blackberry yacht owner

Blackberry founder Mike Lazaridis’ $150 million superyacht has a dedicated Tai Chi room with a ceiling tall enough to wield a sword above the head. The billionaire clad his 262 feet vessel in 70 tons of glass. It boasts a movie theater and an artistic 14-seater cosmic dining table.

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Artefact: On board Nobiskrug's striking 80m hybrid superyacht

Cutting-edge research and huge imagination have made Artefact the smartest superyacht afloat. BOAT International gets a lesson in the art of seaborne science on board the 2021 Motor Yacht of the Year ...

Against the green, hilly coast of St Lucia, birds swoop in daring arcs while flashes of silver leap over deep turquoise water. Occasional outboard-powered launches hug the coast, leaving freshly stirred foam behind them. Artefact , by contrast, is moving silently and slowly, allowing the splendid spectacle of nature to take centre stage through walls of near-invisible glass. The warm light of the subtropics bathes the quiet and high-tech bridge.

Captain Aaron Clark switches power from two small generators to batteries, and we keep moving silently at just six knots for several minutes, listening to the birds. Artefact is equipped with an ABB diesel-electric system with a DC bus (a direct-current-based diesel-electric system, also known as a DC Grid) that integrates lithium batteries, Azipods and a full dynamic positioning system. The captain loves the flexibility this provides. “You’re limited only by your imagination,” he says.

By the time you're reading this piece, it will have been five years since the contract was signed for the construction of an 80-metre yacht that will no doubt become a benchmark. Artefact , which has been cruising nonstop since leaving chilly Germany in early 2020, is like haute couture: one of a kind and perfectly fitted to its owners, but some of its features will inspire others. They already have.

The frameless glass that serves as the outer wall in the VIP cabins, for instance, motivated a client to ask for more glass in his own project, says Fadi Pataq, sales and marketing director for builder Nobiskrug. And diesel-electric pod systems, which were but a trickle over the years in the superyacht market, are more in demand than ever. “In a way, it started a trend,” he says.

It could also be that we have come to a tipping point motivated by better stewardship of the planet and regulations that restrict emissions. What is certain is that behind Artefact are change-makers, whose knowledge and imagination have produced a thoroughly enjoyable home on the water.

Building the yacht has been a family affair, but while every family member contributed to the creation of the boat that would become Artefact , the impetus and driving force was an engineer whose company supports breakthrough technologies in quantum information sciences, Mike Lazaridis. His family had great memories of holidays on yachts they had chartered, and by 2013 he began to think about building a home able to travel the world. Inspiration also came from glossy publications casually placed by a friend on a coffee table. “It’s your magazines that did it,” says Lazaridis with a laugh, of his decision to build Artefact . But it took some time to bring everyone on board, especially as a couple of family members suffer from motion sickness.

Along the way he met Captain Clark, a New Zealander who got into yachting in his early twenties and built a successful career as a charter yacht captain. Complementing Lazaridis's big-picture ideas and deep engineering knowledge were Clark’s understanding of the sea, yacht operations, project management and his undeniably impressive people skills.

Before even knocking on the door of a yacht designer or a shipyard, they started researching the latest technology and solutions available to address the issues of efficiency and motion sickness. They looked into multihulls and SWATHs before embracing the practicality of a monohull. They saw numerous yachts with a keen eye on what worked and what didn’t. They also went to trade and equipment shows to investigate the latest forward-looking technologies.

Very early on, it became clear that they would go to diesel-electric propulsion and embraced the idea of ABB’s DC Grid, which thus far had only been done on a few commercial vessels. One of the major wishes for the design was that it should feature abundant glass, not only because it is visually pleasing but because seeing the horizon helps mitigate motion sickness. Lazaridis also had a lot of experience with the material. The home he built on the shores of Lake Huron in Ontario is a marvel of engineering, with major sections of laminated glass – at the time among the largest ever made – cantilevered over open space. To realise this amazing structure, designed by architect Siamak Hariri, they had to do extensive work in acoustics to minimise the transfer of noise and vibrations that can occur with glass.

“I really enjoy the house we built. I love the views and the feeling that you are floating. I kept thinking it would be great if I could change the view, so when I had a chance to design Artefact , I wanted to bring that experience as much as I could,” says Lazaridis.

One day, Clark saw a rendering of a 50-metre yacht concept from Gregory C Marshall Naval Architect (GCMNA). It had unusual lines and lots of glass. He forwarded the concept to Lazaridis and it struck a chord with him too. “We knew we were building an electric boat, so we wanted to make sure it had a bit more of a futuristic look and I thought it looked like an electric boat,” he says of the original concept by Geoff Harrington, a senior designer in the innovative GCMNA studio.

“ Artefact has evolved quite a bit from that original concept. The pieces were there: the narrow waist of the superstructure, the full-length glass, the way the overhangs were split, but Artefac t is fundamentally bigger and more elegant,” Harrington says. “The intent of the design was to create multiple private spaces and points of view forward, aft and on the sides.”

While finessing the exterior, GCMNA also worked with the owners and captain on defining all interior spaces. They built a full-size mock-up inside a vacant warehouse, using wood and Tyvek construction wrap for key spaces from the bridge, to the galley, the owner’s deck and an extraordinary  Tai Chi room. An adult holding a Tai Chi sword overhead defined the height of this particular space.

Artefact ’s layout bucks the current trends. It’s a very different approach from that of many yachts afloat today. The forward area of the yacht,  except for the owner’s panoramic office on the owner’s deck, is dedicated to operations.

“Everyone says they want the minimum of crew, but they don’t design the boat for it,” Captain Clark says. “The key is to minimise footsteps,” he adds. He concentrated the very well-designed and appointed crew area on the forward end of the main deck (spacious pantry, galley, stores and a light-filled and spacious crew mess) with a lounge and cabins in the same position one deck below. The guest spaces are primarily in the aft to centre section, identified as the least subject to pitch and roll. The owner’s deck includes a panoramic office and a fully equipped crafts room, just like they have at home.

The primary guest circulation throughout the yacht is via a central staircase and a lift. The only exterior stairs connecting decks are between the beach club and the main deck. It has the advantages of providing privacy and allowing the yacht to be secured easily.

One major decision was to go with ABB’s diesel-electric system and the first ever DC bus installed on a superyacht. Efficiency was a big driver in the selection of this system, which builder ABB says optimally saves 30 per cent of energy over a conventional system, as well as emissions, but so was comfort. The Azipods and DP system allow a great deal of fine tuning in positioning the yacht to minimise the impact of waves and wind on the hull. The DC bus permits more efficient use of power, drawing from any available source on the grid, such as redundant variable-speed DC generators, and the ability to store surplus energy in banks of batteries. “This eliminates the need for energy-wasting load banks, which are needed to dissipate the excess power produced by a traditional yacht’s fixed-frequency AC generators,” Lazaridis explains. The modular design also allows future upgrades to new power sources, such as fuel cells. One challenge is that, combined with Tier III-compliant engines and the Selective Catalytic Reduction system that accompany them, the whole set-up is space intensive.

Another important piece of the puzzle was the toy garage. The largest of Artefact ’s three tenders, a custom tender built by Lloyd Stevenson Boatbuilders is 11.7 metres in length. It had to be both easily loadable onto the yacht and stored out of sight. By the time they had finalised the spaces, Artefact had grown to 75 metres in length and the brief they had prepared was 85 pages long. They had already chosen key suppliers, including ABB, Caterpillar, Hug Engineering, Quantum and GLY for the glass.

“The owner and Aaron were very determined that this was the boat they wanted to build. This is a truly custom boat,” Harrington says.

This appealed to Nobiskrug, builder of Sailing Yacht A , which Lazaridis calls one of his favourite yachts. “After Sailing Yacht A , we noticed there is a gap in the market for people who do purely custom and since then we have been really focused on that. When Artefact came around, we realised it was one of these projects again,” Pataq says.

During the engineering phase, requirements of technical spaces primarily determined the final length of 80 metres. The hull was tank tested and refined to achieve better efficiency and Nobiskrug identified the best method to build Artefact , which involved combining a steel hull with a superstructure built in composite with a steel core. “As we went deeper and deeper into the technical specifications, and due to the curvy shape of the superstructure, it was evident we needed to do that in composite. Today a lot of airliners are made of composite, so why not superyachts?” Pataq says.

Right around the time that the Artefact team was speaking with shipyards, they also interviewed interior designers, among them Reymond Langton Design (RLD). “Reymond Langton really understood the interior design challenge that Artefact presented because they realised how difficult it is to compete with the outside views in a house that is made out of glass,” says Lazaridis who accurately describes the design as “radical yet minimalist”.

The designers freely admit that working with so much glass changed their approach because acoustics were such a leading consideration. To avoid the effect of an echo-filled glass box, everything had to be shaped in such a way that it would not reverberate noise. “The glass is not straight, there is always a tilt on it, every surface has unusual finishes and a dual direction,” Pascale Reymond says.

Lazaridis demonstrates what they achieved with a noise metre he keeps in his office, which is fronted by a stunning curved floor-to-ceiling window. With Artefact docked in the shadow of Gros Piton and waves crashing on the shore, the noise level is 28dB, “quieter than a library”, he says.

Of course, not all of it is attributable to the interior materials. Soundproofing the yacht went from the bottom up. However, what is easily visible are ubiquitous wave patterns in walls and ceilings, which are interesting and soothing. The main saloon’s ceiling, made of carved oak over acoustic panels wrapped in Majilite, looks like it is finished with meticulously matched driftwood, a finish inspired by Lazaridis's house.

“You can affect the acoustic of a room massively by the finishes that you choose and the angles that you’ve used,” says RLD’s Jason Macaree, who worked closely with sound consultants on testing various materials, down to the type of perforations to use.

“We did not just put in an interior, we really [strived] for the interior to work with the outside, the acoustic and the volume. It is one of the cleverest designs we’ve done. It is a smart boat,” Reymond says.

It is also very personal. An armillary sphere in the saloon represents the Lazaridis's love for science. Before Galileo, he explains, “armillary spheres were super complicated and not that accurate, but once humans realised the earth was not at the centre, the armillary became very simple. This one helps you navigate the earth and figure out where all the constellations are.”

Reymond Langton worked with DKT Artworks and a Swiss horologist on this marvellous object that catches the light as the sun sets behind the horizon, casting a golden glow throughout the saloon. The colour gold is a bit of a theme in the art glass that lines lower portions of the walls, and in a stunning reproduction of Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss , handmade in an ancient silk embroidery technique perfected in China. A companion piece on the opposite wall is based on a famous Chinese painting.

Just like every element of Artefact , from her imaginative form to her cutting-edge function, the artwork is a perfect marriage of art and science.

Dine with the stars

The formal dining space is a world of its own. In the daytime, the eye wanders to the panorama behind invisible walls of glass on both sides. For the centrepiece, Reymond Langton Design commissioned Silverlining to make a stunning dining room table inspired by the owner’s love of astronomy. The “Cosmic Table” seats 14 guests. On the tabletop, cantilevered over a sculptural base made of steel-clad in composite, is an artistic representation of the cosmos. The planets are finished in a textured bronze, metallised resin while smaller satellites, made in black mother of pearl, orbit a planetary compass. Laser-cut metallised inlays chart their movements around the sky. Continuing the theme is the dining room chandelier, made by interior outfitter List. The light-up domes represent the planets on their path around the solar system.

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Screen Rant

What happened to mike lazaridis after blackberry.

BlackBerry's movie ends before several key events in the company's downfall occur – here's what happened to Mike Lazaridis in real life.

• BlackBerry's movie ends with the beginning of the company's downfall as Mike Lazaridis opens boxes of defective touchscreens.
• Mike Lazaridis resigned as co-CEO of RIM in 2012, followed by the rapid collapse of BlackBerry.
• After leaving BlackBerry, Lazaridis founded an investment company and has been involved in philanthropy and supporting researchers in the industry.

WARNING! This article contains spoilers for BlackBerry! The BlackBerry movie ends with the beginning of the downfall of Mike Lazaridis’ company, but only teases at what became of the real-life entrepreneur in the years after. BlackBerry ’s true story depicts the rise and fall of the mobile phone line’s company RIM (Research in Motion), which made history for pioneering the smartphone. The movie follows RIM’s real-life co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) as they face legal trouble and professional hurdles, though their downfall is just beginning as the movie comes to a close.

BlackBerry ’s movie ends in 2008 as Mike Lazaridis opens boxes of the new BlackBerry Storm with defective touchscreens and static. This comes after Mike is confronted by the SEC after being accused of stock manipulations, and Jim Balsillie takes the fall for the crime and resigns as RIM’s chairman once Mike gives the investigators full cooperation. Of course, history reveals that Lazaridis was already too late, as BlackBerry ’s ending cuts to black long before the company officially fails and the phone is discontinued. BlackBerry has recently been recut into a miniseries with additional footage. However, it still does not reveal what happened to Mike Lazaridis after the BlackBerry ending.

25 Best Movies On Apple TV+ Right Now (March 2024)

Mike lazaridis stepped down from being rim’s co-ceo in 2012, lazaridis' exit was followed by the rapid collapse of blackberry.

Approximately four years after the movie’s ending, Mike Lazaridis resigned from his position as co-CEO of RIM alongside BlackBerry ’s real-life character Jim Balsillie. RIM was plagued with slow growth and obstacles with innovation and the ability to keep up with competition, eventually leading to Lazaridis and Balsillie’s resignations in 2012 and the company’s first report of net loss after several years. The two entrepreneurs were replaced by Thorsten Heins, who remained CEO of BlackBerry until 2013 when he was subsequently replaced by John Chen. The BlackBerry phone line was discontinued in 2016 , only four years after Lazaridis’ resignation, with the phone’s services being officially decommissioned in 2022 (via BlackBerry’s website ).

Where To Watch BlackBerry

Mike Lazaridis Founded An Investment Company After BlackBerry

Lazaridis is also known for his philanthropic work.

Mike Lazaridis left BlackBerry at the beginning of the company’s end, but he remained a wealthy man long after the film’s conclusion. In 2013, Lazaridis teamed back up with his RIM co-founder Doug Fregin to found Quantum Valley Investments. The investment company’s mission is to commercialize breakthrough technologies in Quantum Information Science, which contributes to their vision of a “Quantum Valley” in Waterloo (via Quantum Valley Investments’ website ). The original minds behind BlackBerry still use their company to provide funds and support for researchers in the industry today.

In addition to managing Quantum Valley Investments, Lazaridis has been notable for his philanthropy , education donations, and awards after the timeline of BlackBerry ’s ending. In 2012, he also donated $20 million to Wilfrid Laurier University in 2015, which funded a new tech-based management institute in the business school that was later named after the BlackBerry founder (via CBC ). The real Mike Lazaridis was then elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2014 for his contributions to improving science and technology.

Sources: BlackBerry , Quantum Valley Investments

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A Closer Look at the 262-Foot Superyacht “Artefact”

While the rest of the world panicked after the COVID-19 lockdown order, one family had the time of its life aboard its yacht. Mike Lazaridis, owner of Artefact, planned on spending three months on the boat every time he went cruising. Unfortunately, the pandemic changed that, and he ended up on a nine-month voyage on the 262-foot superyacht Artefact. It is currently the highest volume 80-meter superyacht worldwide at 2,990 gross tons so let’s take a closer look at it.

Environmentally-Friendly Focus

In 2018, Charter World published that Nobiskrug would unveil the name and design of its latest superyacht. The yacht was referred to as “Project 790” and was first unveiled at the Monaco Yacht Show in 2018. As per the article, the managing director of Nobiskrug revealed that the superyacht’s owner focused on having a vessel with as many environmentally friendly features as possible without compromising on the distinctive state-of-the-art hybrid aspect. Consequently, the yacht can recycle wastewater for use as technical water, courtesy of the advanced filtering systems. It also avoids the destruction of the coral reefs by making it possible to stay stable without dropping the anchor. It also utilizes solar energy through 248 square feet of solar panels, ensuring that it can operate without internal combustion engines for a limited time. Usually, the solar panels generate enough power to keep the lighting on at night. Once the panels are drained, the lithium batteries and variable speed generators kick in to provide more than enough power for optimal operation. Due to all these environmentally-friendly features, Artefact became among the first vessels to meet the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Tier III emissions regulations.

A Pacesetter Yacht

According to Boat International , Artefact started a trend. Nobiskrug sales and marketing director, Fadi Pataq, said that a client was impressed by the yacht’s use of frameless glass in the VIP cabin’s outer walls. For this reason, the client wanted more glass in his project. As other sources published, the amount of glass used on Artefact is a first in the world of yachting. While the finished product is breathtaking, the use of frameless glass still had its challenges, such as sound reflection, solar heat gain, weight, and optical properties. The yacht was constructed with sound absorption as a priority to address the sound reflection issue. Thus, there is a carpet in the owner’s suite that reduces noise levels to whispers. Solar heat gain is eliminated through two panels of bronze glass and a mirror layer that ensures unobstructed views while reducing the amount of heat.

The owner wanted the best seeing that it was his first and the last yacht; thus, there was no way he could leave anything to chance. Besides, for a person worth nearly a billion dollars, he did not want any cost spared at the expense of comfort, luxury, and most of all, conforming to his desire for an environmentally friendly yacht. As Captain Aaron Clark revealed, the owner did not want a boat that looked like everybody else’s; he was going for a future-proofed vessel. Nevertheless, not everything is a first with Artefact because Clark said he wanted a traditional aspect incorporated and reimagined to have an unprecedented experience. Some features include a Jacuzzi and plenty of deck space, enough to serve as a helipad and double up as a sunbathing area. According to Superyacht Times , it has four decks. The hull is made from steel, while the aluminum makes up the superstructure. Reymond Langton Design Ltd was in charge of the interior while the exterior designing was left to Gregory C. Marshall Naval Architect Ltd. The interior designer even boasted that it is one of the cleverest designs they have ever done.

Good Things Take Time

In March 2020, Artefact completed sea trials in the Baltic Sea, after which she was delivered to Lazaridis. Before the delivery, a lot of time had been spent in constructing it to meet the owner’s specifications. According to Yahoo , Clark and Lazaridis spent 18 months developing the ideal concept for Artefact. Once the multi-millionaire was satisfied, he signed the contract, and it took them another year to tank test and investigate stabilization systems. It took them an additional eight months to build the family deck to scale, a feat that cost $110,000, but money was no object. The move was essential because it enabled them to figure out how big they had to construct the boat to have enough space in all the rooms. After the deck construction was complete, the volume of the boat increased to 2,900 gross tons from 500 gross tons. Clark visited seven shipyards with the concept and settled on Nobiskrug because it had the design and pedigree required. While the amount of time spent building the deck and tank testing may seem a bit too much, you would be surprised that the owner started toying with the idea to construct Artefact in 2013.

Lazaridis had chartered yachts before and taken his family on cruises, but by 2013, he wanted his own. The idea crept into his mind after he admired pictures of yachts on a Boat International magazine, left by his friend on a coffee table. He, however, wanted his entire family to be part of the process because Artefact was theirs to enjoy. At first, some family members resisted because they suffer from motion sickness, but eventually, everyone was onboard. Lazaridis collaborated with Clark to research the latest design and technologies to make the family comfortable and ensure that the motion sickness concern was eliminated. After going to trade and equipment shows and seeing many yachts, they settled on what would become Artefact’s concept. Clark said that due to the extensive planning, the building process only changed 1.1%, which is quite admirable considering that most yacht constructions have 30% adjustments. Eventually, the cost of the yacht was $150 million and Lazaridis spends at least $10 million in annual running costs.

Written by  Lily Wordsmith

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ARTEFACT Yacht – Stunning $150M Superyacht

Built-in 2020 by Nobiskrug , ARTEFACT yacht is an incredibly unique and innovative yacht that has taken over the boating industry.

The technology used in this 80-meter-long yacht has created an environmentally conscious ship, earning it multiple awards including Motor Yacht of the year 2021. 

ARTEFACT yacht background

Although ARTEFACT was the creation of a family’s dream, the driving forces behind this groundbreaking technology were Mike Lazardis and Captain Clark.

This engineer and yacht captain worked together to combine their engineering knowledge and insight of the ocean.

They knew the ARTEFACT yacht needed to be something exceptional, while maintaining that home-like feel the family was seeking.

Specifications

The ARTEFACT yacht reaches a max speed of 17.5 knots with a range of over 6,000 nautical miles and is powered by 2 Caterpillar engines.

It is quite large and can hold about 12 guests and 24 crew members. 

ARTEFACT includes solar panels and a large battery storage system to prevent the constant use of internal combustion engines.

This allows the yacht to move quietly so as to not disturb marine life.

It also does not need to drop an anchor to hold position lessening any damage to the sea floor.

Even the water used on the ship does not go to waste – any wastewater is recycled and used later as technical water.

These may seem like simple changes, but they make a significant impact on lessening the environmental effects that most yachts can have. 

Designed by Gregory C. Marshall and Siamak Hariri, this spectacular structure features a futuristic look that is both gorgeous and functional.

With all of the glass used, the glass itself had to be specifically shaped in a way to minimize the transfer of vibrations and sounds that happen with glass. 

The open-space design allows passengers to get breathtaking ocean views at any spot on the ARTEFACT.

Not only will they see beautiful sunsets, but seeing more of the horizon actually helps with motion sickness.

An issue that some of the family members who own the ARTEFACT yacht ironically struggle from.

If you thought the ARTEFACT’s exterior was magnificent, wait until you see the inside!

Beautifully designed by the famous Reymond Langton , the interior has a spacious and home-like feel that makes you forget you are in the middle of the ocean.

When the ARTEFACT yacht interior was initially designed, the team built a full-sized model in an empty warehouse to physically plan out how everything would be placed.

They used construction wrap and pieces of wood to create the models of each room including the owner’s deck, the bridge, and even the special Tai Chi room. 

The ARTEFACT yacht has been sailing the waters since early 2020 when it left its home in Germany.

Its spectacular design and innovative use of technology have brought it much attention.

Many believe that its success will start a chain reaction in the yacht-building industry, creating more of a focus on environmental impact.

It will definitely be interesting to see how yachts will evolve and change with ARTEFACT as their inspiration.

Do you have anything to add to this listing?

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M/Y Artefact: ushering in a new era of environmental stewardship

Nobiskrug and the yacht's captain discuss the environmentally-focused technologies found on board….

Delivered in 2020, Nobiskrug’s 80m Artefact is a hotbed of innovation in terms of environmentally-conscious technology. An engineer and accomplished entrepreneur, the owner wanted to minimise the yacht’s impact on the environment by using the latest technology to protect the seas and dramatically improve fuel efficiency. As a result, Artefact spearheads the future direction of yachting by challenging and reimagining many traditional approaches to superyacht construction to create an unprecedented on-board experience while minimising the yacht’s environmental impact. 

For Nobiskrug, the prospect of being involved in such a pioneering project was both a privilege and an exciting challenge. “From the moment Nobiskrug received the owner’s brief to develop a yacht that pushes the boundaries of technology and eco-friendliness, we knew that Artefact would set new standards for the industry in terms of performance and design,” explains Fadi Pataq, sales and marketing director at Nobiskrug. “With proven expertise in the construction of unique superyacht projects, such as Sailing Yacht A , our top engineering team immediately jumped at the opportunity to develop the owner’s vision into a reality.”

An innovative DC-bus diesel-electric Azipod propulsion system developed by ABB, combined with dynamic positioning and an electric Voith bow thruster, is the first of a host of environmentally-focused technologies on board Artefact . The advantages of using multiple redundant diesel generators to power a DC bus with integrated lithium battery storage and electric pod propulsion are significant: from significant fuel savings and emissions reductions by using only one generator to power both the house load and propulsion pods at cruising speeds, to ultra-smooth and quiet passenger comfort. Custom six-bladed propellers also minimise noise and vibration while maximising performance and efficiency.

The dynamic positioning holds the yacht in place without dropping anchor, therefore protecting sensitive seafloors and marine eco-systems, while also increasing guest comfort by actively controlling how the hull is positioned relative to waves, current and wind. “We take full advantage of this precision hull positioning to create spectacular views through Artefact ’s expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as minimising wind during outdoor dining and lounging,” says Artefact ’s captain, Aaron T. Clark.

By implementing environmentally-focused technologies on board, Artefact is one of the world’s first superyachts to meet the International Maritime Organisation’s Tier III low emissions regulations for yachts...

By implementing environmentally-focused technologies on board, Artefact is one of the world’s first superyachts to meet the International Maritime Organisation’s Tier III low emissions regulations for yachts, introduced with the aim of further reducing nitrogen oxide emissions as a follow-on from the Tier II regulations. Solar panels and a large battery storage system will enable the vessel to operate for a limited time without internal combustion engines. 

“Various parts of the world are now Emission Control Areas, and compliance with Tier III certification means that the owner can travel to every corner of the globe,” adds Captain Clark. “ Artefact has been designed to operate efficiently while pushing the boundaries of technology, and Tier III compliance is an obvious continuation of this ethos. The benefits of a cleaner exhaust treatment system are very noticeable on board during vessel operations and also carries the added value of future proofing the vessel.”

Artefact has successfully ushered in a new era of performance and environmental stewardship. By replacing driveshafts and transmissions with electrical wiring and digital power management, the engine room and drive propellers could be repositioned for maximum stability and efficiency. Extensive hull design and tank testing identified the optimal locations for both stability and minimal acceleration – allowing GA locations to be determined by comfort and efficiency instead of convention. The flexibility and technical advantages of Artefact ’s advanced DC-bus architecture, combined with ABB azimuthing pods and dynamic positioning, has significantly increased performance, efficiency, and passenger comfort while minimising environmental impact.

Photo credits: Alexis Andrews

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$150 million super yacht owned by Blackberry founder spotted in Malta

The yacht also has an unprecedented floor-to-ceiling glass central section complimenting 740 square meters of curved and expressive glasswork weighing almost 60 tons.  

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Standup Paddle Malta (@standuppaddlemt)

At 2.999 GT, Artefact is now the biggest-volume 80-meter superyacht in the world.  

Intended to spearhead the future direction of yachting, ARTEFACT showcases innovative power generation technologies, digital power management, azimuth pods with dynamic positioning and full digital automation in an aesthetically striking design that frames its environment.

The lucky owner of this yacht is Mihal “Mike” Lazaridis, a businessman who made his fortune thanks to the invention of BlackBerry, the first wireless portable device on the market.  

#MaltaDaily

Alex Borg says that Maltese electorate might want new faces in politics

He said that the last election showed the people’s desire to see new and younger faces in politics, not only in Gozo but also in Malta in general.

Borg stated that these changes in personnel from older and more experienced politicians to younger and fresher politicians occurred most prominently in the PN’s ranks.

The shadow minister for Gozo went on to express his confidence in the PN cabinet due to having a good mixture of experienced and newer politicians. He also stated that with a good strategy, the Nationalist party will be in a better place than they were before the general election to get a good result.

G7 Events are back at Café del Mar with James Hype this Wednesday 7th!

Alex Borg reveals importance of attracting the 70,000 non-voters towards the PN

He said that everyone in life has something to offer, and that also includes the Nationalist Party, He added that the party should always accept everyone and that the party should always go along with their values.

That is why he believes, he said, that if the party does those things and continues to strive to be close to the people, a good result is possible. He confirmed that the recent electoral result didn’t make him give up , but rather spurred him on more in order to improve and work more for the Maltese people.

Borg also stated that the party and himself need to see what they will do in order to attract all the non-voters. He revealed that the party which manages to attract more non-voters will be able to win the next election.

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Is Artefact the most innovative super yacht on the planet?

Delivered in 2020, artefact is widely considered one of the most cutting-edge super yachts in the world, thanks to its eye-catching design and environmentally-conscious technology. jenny southan reports.

On a recent visit to the Monaco Yacht Show, Artefact was the the talk of the town. The 80-metre super yacht has caused a splash with its stunning exteriors and interior design by Reymond Langton Design.

Built by German naval architects Nobiskrug, the boat also endeavours to “set new standards for engineering-driven stewardship” with low-impact innovations such as a diesel-electric Azipod propulsion system, combined with “dynamic positioning” that means the boat can stay in place without dropping anchor to protect sensitive sea floors.

There are also custom six-bladed propellers to minimise noise and vibration, solar panels and a large battery storage system that allows the vessel to operate for a limited time with no use of internal combustion engines.

What’s coming next? Trend reports available to download HERE

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BlackBerry: The Rise and Fall of the Famous Smartphone and Its Inventors

Portrayed in the new film BlackBerry , Mike Lazairidis and Jim Balsillie transformed cell phones forever but couldn’t keep up in a changing market.

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The new film BlackBerry chronicles the story of this once-iconic brand and focuses, in particular, on the company’s co-CEOs Mike Lazairidis and Jim Balsillie, portrayed by Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton, respectively. The film, which will be released on Friday, is based upon the book Losing the Signal by Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff.

Although Lazaridis has said little about the film, Balsillie told the Toronto Star he believes the film’s portrayal of him as a cutthroat capitalist only partially matches reality. “They’re taking an element of truth, who I am, and they’re playing with it,” he said. “I’m aggressive. I’m competitive. I’m ambitious. I own that.”

Here’s the true story of how Lazairidis and Balsillie transformed cell phones forever then lost their edge in the smartphone market.

Creating BlackBerry

The story of the BlackBerry begins in 1984, 15 years before the first smartphone bearing that name was released. That was when Mike Lazaridis and Douglas Fregin founded Research In Motion (RIM), the parent company that would be renamed BlackBerry Limited in 2013.

A Turkey-born tech investor, Lazaridis previously received a $600,000 contract from General Motors to develop barcode technology for film. That grant helped Lazaridis form RIM with Fregin, one of his childhood friends, in Waterloo, Ontario. Lazaridis became CEO, while Fregin worked as vice president of operations, according to Losing the Signal .

Balsillie, a graduate of Harvard Business School, joined RIM in 1992 after he initially considered buying the company but instead decided to invest $125,000 into it. RIM had only 14 employees when Balsillie joined. He became co-CEO, handling sales and accounting, while fellow co-CEO Lazaridis focused on the technological aspect of the business.

“Balsillie became the BlackBerry’s best salesman, winning customers in the financial services industry and with security-conscious governments around the world,” Technology Reporter Iain Marlow wrote in The Globe and Mail . “Under his reign, the company grew at a breakneck speed—smashing internal targets regularly and overturning the wireless world’s established hierarchy.”

However, Marlow noted that Balsillie was “feared as well as respected.” People who disagreed with his views on the fast-growing smartphone industry were “swiftly, and sometimes mercilessly, put in their place,” and his critics accused him of bringing an “institutional arrogance” to RIM’s company culture.

Bursting onto the Scene

The first device with the BlackBerry name was a pager released in 1999 called the BlackBerry 850. The pager, like the better-known smartphones that came after it, was particularly notable for its keypad that users could operate via thumbs. The name BlackBerry derived from this keypad, since the globe-shaped buttons resembled blackberry fruits .

The company’s first smartphone, the BlackBerry 5810, was launched in 2002 . Initially targeted toward businesspeople rather than general users, its technological capabilities and stylish look made it a hit among investment bankers and other professionals. BlackBerry quickly became a household name, gaining the nickname “CrackBerry” due to its addictive nature.

The company grew from 14 employees to about 18,000 and continued to release new versions of the BlackBerry smartphone, upgrading the monochrome screen to color displays. The products remained popular, though the company struggled to meet revenue targets, and business suffered after the patent holding company NTP filed patent infringement lawsuits against BlackBerry.

The company’s reputation was further damaged after an extensive review found more than $250 million in stock option accounting errors. As a result, Balsillie resigned his role as chairman of RIM in 2007, though he remained co-CEO. The company leaders paid $1.4 million in fines in 2009 as part of a settlement with regulators.

Balsillie said the BlackBerry film portrays him as having engaged in stock fraud based upon this incident. He objected to that interpretation , noting that regulators said RIM executives were negligent with the stock options, not that they committed fraud.

Failing to Compete

The true death knell for BlackBerry, however, was the launch of iPhones and Android phones in 2007 and 2008. BlackBerry was left behind as those new products revolutionized the smartphone industry with touchscreen displays and third-party apps.

Losing the Signal portrays BlackBerry executives as underestimating the threat posed by Steve Jobs ’ famous launch of the iPhone in 2007. BlackBerry COO Larry Conlee dismissed it as having “rapid battery drain and a lousy [digital] keyboard,” according to the book. Although Lazaridis voiced concerns about Apple, Balsillie simply responded, “It’s OK, we’ll be fine.”

Initially, it appeared his confidence was well-placed, the BlackBerry Curve remained the highest-selling phone of 2009 . But the company soon found itself unable to compete with the iPhone and Android devices. RIM ultimately became a software and cybersecurity company , though it did not completely discontinue its smartphone services until 2022 .

The BlackBerry film also highlights Balsillie’s failed attempts to bring a NHL hockey team to Hamilton, Ontario, which critics have suggested distracted RIM from the threat posed by their new competition. Balsillie denies this , saying that effort only required occasional meetings and phone calls: “When you are prosperous, you have lots of different initiatives. Everybody does.”

Other observers have argued the co-CEO structure split between Balsillie and Lazaridis hastened the company’s demise. The two were barely on speaking terms by the end of their professional relationship, and the dual-executive structure led to breakdowns in the decision-making process, according to The Globe and Mail .

“Part of the challenge was RIM started to develop arrogance, and that arrogance came from success—and I’m going to say that impacted Jim a lot more than Mike,” an unnamed source told the newspaper. “In time, he stopped listening. Because you’re a billionaire, and you know more than everybody else, so you like to hear yourself speak but not like to listen or take any feedback.”

Stepping Down from BlackBerry

Balsillie stepped down as co-CEO in 2012, and the next year, he sold all his shares in the company, effectively severing ties with BlackBerry. After departing from the company, he began advising various venture capital firms and startups, including OMERS Ventures and the mobile health company m-Health Solutions, according to The Globe and Mail .

Lazaridis also resigned in 2012 and was replaced by RIM COO Thorsten Heins. The next year, Lazaridis and Fregin co-founded Quantum Valley Investments , a private fund seeking to support for the development and commercialization of breakthroughs in quantum information science.

How much of their legacies are shaped and defined by the new BlackBerry film remains to be seen. In an interview with The Verge , director Matt Johnson describes Lazaridis and Balsillie as innovators but says the BlackBerry smartphone failed because it lacked a vision of culture and future like the iPhone had.

“The iPhone is a product with incredible vision, and it’s saying that you are going to change the way that you live in order to make this product integrate with you,” Johnson said. “Whereas the BlackBerry was, ‘We’re going to give you this tool that is going to help you with the tiny problems that you have, and it’s going to be very, very useful.’”

See BlackBerry in Theaters on May 12

BlackBerry opens in theaters on Friday. Jay Baruchel stars as company co-CEO Mike Lazairidis, and Glenn Howerton plays co-CEO Jim Balsillie. The film’s director, Matt Johnson, also appears on screen as Research In Motion co-founder Douglas Fregin.

Colin McEvoy joined the Biography.com staff in 2023, and before that had spent 16 years as a journalist, writer, and communications professional. He is the author of two true crime books: Love Me or Else and Fatal Jealousy . He is also an avid film buff, reader, and lover of great stories.

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Doug Fregin: Where is BlackBerry Co-Founder Now?

While the movie ‘ BlackBerry ‘ chronicles the rise and fall of the BlackBerry smartphones, readers will be interested to know that the company was actually called Research in Motion or RIM. RIM was co-established by longtime friends Mike Lazaridis and Doug Fregin, who were looking to start their own tech business while pursuing engineering degrees.

Although RIM initially made advertising devices, circuit boards, and computerized digital displays. However, they soon switched to the thriving smartphone market before releasing the first BlackBerry phone in 2002. However, if you are interested in learning more about Doug Fregin and want to find out where he is, we have you covered!

Who Is Doug Fregin?

A native of Windsor, Ontario, Douglas “Doug” Fregin knew BlackBerry co-founder Mike Lazaridis from his childhood. In fact, Mike and Doug went to the same high school and began fast friends when they were in the fifth or sixth grade. Although higher studies and college separated the friends for some time, they reconnected when Doug was pursuing a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Windsor and Mike was enrolled in an engineering course at the University of Waterloo.

Once the friends began discussing their respective fields, they realized their mutual goal of starting a tech business. Thus, Doug and Mike decided to pool their experience together before co-establishing Research in Motion or RIM in 1984. From its inception, RIM was based out of Windsor, Ontario, and through the company, Doug and Mike began producing a device called Budgie, which could display digital advertisements. However, since the Budgie was extremely bulky and cumbersome, sales weren’t as expected. Soon, RIM began producing circuit boards and computerized digital displays for various companies.

Moreover, while readers might be interested to know that the discovery of the DigiSync film reader helped RIM win an Academy Awards technical achievement prize as well as an Emmy, Doug himself won a Technology and Engineering Emmy alongside the National Film Board of Canada and Eastman Kodak for creating an efficient keycode reader. Slowly but gradually, RIM began growing into a technical powerhouse, and the company even went public in 1997.

Moreover, they began focusing on the smartphone market and released the first BlackBerry mobile phone in 2002. Throughout this time, Doug continued working as the vice president of operations and reports claim that he owned about 2% of the company’s stock when he retired in May 2007. However, once Apple released the first iPhone in June of the same year, Doug sold all of the stocks he owned and looked forward to a retired lifestyle.

Doug Fregin Continues to Contribute to Technology Development

Although Doug decided to retire from RIM in 2007, he reconnected with Mike Lazaridis in 2013, and the two co-established Quantum Valley Investments in March of the same year. Moreover, while the investment fund grew extremely successful in a short period of time, readers would be surprised to know that Doug and Mike toyed with the idea of bidding for BlackBerry when the company fell into a financial rut in 2013.

In fact, the childhood friends approached the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to file their documents and hired Goldman Sachs Group Inc., as well as Centerview Partners LLC, to review the bid. However, Mike and Doug eventually thought the better of it and refused to proceed with their plan. At present, Doug still appears to reside in Windsor, Ontario, where he serves as the Managing Director of the Quantum Valley Investments Fund and has built up a happy life surrounded by his loved ones. Moreover, sources claim that Doug currently supports various charitable projects in Africa.

Apart from contributing to several charities and NGOs, Doug Fregin directly helped establish and manage a Vocational School in a rural area in Uganda. On top of it, Doug still likes to contribute handsomely toward the development of science and technology as he donated to several philanthropic organizations, including the Quantum-Nano Centre at the University of Waterloo, the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, and the Nanotechnology Initiative. It is inspiring to witness Doug strive for success even at this age, and we wish him the best for the years to come.

Read More: BlackBerry Ending, Explained: What Happens To BlackBerry?

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All aboard S.S. Facebook.

Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly gifted himself a $300 million megayacht, dubbed “Launchpad,” ahead of his 40th birthday.

The staggering 387-foot-long vessel was seen floating at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., after arriving at its berth earlier this week, The Sun reported Thursday.

The multi-layered luxury ship’s sleek exterior was designed by Espen Øino International and boasts a steel hull and an aluminum superstructure, according to SuperYacht Times.

Reportedly ranking as the 45th largest yacht in the world, the interiors are just as aesthetically pleasing and reportedly executed by Zuretti Interior Design company, a France-based company specializing in unique and custom yacht design.

The breathtakingly beautiful floater stands out with a navy blue theme matching an American flag perched proudly on its wood-paneled stern.

There are several outdoor areas where the social media maven will be able to relax with his family and the indoor levels feature glass paneling allowing for tons of natural light.

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There also appears to be a helipad perfect for whenever the Facebook co-founder wants to travel to his vessel by air.

The Feadship-built yacht, built in 2022, can comfortably fit 24 guests aboard, requires a crew of 48, and is said to cost $30 million a year for upkeep and usage, according to Superyachtfan.com .

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Want celebrity news as it breaks? Hooked on Housewives?

Boatworld insiders have been buzzing with speculation that Zuckerberg is the owner of the newly minted mega-cruise ever since it made its main voyage from the Netherlands last week.

The tech titan was spotted touring the Russian-commissioned megayacht in early March, though the impressive boat didn’t arrive stateside until this week due to sanctions, according to The Sun.

The website reported that Zuckerberg purchased the pricey yacht – along with its own $30 million partner boat — most likely as an early 40th birthday present to himself.

The boat reportedly traveled to Florida after being granted special permission to be imported just weeks ahead of Zuckerberg’s birthday on May 14.

Zuckerberg’s yacht is just 30 feet shorter than the length of fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos’ 417-foot megayacht Koru, which the Amazon boss snagged for a whopping $500 million.

Zuckerberg’s rep did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.

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Blackberry founder Mike Lazaridis’ $150 million superyacht has a dedicated Tai Chi room with a ceiling tall enough to wield a sword above the head. The billionaire clad his 262 feet vessel in 70 tons of glass. It boasts a movie theater and an artistic 14-seater cosmic dining table.

The 262-footer features a central staircase, and a lift, placed adjacent to the cabins for ease of maneuvering. The owner’s deck is a palatial space with an office, a Tai Chi room with added ceiling height to wield a sword, and a crafts room as they have at home. The artistic touch is this space is the very eye-catching Su embroidery. Art is as prevalent as avant-garde technology in Artefact.

How can it not be when art is in the name of the pleasure craft? Undoubtedly, the $150 million asset is the only motoryacht that can boast the most exceptional formal dining space, nearly otherworldly. The “Cosmic Table” is a stunning dining room table for 14, inspired by the owner’s love of astronomy. Made of steel clad in composite, it is an artistic representation of the cosmos.

Artefact adds oodles of fun to the yachting experience with three tenders, including one custom tender built by Lloyd Stevenson Boatbuilders. The boat accommodates 16 guests in 8 cabins who are entertained by amenities like a beauty salon, movie theatre, and a well-equipped gym. Powered by twin diesel-electric Caterpillar 814hp engines, she cruises at 15 knots, with a maximum speed of 17 knots.

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• This Curvy New 262-Foot Superyacht Has a Crow’s Nest and an Enclosed Observation Lounge

Damen's new Xplorer 80 is reinventing the rigid, research-vessel look of expedition yachts.

Michael verdon, michael verdon's most recent stories.

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It’s time to throw out the idea of an explorer vessel having to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger in the first Terminator movie—a muscle-bound package that’s all straight lines and sharp angles.

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Rose Damen, managing director of Damen Yachting, calls the 262-footer a “crossover superyacht” that throws out the idea that an explorer yacht has to look like a modified research vessel. The exterior of the new 80M, depending on the designer, can range from a slightly rounded superstructure to extreme curves.

The three exterior choices come from Azure Yacht Design (pictured), Harrison Eidsgaard, and Espen Oino, while the interiors are by Harrison Eidsgaard (pictured), Winch Design, and Reymond Langton. The designers all worked independently with Damen to create designs that would fit into a core platform.

The Dutch builder then pre-engineered the different interiors and exteriors so they can be interchangeable, depending on how the client wants to design it—another trait that is new to the rigid explorer design. The stern area can also be configured in multiple ways, from an enclosed helicopter hangar (with a helipad on top), to double tender garages, to a gym and wellness center, or even a dive center.

Ben Harrison, cofounder of U.K. designer Harrison Eidsgaard, presented his firm’s interior concept, a sprawling New York-loft-style design that makes use of the tall ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, open-plan spaces, loose designer furniture, and even a fireplace. “We can play with the spaces and reallocate them according to the owner’s wishes, without having major implications for the technical design of the yacht,” said Harrison.

The new 80 also has some shared un-explorer-like features, including an enclosed observation lounge and open nook on the bow, as well as a crow’s nest that stands nearly 100 feet above the vessel. “It’s an intimate space that allows for 360-degree views of the water,” said Tintore.

Despite the unusual exterior and interior offerings, says Tintore, the 262-footer retains the Xplorer line’s DNA. The vessel is designed to stay off-grid for 40 days at sea. Tintore noted that the original concept of these vessels being solely polar explorers has also been thrown out the window. Since the first was launched in 2015, Damen owners have visited tropical destinations with their expedition yachts.

The flexible layouts, adds Tintore, allows owners to configure their boats to match the conditions where they’ll be cruising. The new design should prompt competitors to reexamine their own explorer concepts and hopefully inject more flexibility—and fun—into their creations.

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Epic video footage captures Lamborghini yacht owner screaming ‘I will kill you’ at marina employee

• Updated: Mar. 20, 2024, 5:51 p.m. |
• Published: Mar. 20, 2024, 5:44 p.m.

A screenshot of the yacht and its owner, Ajay Thakore. Screenshot

• EmilyAnn Jackman | [email protected]

Talk about a bizarre scene that could’ve been pulled straight from a movie.

The owner of a $3.4 million Lamborghini yacht threatened a private dock employee after he was informed that he couldn’t be there, CBS8 reported back on March 11.

The story begins with Joseph Holt, a 21-year-old employee at Marriot Marina in San Diego, where he told CBS8 that he saw the yacht sailing into the private dock Sunday afternoon. Apparently, the owner, identified as Ajay Thakore, attempted to pick up another person at the dock.

“I told him respectfully that he couldn’t be there, and I honestly was hoping to have a conversation with him about his cool boat,” Holt said to the news outlet.

“But yeah, it completely went the other way,” Holt added.

Captured on a video that was posted to YouTube by @SM-wc9eq on March 10 was an embarrassing verbal confrontation between Holt and Thakore, in front of a host of onlookers.

A dark blue Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63 can be seen sailing out of a dock. Standing on the end of the yacht was a man sporting a gray shirt, jeans, and a cap.

The man seen in the video footage was seemingly the local business owner and philanthropist, screaming at the young man as the yacht sailed away.

Thakore was seen threatening his life, shouting at Holt, saying, “I will kill you, you know I will kill you!” He can be heard repeating himself multiple times in the video.

Thakore can be seen pounding his fists on his palm and pointing his thumb down, and telling Holt, “To your face!”

This caused Holt, who is standing on the dock, to respond with hoisting his middle finger in the air, directed at Thakore. Thakore’s screams can be heard echoing through the arena.

“It escalated immediately. It was 0 to 100 immediately,” he said to the outlet.

“I really was trying to restrain myself from getting fired from my job or stepping out of line. The only thing I did was give him the bird,” he added.

Holt said Thakore went as far as to take $100 bills from his wallet and throw the money at him, which landed in the water, and even dropped his pants and mooned him.

“[He] started to make gestures to everybody watching and me. You can’t act that way in public. It’s just not ok. Especially threatening my life, at the very least. There were women and children there. That’s the most important part,” Holt told the news outlet.

Unfortunately, the lewd act wasn’t caught on video.

“I’m a minimum wage worker, he was commenting on that, on my status just because of my job. He was saying I’m nobody, I’m nothing, I work a silly job. He said that he knows people, he has connections, he can change my life and ruin it,” Holt said.

The San Diego Harbor Police reported to the scene 10 minutes later.

Thakore, who goes by the name Ace Rogers on Instagram and TikTok and has a LinkedIn page stating that he’s the CEO of Doctor Multimedia, a healthcare marketing firm based in San Diego, had his public relations team provide a statement to CBS8, saying that he regrets the altercation.

“What started as a minor misunderstanding escalated into an argument, and I apologize for my actions and to those who witnessed the unfortunate exchange,” the statement said.

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Endorsements | Keeping up with the Bezoses: Mark Zuckerberg…

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Breaking news, endorsements | catherine, princess of wales, announces she has cancer, endorsements | keeping up with the bezoses: mark zuckerberg buys a super yacht, reports say, a report says that zuckerberg’s luxurious new $300 million vessel was originally was commissioned by a russian oligarch who was the target of sanctions imposed after that country’s invasion of ukraine.

Given that Mark Zuckerberg enjoys a respectable 16th place on a list of the world’s richest people, he probably figured it was time for him to acquire one of the ultimate status symbols for the mega-wealthy — a super yacht.

A new report from The Sun said that Zuckerberg is now the proud owner of a $300 million vessel that he has christened “Launchpad.” The 387-foot-long vessel, which comes with a helipad and a $30 million companion boat, was seen docked this week at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with its unique chrome finish reflecting in the sun.

This purchase shows, among other things, that the Facebook and Meta founder and CEO has branched out from buying islands and building an underground complex to help him survive the apocalypse. Perhaps, he wants to cruise the Mediterranean this summer and be among the moguls who can play host to Leonardo DiCaprio.

The yacht definitely grants him admission to the watery playgrounds of such multibillionaires as Jeff Bezos, Larry Ellison, Bill Gates and any of the Russian oligarchs who haven’t been the target of sanctions imposed by the United States or its allies over Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

In fact, Zuckerberg reportedly came by Launchpad due to the misfortunes of one of those oligarchs. The yacht originally was commissioned to be built by Vladimir Potanin, one of Russia’s richest men who is on multiple sanctions list, according to a report by Autoevolution.com , a transportation industry site. The yacht was known as Project 1010, and the shipbuilder in the Netherlands was legally barred from delivering it to Potanin when it was completed in 2022, though Autoevolution also said that Potanin was not the yacht’s actual owner.

The Sun reported that the yacht recently received “special permission” to be imported. It has since arrived in the United States, a couple months ahead of Zuckerberg’s 40th birthday on May 14 — which raises the question of whether he meant Launchpad as a birthday gift to himself.

It’s quite a gift: Launchpad can comfortably fit 24 guests aboard. It also requires a crew of 48 and is said to cost $30 million a year for upkeep and usage, according to Superyachtfan.com . But shelling out $30 million for maintenance a year shouldn’t be a problem for Zuckerberg, who reportedly earns between $6 million and $12 million a day, The Sun said.

But as spectacular as Launchpad sounds, super yacht fans might say it’s not as spectacular as Jeff Bezos’s super yacht, Koru. The $500 million sailing vessel features very tall masts, a swimming pool, a helipad and room for a second, smaller yacht. The most noteworthy thing about Koru is that Bezos commissioned a special sculpture to decorate its prow. It’s a “curvaceous winged goddess” that is said to bear a striking resemblance to his fiancee Lauren Sanchez.

The Amazon founder, his wife-to-be and the goddess figurehead spent much of last summer sailing around the Mediterranean, cruising from Spain to Croatia and hosting such famous guests as Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom and Usher. The couple also threw a lavish engagement party off the coast of Positano on Italy’s Amalfi coast, attended by another pack of famous friends, including Kris Jenner, Wendi Murdoch and, yes, Leonardo DiCaprio.

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The owner of a $3.4 million Lamborghini yacht screamed 'I will kill you' and threw $100 bills into the water when told he couldn't use a private dock

• The owner of a Lamborghini yacht threatened a private dock employee, per CBS8.
• The employee said Ajay Thakore mooned and threw cash at him after being told he couldn't use the dock.
• Thakore, the CEO of Doctor Multimedia, issued an apology through his public relations team.

The owner of a $3.4 million Lamborghini yacht threatened a private dock employee after being told he couldn't be there, the San Diego-based broadcaster CBS8 reported on March 11.

Joseph Holt, a 21-year-old employee at Marriot Marina in San Diego, told CBS8 that he spotted the yacht sailing into the private dock. The owner, whom CBS8 identified as Ajay Thakore, tried to pick another person up at the dock, Holt said.

"I told him respectfully that he couldn't be there, and I honestly was hoping to have a conversation with him about his cool boat," Holt told CBS8.

In a YouTube video posted by @SM-wc9eq on March 10, a dark blue Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63 is seen sailing out of a dock. A man in a gray T-shirt, a pair of jeans, and a cap was shown standing on the yacht. The man appeared to be Thakore, per CBS8.

Thakore was shown shouting at Holt. "I will kill you, you know I will kill you!" he can be heard saying multiple times in the video

Thakore was later shown pounding his fist on his palm and pointing his thumb down before telling Holt: "To your face!" Holt was shown responding by pointing his middle finger at Thakore.

"I really was trying to restrain myself from getting fired from my job or stepping out of line. The only thing I did was give him the bird," Holt told CBS8.

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Holt said Thakore then took $100 bills from his wallet and threw them at him. He added that Thakore mooned him. This exchange was not shown in the video.

"He was saying I'm nobody, I'm nothing, I work a silly job. He said that he knows people, he has connections, he can change my life and ruin it," Holt said. Holt did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

The San Diego Harbor Police arrived at the marina 10 minutes after Thakore's yacht exited the dock, per CBS8.

The Harbor Police told Business Insider that Holt decided to press charges against Thakore and that they are investigating the incident.

According to Thakore's LinkedIn page , he's the CEO of Doctor Multimedia. The company's website shows that it's a healthcare marketing firm based in San Diego. Thakore appears to go by the name Ace Rogers on Instagram and TikTok, where he's noted as being a professional gambler.

Thakore, through his public relations team, told CBS8 in a statement that his altercation with Holt was "regrettable."

"What started as a minor misunderstanding escalated into an argument, and I apologize for my actions and to those who witnessed the unfortunate exchange," the statement said. Thakore did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.

Thakore isn't the only CEO who's been called out for threatening another person. In November 2021, an Activision spokesperson told BI that its ex-CEO Bobby Kotick had previously apologized for telling his assistant he would have her killed. The spokesperson added that Kotick's threat was "obviously hyperbolic and inappropriate" and that "he deeply regrets the exaggeration and tone."

In June 2020, Lisa Alexander, the CEO of LaFace Skincare, a cosmetics company, apologized in a statement to the media after she had threatened to call the police on her neighbor for writing "Black Lives Matter" on his property. Alexander said in the apology that she was "disrespectful" and "should have minded my own business."

March 21, 2024: This story has been updated with Harbor Police's comments.

Watch: The scariest things OceanGate's CEO said about deep-sea diving

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Russia Maps Show 25% of Moscow Without Power Amid Winter Freeze 'Emergency'

R ussian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the nationalization of an ammunition plant in Moscow after a mechanical failure caused tens of thousands of Muscovites to lose heat and water amid freezing temperatures beginning last week.

On January 4, a heating main burst at the Klimovsk Specialized Ammunition Plant in the town of Podolsk, which is around 30 miles south of central Moscow. Since then, tens of thousands of Russians are reported to have no heating in their homes in the Moscow region amid subzero temperatures.

Affected areas include the cities of Khimki, Balashikha, Lobnya, Lyubertsy, Podolsk, Chekhov, Naro-Fominsk, and Podolsk, a map published by a Russian Telegram channel and shared on other social media sites shows.

Other Russian media outlets reported that in Moscow, residents of Balashikha, Elektrostal, Solnechnogorsk, Dmitrov, Domodedovo, Troitsk, Taldom, Orekhovo-Zuyevo, Krasnogorsk, Pushkino, Ramenskoye, Voskresensk, Losino-Petrovsky, and Selyatino are also without power.

That means that in total, more than a quarter of Moscow's cities have been hit with power outages and a lack of heating.

Newsweek has contacted Russia's Foreign Ministry for comment via email.

Many residents have taken to publishing video appeals on social media to complain about their freezing conditions. In one clip, people living in Moscow say that they are left with no choice but to warm their homes with gas stoves, heaters, and "whatever else we can find." Others said they are lighting fires in the streets to keep warm.

Andrei Vorobyov, governor of the Moscow region, announced on Tuesday that Putin ordered the ammunition plant to be nationalized because two of its owners have been "located abroad." He didn't name the individuals.

"We received the right to take control of this boiler house within the framework of an emergency," Vorobiev said, adding that the plant's boiler room was managed "very poorly" and there was "virtually no qualified competent personnel."

Russia's Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case over Klimovsk Specialized Ammunition Plant not meeting safety requirements.

On Tuesday, the committee said that because of the incident, the deputy head of Podolsk's administration, the head of the plant's boiler house, and the general director of the ammunition plant had been detained.

Residents of Selyatino have described the situation as "some kind of struggle for survival," Russian Telegram channel ASTRA reported.

Power outages have also struck St. Petersburg, Rostov, Volgograd, Voronezh, Primorsky Territory, and Yekaterinburg.

Do you have a tip on a world news story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about the Russia-Ukraine war? Let us know via [email protected].

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