Steve Jobs' Superyacht Impounded Over Unpaid Bill

[webfact]

Jobs's superyacht impounded over unpaid bill

AMSTERDAM: -- Steve Jobs's Dutch-built superyacht has been impounded in Amsterdam because of a dispute between the late Apple founder's estate and designer Philippe Starck over an unpaid bill, a Starck lawyer says.

"The yacht has been impounded," Rotterdam-based lawyer Roelant Klaassen, who represents French designer Starck's Ubik company, said on Friday.

"There is some unfinished business, namely two invoices which were issued by Ubik last summer after Mr Jobs died," he said.

Amsterdam court bailiffs seized the 70-metre (230-foot) long yacht following a request from Starck's lawyer.

The Venus reportedly cost over 100 million euros ($126 million) to build and was only unveiled in October, just over a year after Jobs died.

Jobs's estate says Starck should be paid a percentage of the overall cost of the project, which took over five years to complete. Starck says he should be paid a fixed nine million euros for his contribution, Klaassen said.

The estate is offering six million euros.

Klaassen said he was in contact with a Dutch lawyer representing the Jobs estate, Gerard Moussault.

"Hopefully we will come to an interim agreement with regard to security," Klaassen said.

Moussault declined to comment on the matter when contacted by AFP.

Starck confirmed the seizure to AFP and said he had "no doubt the situation will be quickly resolved", declining to comment further. [more...]

Full story: http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/jobss-superyacht-impounded-over-unpaid-bill-20121224-2bu49.html

-- The Sydney Morning Herald 2012-12-24

[spidermike007]

Though Jobs was an obvious genius, his level of hubris, and arrogance seems to proceed him, on every level. First, Apple is losing ground to the android market, and rather than spend the money on R & D, they simply choose to sue Samsung, over sour grapes. Next, his estate follows in his footsteps, by

showing a lack of respect for his suppliers, creditors, etc. What next?

[Payboy]

Can I add my crap Time Capsule claim to that one?

[pgrahmm]

Money grab he has been dead for over a YEAR.......................has nothing to do with Steve Jobs - he's not around to cancel the order or tell them to proceed - they decided in the wake to bill(k) accordingly.........

[F430murci]

Saw this one at Feadship dock. Strange design and I think they will have trouble selling. Jobs wanted them to complete because it meant a lot to him on a personal level even though he knew he would pass before done. He didn't want to stop the commission because he though he would be conceding to death. The estate should pay for this one. Completely uncool. He wife and children attended christening. Pay the bill.

[F430murci]

Money grab he has been dead for over a YEAR.......................has nothing to do with Steve Jobs - he's not around to cancel the order or tell them to proceed - they decided in the wake to bill(k) accordingly.........

Please get facts straight before spouting off. I know Feadship guys well as my family is in the charter yacht business. These guys are straight up and followed Steve's wishes.

[A_Traveller]

Hm.. No not a money grab, as Murciélago notes Jobs, French designer Phillipe Starck, and Apple's Jon Ive all collaborated on the ship and Jobs told his biographer Walter Isaacson "I know that it's possible I will die and leave Laurene with a half-built boat, ... But I have to keep going on it. If I don't, it's an admission that I'm about to die."

Regards

Edit PS I'd be more inclined to say it's a grab but in reverse, the family being unwilling to pay and complete the transaction on the good ship Venus

Edited December 24, 2012 by A_Traveller

[nokbird]

Pic of the boat Edited December 24, 2012 by nokbird

[KhunMoo]

Pic of the boat

Xuck me, thats an ugly boat.....and i love boats - no one else would buy that monster....

[cloudhopper]

The ugliest yacht I have ever seen and her name is Venus. Too funny.

[vijer]

Oh it must be so difficult for the Jobs estate to make ends meet, oh where oh where will they get 3 million euros?!

PS. Donate that dog to a charity, it is the only way to recoup some of the pissed away $120 million!

[Nigel1500]

The ugliest yacht I have ever seen and her name is Venus. Too funny.

I agree 100%. I was thinking we should cover it in party lights and turn it into a floating chinese restaurant.

[Greer]

What a horrible looking boat! Even if I had the millions, I wouldnt want to pay for it either... Obvioulsy there was something wrong with the designers!

[Credo]

I don't think I'd want to pay for it either.

[moonbarman]

I don't think I'd want to pay for it either.

I think its gorgeous and if no one else wants it i'll give'em a tenner for it!!.

[Potosi]

Though Jobs was an obvious genius, his level of hubris, and arrogance seems to proceed him, on every level. First, Apple is losing ground to the android market, and rather than spend the money on R & D, they simply choose to sue Samsung, over sour grapes. Next, his estate follows in his footsteps, by

showing a lack of respect for his suppliers, creditors, etc. What next?

Rather what else so far? I never owned an Apple product because this corporation is one of the world's most unethical ones. The boat looks like a low rise factory. Is it supposed to be a factory ship in international waters to avoid even China's taxes and social charges, and employs workers for one meal per day?

[F430murci]

Steve wanted the Apple minimalist feel of his stores with this yacht. Feadship is a good yacht company and makes some gorgeous yachts. Unfortunately, this one is not and only Steve is to blame so estate needs to pay up suckers. They built exactly what he designed and wanted.

[khaowong1]

Pic of the boat

That is one ugly boat...

[F4UCorsair]

We were on the good ship Venus,

My God you should have seen us,

The figurehead was.......etc.

That sure is an ugly boat! It looks like a badly built rotunda/BBQ area built on the roof of the garage.

That'll be on ebay at 50 bucks minus engines, or broken up for scrap. A chook pen comes to mind as a worthwhile new life.

Edited December 24, 2012 by F4UCorsair

[IrishIvan]

Its a shocker and Im not even into yachts

[johna]

Lets anchor this off Somalia.

[Payboy]

The ugliest yacht I have ever seen and her name is Venus. Too funny.

Wait till you've seen it with those colorful snap-on covers.

[bendejo]

Paying the commission on my US$126 million yacht is, alas, one problem I never experienced in this lifetime.

On the other hand I'm still breathing (at the time of this posting at least )

[spidermike007]

Steve wanted the Apple minimalist feel of his stores with this yacht. Feadship is a good yacht company and makes some gorgeous yachts. Unfortunately, this one is not and only Steve is to blame so estate needs to pay up suckers. They built exactly what he designed and wanted.

He may have been responsible for some lovely computers, which I love using. But this is one hellaciously ugly boat? I have seen boats for half the price he paid that are far more beautiful, sleek, and imprressive. He may have been a genius when it comes to computers, and a visionary in that field, but boats are very obviously way out of his element. What a waste of cash. I suspect it will be quite hard to sell.

[LaoPo]

Steve Jobs' estate pays to free impounded superyacht

Published on 24 December 2012

http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/steve-jobs-estate-pays-free-impounded-superyacht-0

So, the Superyacht Venus is free to sail away

[Naam]

Steve wanted the Apple minimalist feel of his stores with this yacht. Feadship is a good yacht company and makes some gorgeous yachts. Unfortunately, this one is not and only Steve is to blame so estate needs to pay up suckers. They built exactly what he designed and wanted.

He may have been responsible for some lovely computers, which I love using. But this is one hellaciously ugly boat? I have seen boats for half the price he paid that are far more beautiful, sleek, and imprressive. He may have been a genius when it comes to computers, and a visionary in that field, but boats are very obviously way out of his element. What a waste of cash. I suspect it will be quite hard to sell.

and his "loveliest" design was a computer that looked like a mini dishwasher

[cloudhopper]

I thought it was a toaster.

[maidu]

Many years ago, when I was living like a hermit on 20 acres in the California outback, I was sent a bill for $2,500. It was on formal stationaty with a NYC lawyer's logo. It was bogus, but it got me to thinking how easy it would be to bill someone for something. Maybe 99% of recipients will toss such a letter in the wastecan, but at those odds, if you send out 10,000 letters, you might get 100 payments.

Am not saying the i-yacht invoice was bogus, but........... it may have been padded by a zero or two.

[lannarebirth]

Knowing Jobs, that monstrosity will require it's own special docking station.

[bendejo]

Many years ago, when I was living like a hermit on 20 acres in the California outback, I was sent a bill for $2,500. It was on formal stationaty with a NYC lawyer's logo. It was bogus, but it got me to thinking how easy it would be to bill someone for something. Maybe 99% of recipients will toss such a letter in the wastecan, but at those odds, if you send out 10,000 letters, you might get 100 payments.

Am not saying the i-yacht invoice was bogus, but........... it may have been padded by a zero or two.

Hey, was it you that sent me that email that I won the Canadian-South African lottery?

Saint Stevie was supposedly BFF with Larry Ellison, who is crazy about boats. I'd have thought Ellison (sort of the Darth Vader of Silicon Valley) had something to do with this yacht caper. Or maybe it was a keeping up with the Joneses thing.