam, Netherlands-based Oceanco. For the boat to reach the ocean, it will have to pass through Rotterdam, and navigate a landmark steel bridge known as De Hef. A lift bridge, De Hef’s central span can be raised more than 130 feet into the air, but that’s still not high enough to accommodate the yacht’s three giant masts.

So the city has agreed to temporarily take apart the bridge’s central section this summer for Bezos’s yacht to pass through, according to Frances van Heijst, a Rotterdam spokeswoman. The NL Times reported the bridge plan earlier Wednesday.

The Y721 will be one of the largest sailing yachts ever built in the Netherlands, the unofficial capital of boat building for the very wealthy. Rotterdam council project leader Marcel Walravens defended the city’s decision to allow the bridge to be dismantled, telling local broadcaster Rijnmond it was the “only alternative” to complete what the municipality considers “a very important project” economically.

Oceanco, and not the city, will foot the cost of the bridge demolition, van Heijst said. It’s likely some of those costs will be passed on to Bezos, the world’s second-richest person with a net worth of $175.8 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

De Hef is considered an icon of Rotterdam’s industrial heritage as a shipbuilding hub, and news of its partial demolition has caused a stir among locals.

“This man has earned his money by structurally cutting staff, evading taxes, avoiding regulations and now we have to tear down our beautiful national monument?” Rotterdam politician Stephan Leewis wrote on Twitter. “That is really going a bridge too far.”

It’s not the first headache caused by Y721’s tall masts. The enormity of the yacht’s sails will make it unsafe to land a helicopter onboard, so Bezos has commissioned a support yacht equipped with a helipad to trail alongside.

Surging levels of personal wealth pushed superyacht sales to record levels last year. A total of 887 such ships were sold in 2021, a 77% jump from a year earlier and more than double the number in 2019, according to a report from maritime data firm VesselsValue. Boat builder Burgess reported more than 2 billion euros ($2.3 billion) in superyacht sales last year.

—With assistance from Brad Stone.

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It’s Official: Rotterdam Will Not Dismantle Historic Bridge for Jeff Bezos’s Superyacht

By Katherine McLaughlin

Five months ago when it was announced that Jeff Bezos had plans to dismantle a historic bridge in Rotterdam so his half-a-billion-dollar superyacht could make it out of the Koningshaven channel, frustrated residents from the Dutch city came up with a plan of their own: Throw rotten eggs at the Amazon founder and his watercraft. 

Last week, according to a report in The New York Times , it became apparent that neither proposition will come to fruition. The company responsible for building the ship, Oceanco, reportedly told the Rotterdam City Council that it will not be requesting a permit to temporarily take apart the Koningshaven Bridge, known locally as De Hef, or “the lift” in Dutch. It was unclear how, or if, the massive yacht will make it out of the port city. 

For the vessel to pass through, the central lift span would need to be removed, which would take about a day according to city officials. 

Bezos hired Oceanco to build the custom vessel, but its three large masts are too tall to safely pass under the bridge. In order to get the boat into the open ocean, the company toyed with the idea of dismantling only the middle part, then putting it back together. Though it was never a done deal (Rotterdam officials briefly confirmed they would allow the bridge’s deconstruction, then quickly retracted the statement saying the decision was still up in the air), when word first spread that the bridge could’ve been taken apart, the sheer possibility was enough to cause public outcry. 

Lift bridge decks can accommodate heavier materials, and, as such, are popular options for railways. 

De Hef, finished in 1927, is a vertical lift bridge designed by architect Pieter Joosting. Originally part of the Breda-Rotterdam Railway, the bridge was saved from demolition even after the railway suspended use in 1993. De Hef has a long history with the city, and was the first of its kind built in Western Europe. It was also the first structure restored after the bombing of Rotterdam in 1940 during World War II. Though it has been dismantled in the past—most recently in 2014 for repairs—at least for now, it will stay put. 

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International Edition

Rotterdam to dismantle Koningshaven bridge so Jeff Bezos's superyacht can fit through

The Amazon tycoon's superyacht will be the biggest in the world - so big that a bridge near the shipyard building it will have to be taken down to let it out to sea

By Rachel Russell, news reporter

Thursday 3 February 2022 14:34, UK

Rotterdam will dismantle a historic bridge so that a giant superyacht being built for Jeff Bezos in a local shipyard can pass through.

The Amazon founder's vessel will be the biggest sailing yacht in the world, according to Boat International.

The three-masted yacht will stand at 127 metres, meaning it is be too tall to pass under the Koningshaven bridge as it heads out to sea.

The yacht's builder, Oceanco, has asked the city in the Netherlands to take down the middle section of the bridge, which is known locally as De Hef and dates from 1878.

The company and Bezos , 58, have offered to pay for the work.

Marcel Walravens, the project leader at Rotterdam city council, said that it was "not practical" to partially finish the yacht - which is known only as Y721 and is said to have cost €430m - and finish construction elsewhere.

He told RTV: "If you carry out a big job somewhere, you want all your tools in that place. Otherwise you have to go back and forth constantly. In addition, this is such a large project that there are hardly any locations where this work is finished.

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"From an economic perspective and maintaining employment, the municipality considers this a very important project. Rotterdam has also been declared the maritime capital of Europe."

He said it would take about two weeks to dismantle the bridge.

"As the plans look now, the preparation will take about a week. There are a lot of cables on De Hef, and as soon as you remove the first one, it no longer works.

"After that week, we remove the middle part, and with a bit of luck, we will have it back a day later. After that it will take another week to put everything back in place."

The decision has prompted anger among local historians.

Ton Wesselink, of the Rotterdam Historical Society, told RTV: "Employment is important, but there are limits to what you can and may do to our heritage."

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Rotterdam to dismantle historic bridge for Bezos superyacht

The Hague (AFP) – The Dutch port city of Rotterdam said Wednesday it would temporarily dismantle an historic bridge to allow a superyacht built for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to pass.

Issued on: 02/02/2022 - 17:32

Bezos's gigantic, 430-million-euro ($485 million) yacht is too big for the iconic Koningshaven Bridge, which dates from 1878 and was rebuilt after being bombed by the Nazis in 1940 during World War II.

The shipyard building the three-masted mammoth in Alblasserdam, near Rotterdam, has asked the local council to remove the bridge's central section so it can pass through.

"It's the only route to the sea," a spokesman for the mayor of Rotterdam told AFP, adding that billionaire Bezos would foot the bill for the operation.

But the decision has angered some in the Netherlands as the local council promised after a major renovation in 2017 that it would never again dismantle the bridge, known to Rotterdammers as De Hef.

The mayor's office insisted on the economic benefits and jobs created by the construction of the boat, but promised that the bridge would be rebuilt in its current form.

The middle section of the huge steel-girdered bridge will be removed to give enough clearance for the 40-metre (130-foot) high boat, Dutch media reported.

The process will take a few weeks and is expected to happen this summer.

Bezos, 57, is one of the world's richest men after transforming online bookseller Amazon into a global shopping giant.

When not travelling by sea on superyachts, he can be found blasting into space on his Blue Origin capsule.

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Jeff Bezos will have Rotterdam dismantle a bridge so his superyacht can pass through

Tell me you have too much money without telling me you have too much money..

Need proof Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has a disconcertingly large fortune ? Just ask Rotterdam. Rijnmond and The Washington Post have learned the Dutch city has agreed to temporarily dismantle part of the historic Koningshaven Bridge (often called De Hef) to let his upcoming superyacht, Y721, pass through this summer. City spokeswoman Frances van Heijst didn't yet have a cost estimate, but stressed that shipbuilder Oceanco would cover the costs rather than the city.

As you might imagine, Y721's design is... excessive. With a 417-foot length, three masts and several decks, the vessel is poised to be the world's largest sailing yacht. It's currently under construction in Alblasserdam and is believed to cost about $500 million. If Rotterdam hadn't granted permission to dismantle part of the bridge, Oceanco would likely have needed to sail the partly constructed yacht under the bridge and finish construction at another dock.

The city is also catching some flak over the decision. Koningshaven, built in 1927, was declared a national monument after it was decommissioned in 1994 due to its significance as the first in Western Europe with a central section that raises to allow taller ships underneath. The city finished a three-year restoration of the bridge in 2017, and vowed to never dismantle the bridge again — the Bezos deal breaks that promise in spectacular fashion.

Not that Bezos will necessarily be fazed. Forbes estimates Bezos' net worth at $166.6 billion as of this writing. He could pay for the Netherlands' latest defense budget ($14.3 billion) ten times over and still afford the yacht. To him, dismantling the bridge is effectively a minor inconvenience where it it's a huge affair for virtually everyone else.

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Rotterdam Now Won't Dismantle a Historic Bridge for Jeff Bezos's Superyacht

The Amazon founder's new sailing yacht is too tall to pass under the historic Koningshaven bridge.

"We’re happy it’s not happening," Marvin Biljoen, a councilman for GroenLinks, the Dutch Green Party, told the New York Times . "T he bridge is a national monument, which shouldn’t be altered too much. That you could still do that with money anyway bothers us."

Last week, Oceano quietly towed the yacht up the river in the early hours of the morning to a different shipyard, and now, Bezos's boat is nearly completed. The YouTube channel Dutch Yachting shared a video of the boat, and it has three large masts completed:

Expect the superyacht to be on the open seas soon.

Original 2/7/22 : The European port of Rotterdam will dismantle part of its iconic Koningshaven bridge for Jeff Bezos. The billionaire's new yacht is being built in Alblasserdam, in the western Netherlands, and will be too tall to pass under the bridge.

"It's the only route to the sea," a spokesperson for the mayor of Rotterdam told AFP , confirming the news of the bridge's dismantling. According to Dutch news , ship builder Oceanco convinced the city to dismantle part of the bridge. The Rotterdam mayor's spokesperson also confirmed that Bezos would pay for the dismantling and rebuilding of the bridge.

In November, Oceano's chairman, Omani businessman Dr. Mohammed Al Barwani, spoke of the 127 meter (416 feet) sailing yacht the company was working on without mentioning Bezos. Later, Boat International identified the 127m yacht as the one commissioned by the Amazon founder.

The Koningshaven bridge, known locally as the De Hef bridge , was built in 1877. During World War II, the bridge was significantly damaged and rebuilt, subsequently recognized as a historic monument. Between 2014 and 2017, the bridge underwent a restoration, and officials promised it would not be dismantled again.

"From an economic perspective and maintaining employment, the municipality considers this a very important project," Marcel Walravens, the leader of the proposed dismantling project, told Dutch broadcaster Rijnmond . "Rotterdam has also been declared the maritime capital of Europe. Shipbuilding and activity within that sector are therefore an important pillar for the municipality." Walravens says the project will likely take place sometime this summer.

Dennis Tak, a Labor Party city councilor, said he was OK with the dismantling of the Koningshaven bridge because Bezos is paying for it, and it would create jobs. "As a city, this is a great way to take some of his money," Tak told the New York Times .

Dutch residents are not happy, however; they plan to throw rotten eggs at Jeff Bezos's superyacht as it passes through the Rotterdam harbor. Business Insider reports Rotterdam locals are planning an event called "Throwing eggs at Jeff Bezos' superyacht" in protest.

"Calling all Rotterdammers, take a box of rotten eggs with you and let's throw them en masse at Jeff's superyacht when it sails through the Hef in Rotterdam," the event description reads on Facebook. "Rotterdam was built from the rubble by the people of Rotterdam, and we don't just take that apart for the phallic symbol of a megalomaniac billionaire. Not without a fight!" 3,300 people have RSVP'd as going, and 11,600 are interested in the event.

When Bezos's yacht, known as Y721, is delivered later this year—after the bridge is dismantled—the boat will become the world's largest sailing yacht, a title that has been held for nearly a century by American socialite Marjorie Merriweather Post's 1931 boat Sea Cloud .

Along with making history as the largest sailing yacht, Bezos's Y271 is the longest yacht to have ever been built in the Netherlands, and Oceano's largest ever superyacht. It is also rumored to come with a "support yacht," also called a shadow vessel. The superyacht likely cost more than $500 million to build, per Bloomberg .

Bezos is also reportedly the owner of the Flying Fox, a $400 million megayacht.

Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma , a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram .

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Rotterdam May Dismantle Part of Bridge for Jeff Bezos’ Superyacht

The Dutch city of Rotterdam walked back earlier comments that the historic Koningshaven Bridge would be briefly dismantled. On Thursday, officials said a decision had not yet been made.

By Jenny Gross

The Dutch city of Rotterdam on Thursday walked back plans to dismantle part of the historic Koningshaven Bridge so that a superyacht built for Amazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos, could pass through the city’s river, saying that a decision had not yet been made.

This week, city officials had told the news media that Rotterdam had agreed to briefly dismantle the middle section of the 95-year-old bridge for the yacht’s passage this summer.

But on Thursday evening, officials said in another statement that the city had not yet approved the plan, though it had received a request from the shipbuilder to temporarily lift the middle part of bridge.

The city’s statement said the full cost of the dismantling, if approved, would be covered by the shipbuilder. The bridge, known locally as “De Hef,” would be restored immediately afterward.

A city spokeswoman had said that she did not have an estimate of how much the deconstruction would cost. The city statement said that officials would assess the environmental and economic effects of the plans.

A representative for Amazon did not respond to requests for comment about the cost or the yacht’s destination. A spokeswoman for Oceanco, the Dutch custom yacht company that is building the boat, said in an email that she could not comment on projects under construction or clients because of confidentiality reasons.

The city of Rotterdam’s decision to remove part of the bridge was reported on Wednesday by a regional Dutch public broadcaster, Rijnmond . Boat International, which publishes articles about the superyacht industry, reported that the 417-foot sailboat is set to become the largest sailing yacht in the world when it is finished later this year, surpassing the Sea Cloud , a 360-foot sailboat built in 1931 and owned by the Yacht Portfolio, an investment company based in Malta.

The superyacht Mr. Bezos commissioned is likely to cost more than $500 million to build, Bloomberg reported . Mr. Bezos is the world’s second-richest person , after Tesla’s chief executive, Elon Musk.

The bridge, which has a boat clearance of 130 feet, is not currently in use. A Rotterdam tour guide, Eddy le Couvreur, said that the bridge, designed by the Dutch architect Pieter Joosting and a fixture in the Rotterdam skyline, was once used for railway traffic. A vertical lift bridge, it was the first of its kind in the Netherlands, and was copied from similar bridges in the United States. The modern industrial aesthetics of the bridge inspired a short film in 1928, he said.

Until now, tall ships passed under the bridge before assembling their masts and taller structures, he said.

Dennis Tak, a Labor Party city councilor for Rotterdam, said he was fine with the bridge being dismantled — since the city would not be paying for it — because of the jobs the process would create. “As a city, this is a great way to take some of his money,” Mr. Tak said.

The structure is more than a bridge to the people of Rotterdam, said Siebe Thissen, the author of the book “The Boy Who Jumped From the Bridge,” about a working-class man who jumped from the bridge in 1933. “It’s a monument,” he said. “It’s the identity of Rotterdam.”

When city officials tried to take the bridge down in the 1990s since it was no longer in use, there were major protests, he said, calling the bridge a reminder of “the old days” in Rotterdam.

“I think that’s why there is so much turmoil about Jeff Bezos and his boat,” he said, before referring to accusations against Amazon . “People say, ‘Why this guy?’ It’s a working-class town, and they all know that Jeff Bezos, of course, he exploits his workers, so people say, ‘Why should this guy be able to demolish the bridge for his boat?’”

As of Thursday, more than 600 Facebook users said they would attend an event, titled “Throwing eggs at superyacht Jeff Bezos,” where they plan to gather by the bridge to throw eggs at the boat. “Rotterdammers are proud of their city and don’t tear down iconic buildings just because you are super rich,” said Pablo Strörmann, the event organizer, who said he started the Facebook group “mostly” as a joke.

Mr. le Couvreur, who works for the company Tours by Locals, which connects tourists with local guides, said that Rotterdammers would likely enjoy the international attention that the spectacle had brought, he said. “On the other hand, it shows the unimaginable wealth that people like Bezos have created for themselves, that nothing can stand in the way for them living out their dreams and hobbies,” he said, adding that the outlook was “worlds apart from those who will be watching the ship pass through the city.”

Claire Moses contributed reporting.

Jenny Gross is a general assignment reporter. Before joining The Times, she covered British politics for the The Wall Street Journal. More about Jenny Gross

Monumental Rotterdam bridge to be taken apart to let Jeff Bezos’ megayacht pass

by Mariska Buitendijk | Feb 3, 2022 | News , Ship design , Shipbuilding , Yachts

In May 2021, it became clear the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, had ordered a yacht with Dutch yacht builder Oceanco. At 127 metres, it will be both the largest sailing yacht in the world and the largest yacht ever built in the Netherlands. There is just one problem, to get the yacht to sea, a monumental bridge in Rotterdam needs to be partially dismantled.

The Koningshaven Bridge, locally known as “De Hef”, has a clearance of forty metres, which is not enough to let Bezos’ newbuild, estimated to be worth some 430 million euros, pass. This has led Oceanco to ask the municipality of Rotterdam to partially dismantle the bridge to let the yacht pass.

Also read: Amazon’s Jeff Bezos orders triple-masted, 127-metre yacht at Oceanco

It has led to consternation in Rotterdam, reports local news channel Rijnmond . After a large restoration back in 2017, the municipality said the bridge would not be taken apart again. Yet, as the yacht builder and Jeff Bezos will pay for the operation, Rotterdam is willing to grant the request, according to Rijnmond.

This means the middle section of the bridge will temporarily be removed as Oceanco has indicated no facilities are available to complete the yacht somewhere else.

Watch a video of the 127-metre yacht for Bezos being transported from Oceanco’s building hall in Zwijndrecht, the Netherlands, below.

Picture (top): The Koningshaven Bridge / De Hef in Rotterdam (by Sergey Ashmarin/Wikimedia ).

Also read: Oceanco unveils electric NXT yacht design Kairos

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Jeff Bezos’ $500m superyacht stuck after firm decides against dismantling historic Dutch bridge, says report

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Jeff Bezos ’ $500m superyacht is stuck after the Dutch firm building it decided against dismantling a historic Rotterdam bridge following a public backlash and threats of an egg-throwing protest, says a report.

The billionaire Amazon founder had offered to pay for the middle section of the decommissioned Koningshavenbrug to be removed so that his monster 412ft sailing yacht, which is named Y721, could reach the ocean from its shipyard.

The yacht, currently the second-largest in the world, cannot get under the “De Hef” bridge without the modification taking place. But the plan has now been cancelled by manufacturer Oceanco after the criticism it faced, according to Dutch news outlet Trouw .

Back in February, it was announced that Oceanco had asked the city to temporarily remove the bridge, which dates from 1878 and was last renovated in 2017.

Marcel Walravens who managed the renovation project, told RTV that it was “not practical” to partially finish the vessel and complete construction elsewhere.

“If you carry out a big job somewhere, you want all your tools in that place. Otherwise, you have to go back and forth constantly. In addition, this is such a large project that there are hardly any locations where this work is finished.”

And he added: “From an economic perspective and maintaining employment, the municipality considers this a very important project. Rotterdam has also been declared the maritime capital of Europe.”

History groups in Rotterdam opposed the works, with thousands of Facebook users signing a petition promising to egg the yacht as it travelled through the city towards the open ocean.

“Calling all Rotterdammers take a box of rotten eggs with you, and let’s throw them en masse at Jeff’s superyacht when it sails through the Hef in Rotterdam,” wrote event organiser Pablo Strörmann on the social media platform.

Now, the NL Times reports, Oceanco has “informed the municipality that it is cancelling its current logistical plans.”

Employees at the company “feel threatened and the company fears it will be vandalised”, according to DutchNews.nl

It is unclear how the yacht will now be moved from the construction site to the open water.

The Independent has reached out to Mr Bezos and Oceanco for comment.

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It’s just nuts: Jeff Bezos is dismantling a Rotterdam bridge for his yacht

Billionaires: they walk around thinking they own the place. Or, in this case, it’s Jeff Bezos trying to make way for his superyacht . How? He’s getting the De Hef bridge taken apart . 🙄

Amazon CEO, and self-appointed space cowboy , Jeff Bezos commissioned yacht building company Oceanco in Alblasserdam, South Holland for a mid-life crisis yacht with a hefty €430 million price tag.

You would think the logistics would be well-thought-out with so much money on the line. But apparently, the landmark Koningshaven bridge in Rotterdam (aka De Hef) is now standing in the way of taking this boat on a spin, reports the NOS .

Bezos’ solution? Throw money at it till it disappears. 🚿

A national monument

Oceanco and Bezos asked the municipality of Rotterdam , the maritime capital of Europe, to temporarily dismantle the 1878 monument so that the megaship can pass. 😶

Rotterdammers feel very strongly about the De Hef. In the early 90s, they resisted demolition plans after the bridge lost its function as a train passage. From 2014 to 2017, the bridge underwent a complete restoration and is now generally considered a national monument.

To make it completely clear: asking to take the De Hef bridge apart for your superyacht is a bit like asking if it would be possible to take down the Eiffel Tower because it’s in the way of your private jet or something. Rude!

Where’s your logic? I can’t see it!

Worst of all, Rotterdam’s municipality seems to be game, according to Rijnmond . “Employment is important, but there are limits to what you can and may do with our heritage,” comments Ton Wesselink of the Historical Society Roterodamum.

Municipality liaison and De Hef project leader Marcel Walravens explains that “De Hef has a maximum height. The only alternative is to take out the middle part.”

So, will Bezos actually get his well and have the bridge taken apart? The possibility is present, as “from an economic perspective and the perspective of maintaining employment, the municipality considers this a very important project,” says Walravens.

People ain’t happy, Bezos

As expected, people made room for their anger, surprise, and disbelieve over this foolishness on Twitter:

Hoe regel je zoiets? ‘Ja hoi… Bezos hier. Luister, haal even een stuk uit de brug wil je? Ja… boot te groot, ja. Gezeik…’ Dat verzoek is op iemands bureau geland. Vreemde werkdag. https://t.co/kPk19PT6Bq — Myrthe Hilkens (@MyrtheHilkens) February 2, 2022

“How do you ask something like this? ‘Yes, hello, Bezos here. Listen, could you quickly take a piece out of the bridge, will ‘ya? Yes…boat too big, yeah. Annoying…’ This request ended up on someone’s office desk. Strange workday.”

We at DutchReview are taking it out in a news rant as you can see, but Twitter folks had other ideas. 👀

Eat the rich. https://t.co/XfqQxUSfAo — Dr Lieke Smits (@Lieke_A_S) February 2, 2022

What do you think of this very usual request to the city of Rotterdam? Feel free to rant and tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Feature Image: DutchReview/Supplied

Take his ‘boat’ apart.

I’m a little puzzled regarding the Bezos yacht/bridge controversy. I would assume that the architects and Oceanco (not the first yacht they built) were aware of the construction limitations. Common sense dictates that when you built something e.g. house, ship, bridge, rocket etc., you take all the parameters into consideration. In this instance one would consider the length, the depth and very important, the height of the masts. Obviously, something was overlooked! In that case we’re talking about stupidity. On the other hand, did they inform the city of Rotterdam that the bridge would be a problem? Could it be that Mr. Bezos believes that the sky is the limit and obstacles can be overcome with money? In which case we’re talking about capitalist arrogance.

Don’t worry too much about this poorly researched ‘news’ article. Little investigation and much speculation is a strategy to gain attention, not to report on happenings around us. The constraint was indeed known from day one. The constraint has been known for this shipbuilder since it became one in the 00’s. The bridge was re-designed (back to its original design) and rebuilt in the ’00s. The bridge was destroyed in WW2 and a swing bridge had been used for the following 60 years which is why the shipbuilder was able to be a viable business for this size ship. The new (old design) bridge was designed to be able to be partially disassembled specifically for these reasons to allow the shipbuilder to not lose business. This is not the first and will not be the last time it accommodates the shipbuilder.

Too much money corrupts people. Mega-money corrupts governments.

Come on… The flip side of the coin, besides that he is paying for all costs, the boat was built in The Netherlands generating jobs and taxes. How can people complaint about it??? Dutch people don’t realize the good life they have….

tell bezos to fuck him self

I just don’t get it, the Dutch Review have this space to comment the articles, you leave your thoughts and they simply ignore it and don’t publish….

Bezos is a effing idiot! WhoTF needs a 500 MILLION dollar yacht anyway? Go learn how to weld Bezos and restore a classic AMERICAN hot rod!

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Rotterdam bridge won’t be demolished for jeff bezos’ yacht: trouw.

There was a major outcry earlier this year when it emerged that the company, Oceanco, was planning to remove the middle section of the bridge temporarily so that the €500 million yacht could pass through.

Trouw used freedom of information legislation to find out more about the plan, and says Oceanco was so shocked by the February outcry that it has changed its mind.

‘ Shipyard employees feel threatened and the company fears it will be vandalised,’ Trouw said. Rotterdam had cited the threats as an argument not to make all of the documents public.

At the time the news broke, locals, politicians and historians all expressed their concerns about the demolition plan.

GroenLinks councillor Stephan Leewis, for example, told Rijnmond at the time that he took a dim view of the permission, particularly in the light of Amazon personnel policies and tax and regulation avoidance battles .

‘Now, we have to break apart our beautiful listed monument?’ he reportedly said, in calling an emergency debate. ‘This really is a bridge too far.’

On social media, commentators also pointed out the apparent inconsistency in strict, Dutch listed building policy and the privilege apparently afforded to an American billionaire to take apart a bridge which the council had previously promised would no longer be touched.

One person even called on people to sign up to throw eggs at the yacht as it moved through.

The Koningshavenbrug, known to Rotterdammers as De Hef, was renovated in 2017 and the council pledged at the time it would never be dismantled again.

At 127 metres long, Bezos’ yacht is set to be the largest sailing yacht in the world when delivered at some point this year, according to Boat International. It is reportedly being moved from one shipyard to another for final fitting.

The implications of the decision not to apply for permission to take down part of the bridge are as yet unclear. Oceanco has not commented on the Trouw story.

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Bezos is back at it with another hot yacht summer

• We're in for another hot yacht summer.
• Recent photos show Jeff Bezos hanging out with his fiancée, Lauren Sanchez, on a yacht in Portofino.
• Per reports, the ship in question is Bezos' $500 million yacht, Koru, which set sail in February.

Hot yacht summer is in full swing in the Italian village of Portofino.

A series of photos taken Monday show Jeff Bezos hanging out with his fiancée, Lauren Sanchez, on a ship in the Italian Riviera. She's seen reclining against a flag pole and testing out a variety of poses as Bezos snaps some photos.

You'd be forgiven for thinking it's just standard couple-on-vacation stuff, but then you'd be compelled to remember that this is not just any billionaire, and it's not just any boat: It's the world's third-richest billionaire, and, per multiple media reports, it's Bezos' $500 million yacht.

Related stories

As The Cut perfectly put it on Instagram , you're never too rich to be part of the #boyfriendsofinstagram.

The 417-foot vessel, named Koru , set sail in February. You may remember it from that time in 2022 when the Dutch nearly had to dismantle a historic bridge to let the vessel pass through Rotterdam.

It's hard to tell from a distance, but it looks as if Bezos may be wearing his signature aviators. Sadly, the iconic $260, octopus-print swim trunks from 2019 didn't make the cut this time.

Bezos and Sanchez were also photographed on the yacht off the coast of Spain in May, shortly after they hit up Coachella . The pair are hot-yacht-summer experts by now: In 2019, they made headlines for partying with Lloyd Blankfein and Karlie Kloss on David Geffen's yacht, Rising Sun, off the coast of Spain.

And you can't see it in this recent series of photos, but Bezos' yacht is adorned with a female bust, which people have been speculating is modeled off of Sanchez.

The Dutch, by the way, ended up not dismantling the old bridge for the sake of Bezos' big boat.

Bezos didn't immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours.

Watch: Jeff Bezos reportedly just spent $165 million on a Beverly Hills estate — here are all the ways the world's richest man makes and spends his money

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