Jeff Bezos doesn’t just own a yacht—he sails on a floating symbol of power, luxury, and new beginnings. As the Amazon founder and his fiancée, Lauren Sánchez, celebrate their marriage in Venice, all eyes are not just on the guest list but on the sleek, towering vessel named Koru. Here’s everything you need to know about the $500 million megayacht that’s redefining what it means to travel—and tie the knot—in style.
What is the Koru yacht?
Koru is not your average billionaire toy. Built by Dutch yachtmaker Oceanco and launched in 2023, this 417-foot sailing yacht is one of the largest in the world. The name “Koru” comes from the Māori word symbolizing new beginnings, growth, and peace—a fitting metaphor for Bezos’s second act, both professionally and personally.
Estimated to have cost around $500 million to construct, the yacht is a sleek, three-masted schooner with design influences drawn from classic nautical aesthetics but upgraded for the 21st-century ultra-rich.
Exterior Design
Reportedly taking design cues from the 93-meter Lürssen sail yacht EOS, Koru features a midnight-blue hull with an elongated bowsprit and a traditional canoe stern. Her classic lines echo some of the most revered schooners in nautical history. In line with Bezos’s reputation for innovation, Koru is trialing a prototype kinetic energy recovery system that converts wave-induced motion (heave, pitch, roll) into electric energy—an early step toward more sustainable cruising.
Interior Design
Koru boasts an internal volume of 3,300 GT and is adorned with expansive full-length windows that infuse the interior with natural light. While exact details remain private, reports suggest that the interiors reflect Lauren Sánchez’s modern, refined aesthetic, with luxurious materials, fine furnishings, and seamless integration of smart technologies.
Guest Accommodation
Thanks to her wide beam, the 127-meter sailing yacht offers generous space for guests. The yacht includes nine lavish guest suites, featuring high-end linens, private en-suites, and cutting-edge entertainment systems.
Onboard Comfort & Entertainment
Koru is served by the 75-meter support vessel Abeona (formerly “Wingman”), which functions as both a gear hauler and auxiliary luxury platform. Abeona reportedly carries a submarine for underwater exploration, a helicopter with its own landing pad, an array of personal watercraft (PWCs), a luxury car, speed boats, and additional accommodations for staff and crew.
Amenities
While full specs remain under wraps, confirmed amenities include:
- A dip pool located aft on the main deck
- A Jacuzzi on the sundeck
- Multiple outdoor lounges and alfresco dining areas
- A crow’s nest on the central mast offering panoramic views
- A folding side passerelle for discreet guest access
- Large hatch on the lower deck that likely serves as a tender garage and/or beach club
Performance & Range
Koru is built with a steel hull and aluminum superstructure and clad in teak decks. She meets Lloyd’s Register ✠ 100A1 SSC Yacht Mono, G6, ECO(IHM) ✠ LMC UMS classification society standards, confirming her high engineering pedigree. Annual upkeep is estimated at $25–30 million.
What makes Koru unique in yacht design?
Unlike many of its floating palace peers, Koru is a sailing yacht, meaning it can harness wind power rather than rely entirely on engines. Its three carbon-fiber masts were engineered to optimize performance while keeping the vessel visually stunning. When under full sail, Koru evokes the image of a modern clipper ship, but its interior design is pure five-star luxury.
Koru’s standout features include
- A full-sized swimming pool on deck
- Multiple jacuzzis
- Nine spacious guest suites
- Room for over 40 crew members
- Dedicated gym and wellness areas
- Custom interiors rumored to reflect Lauren Sánchez’s aesthetic preferences
Trailing Koru is a support yacht, Abeona, which carries jet skis, luxury tenders, and even a helipad—because, of course, sometimes sailing just isn’t fast enough.
How Koru factors into their Venice wedding
Bezos and Sánchez’s wedding in Venice is already being called one of the most extravagant of the decade, and Koru is its literal centerpiece. Though early rumors suggested the wedding ceremony might take place aboard the yacht, more recent reports confirm the couple used Koru primarily for pre-wedding festivities and transportation between private events.
The yacht was spotted anchored near San Giorgio Maggiore, a Venetian island reserved for part of the wedding. Its position there drew media attention and protests from environmental and local rights activists, who voiced concern over public space privatization and the impact of superyachts on Venice’s fragile ecosystem.
Koru’s role as a floating fortress ensured the couple and their guests—including Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and Oprah—could celebrate away from prying eyes. One standout moment? A private foam party hosted aboard the ship in the days leading up to the ceremony.
Why Koru matters beyond opulence
Koru isn’t just a yacht—it’s a rebrand. Since stepping down as Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos has been shaping a new image: from tech titan to globe-trotting philanthropist and lifestyle mogul. Koru is the embodiment of that shift.
It was also aboard Koru where Bezos reportedly proposed to Sánchez in May 2023 with a 30-carat pink diamond. Since then, the yacht has served as a setting for both romance and strategy, hosting meetings, celebrity hangouts, and now, as part of a wedding weekend that has dominated headlines.
The yacht’s mermaid figurehead is rumored to be modeled after Sánchez, adding a personal—and poetic—touch to the vessel’s prow.
What comes next for Koru after the wedding?
After the Venice celebrations, Koru will likely return to a rotation of Mediterranean and Caribbean ports favored by billionaires. Its annual upkeep costs are estimated at $25–30 million, including maintenance, fuel, docking, and crew salaries.
Koru is also expected to make future appearances at luxury events, regattas, and charity cruises hosted by the Bezos Earth Fund or Blue Origin.
In short, the yacht is both a playground and a platform—a way for Bezos to network, escape, and reinforce his place among a new class of global tastemakers.
TL;DR
Koru isn’t just a yacht—it’s a floating metaphor. As Jeff Bezos transitions from Amazon exec to culture-shaping billionaire, his $500 million sailing vessel represents more than personal wealth. It’s about influence, branding, and legacy. And for one unforgettable weekend in Venice, it also became a floating aisle for one of the world’s most high-profile couples.
