Hours after news of Meta's 1,400 job cuts in King County broke on Tuesday, CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s 390-foot megayacht quietly floated into Seattle.
The $300 million vessel called Launchpad wasn’t exactly greeted by a welcome committee. GeekWire reports the yacht drew crowds — and insults — as it traveled from Shilshole Bay through the locks toward Lake Union.
The yacht, to put it lightly, is a behemoth. But you know what they say: The bigger a man’s yacht, the bigger his bank account.
The famous Facebook founder reportedly purchased the yacht in early 2024. According to the Superyacht Times, Launchpad has a steel hull and an aluminum superstructure. Powered by four heavy-duty engines, the luxury vessel has a top speed of 24 knots. (In other words, the fancy boat is very strong and fast.)
Zuckerberg did not confirm his yacht arrived Tuesday in Seattle. And technically, he’s never confirmed he’s Launchpad’s owner.
Zuckerberg did not appear to be onboard, according to GeekWire. Private jet trackers show he’s possibly in Monterey, Calif. His Instagram shows him working out in a camouflage vest in an ominously dark gym that doesn’t scream yacht vacation.
However, that didn’t stop Seattleites from criticizing the boat as a display of wealth amid a time of hardship for Meta employees in the tech-driven city.
While Meta is headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif., the company maintains a significant presence in the Seattle area, once boasting a local headcount of 8,800 employees.
If that headcount is still accurate, Meta laid off about one in six of its King County employees Tuesday. Those affected include 259 employees across two Seattle offices, 699 workers at a Bellevue office and 206 at a Redmond office, plus 231 remote workers statewide. Engineering and product manager roles were hit the hardest.
The yacht appeared to remain in Seattle Wednesday morning. But schemes to make the boat leave — including throwing tomatoes and summoning orcas — continue to swirl online.
Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Representatives for Zuckerberg could not be reached.
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