Bill Gates Buy Superyacht For Rp.8, 8 Trillion

Kapal yacht super mewah yang mau dibeli Bill Gates (doc. Sinot Sanders / Guardian)

JAKARTA - What else does the richest person in the world do besides enjoying a vacation with their family? Forget about business for a moment. Yes, Bill Gates, the father of Microsoft, is reportedly ordering a yacht or superyacht worth Rp.8.8 trillion.

Launching The Guardian, Monday, February 10, is not just luxury, the cruise ship is also equipped with the latest environmentally friendly technology, a swimming pool, spa facilities, a gym, a make-up room, a private kitchen and of course a helipad, which will make it easier for Gates to park his helicopter above. the ship.

The yacht, nicknamed Aqua, uses liquid hydrogen fuel, which makes it very environmentally friendly and produces minimal pollution.

"For the development of Aqua we took inspiration from the forward-looking lifestyle of the owner, the flexibility of water fluids and advanced technology, to combine this in a superyacht ship with truly innovative features." said Sander Sinot as the designer of the Aqua ship.

Gates' plan to bring this luxury yacht was revealed during last year's Monaco Yacht Show. The ship has five decks and space that can accommodate 14 guests as well as 31 crew. Further addressing its eco-friendly features, the vessel features a gel-fired fire bowl, which allows guests to stay warm outside without having to burn wood or coals.

The ship's most advanced technology has two 28 tonne tanks that are cooled to -423 fahrenheit or approximately -253 celsius and are able to accommodate liquid hydrogen, which will power the ship. Later, the fuel can generate power for two propulsion and propellers through the fuel cell engine, which combines hydrogen with oxygen to generate electricity. This technology was previously also used by electric car manufacturers.

With the latest advanced technology, Gates will be very happy to enjoy this ship because it has a speed of 17 knots and is able to travel a distance of 3,750 miles or about 6 thousand kilometers. Reportedly this ship will be completed in 2024.

In fact, these ship technologies underscore Gates' longstanding interest in alternative fuels, and his enthusiasm for new technologies that can address emissions from industry and transportation that make up 75 percent of the world's carbon footprint.

The 65-year-old man took a startup based in California, USA, namely Heliogen. It aims to convert sunlight into a heat source that exceeds 1,000 celsius, and can help replace the fuel. Heliogen is the first company in the world to concentrate sunlight to reach temperatures high enough to power heavy industry without carbon emissions. Gates has also been pouring funds into Heliogen recently.

For information, even though they seem to have an appearance that does not show their wealthy side, it turns out that Bill Gates and his wife Melinda Gates often vacation by renting luxury yachts. Gates never had his own yacht. Several years ago, he also used a ship owned by Yuri Scheffler, the owner of the Stolichnaya Vodka drink brand, Serene, worth 330 million US dollars for a vacation to the coast of Sardinia with his family.

Even though it seems like a waste of money, through The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Gates has set aside at least 118 billion US dollars to help the current disaster, especially the Corona virus outbreak in Wuhan, China. Where Gates has donated 100 million US dollars.