- Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's $300 million yacht was near a stranded boat off Alaska's coast
- The 21-foot skiff ran out of fuel near Kuiu Island while traveling between Petersburg and Juneau
- A nearby cruise ship, Wilderness Legacy, diverted to assist the stranded vessel instead of Launchpad
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's $300 million superyacht is facing scrutiny after failing to answer a call for help from a stranded boat in Alaska. A nearby cruise ship ultimately came to its rescue. The 21-foot skiff was travelling between Petersburg and Juneau on Monday night when it ran out of fuel near Kuiu Island in southeast Alaska. The crew called for assistance at around 9:30 pm, according to the US Coast Guard. The Coast Guard determined that the boat was not in distress but later issued a marine assistance request, asking nearby vessels to help.
According to ship-tracking data cited by the Alaska Beacon, Zuckerberg's 387-foot yacht, Launchpad, and its support vessel, Wingman, were closer to the stranded skiff than the MV Wilderness Legacy, a small cruise ship operated by UnCruise Adventures.
However, it was the Wilderness Legacy that diverted from its route and went to help. A passenger aboard the cruise ship told the Alaska Beacon that the captain announced during the rescue that Launchpad had been closer to the stranded boat but had declined to assist.
"I'm on a small-ship Alaska cruise with my son. Our boat rescued a stranded vessel last night, and apparently we did that after the Coast Guard radioed Mark Zuckerberg's yacht – which was closer – and they repeatedly refused to respond," the passenger posted on Bluesky.
"Frankly, if I was Mark Zuckerberg I would be absolutely ecstatic at a chance to do something helpful for someone in need and maybe get some good PR out of it," the passenger added.
The report has since raised questions about why the billionaire's yacht did not respond to the request for help.
However, a spokesperson for Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, offered a different explanation. Brian Baker told Forbes that neither Zuckerberg nor Chan was aboard Launchpad at the time. He said the yacht's crew had been monitoring a different radio channel and only became aware of the assistance request after the rescue was already underway.
Zuckerberg's Launchpad, reportedly worth around $300 million, is one of the most recognisable superyachts owned by a tech billionaire. The vessel measures 387 feet and is accompanied by the support ship Wingman. It features two helipads, a swimming pool, and a dedicated wellness zone. The yacht can reach speeds of up to 24 knots with its four engines.
