A bridge too far? In Rotterdam, a bridge must be demolished so that the superyacht of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos can pass freely.

What the mountain chalet is to the wealthy, the superyacht is to billionaires. Sales of extra-large luxury yachts increased by 77% in 2021 compared to the previous year, writes the German Manager Magazin.

Costing hundreds of millions of dollars and consuming millions more every year to maintain, 887 of these floating palaces were sold last year.

Superyacht prices increased last year by around 5-8% due to strong demand.

Oligarchs like Roman Abramovich, Middle Eastern sheikhs, and tech founders including Jeff Bezos are lovers of these status symbols and compete on size and extravagance.

The Eclipse, Abramovich‘s yacht, has two helipads because you never know how many guests are approaching. Swimming pools and jet skis are standard equipment on a sane boat anyway, and well, money is not an issue.

In Holland, Rotterdam City Council plans to remove a historic bridge so Bezos’ new yacht can glide unhindered into the sea. Bezos and the shipyard, Oceano, plan to split the cost of removal and then rebuilding from the De Hef bridge.

Compared to the price of the yacht, 430 million euros, the cost of the conversion risks falling into the category of “petty cash”. That billionaire free riding isn’t for everyone, however, is hardly surprising.

The Historical Society of Rotterdam quickly expressed its displeasure with the demolition of the bridge.

In times of Corona, this may be the best way for billionaires to self-isolate.