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Rediff.com  » Business » Images: The super yacht that Steve Jobs designed
This article was first published 11 years ago

Images: The super yacht that Steve Jobs designed

Last updated on: July 30, 2013 10:18 IST

Image: Apple co-founder Steve Jobs (above) and the super yacht he designed during the last days of his life.
Photographs: Reuters

During the last days of his life, Apple founder Steve Jobs designed a super yacht. The project was very close to his heart and he spent long hours fine tuning the design.

Called Venus, the vessel was named after the Greek-Roman goddess of love.

Images: The super yacht that Steve Jobs designed


Photographs: Michael Kooren/Reuters

The super yacht is designed by Philippe Starck's design company and built by Feadship. Jobs passed away in October 2011. The yacht, however, was unveiled a year later.

The total cost of the vessel is estimated to be over 100 million euros (approx Rs 784 crore).

Images: The super yacht that Steve Jobs designed


Photographs: Michael Kooren/Reuters

The yacht was launched in The Netherlands, where it was built in secrecy in a Dutch shipyard.

Jobs’ passion for minimalist design is evident in the sleek, streamlined, 80-metre-long vessel.

Images: The super yacht that Steve Jobs designed


Photographs: Michael Kooren/Reuters

Venus is a little under about 260 feet long, made of lightweight aluminium and features 10 feet high windows.

It is not the usual big super luxury yacht that most of world’s wealthy own. It is rather minimalistic and slightly smaller.

Images: The super yacht that Steve Jobs designed


Photographs: Michael Kooren/Reuters

The vessel has teak decks and large panes of ceiling-to-floor glass throughout. The boat is said to have seven 27-inch iMacs.

Jobs biographer Walter Isaacson has Jobs in his book saying: "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."

Images: The super yacht that Steve Jobs designed


Photographs: Michael Kooren/Reuters

According to media reports, Starck believes that the project shares the design philosophy with other Apple products.

While building the yacht, Jobs got the chief engineer of Apple stores to design a special glass for the vessel. This glass helped to provide structural support to it.

Images: The super yacht that Steve Jobs designed


Photographs: Michael Kooren/Reuters

After Jobs’ demise, the designer of the vessel, Starck claimed that Job’s heirs owe him 3 million euros (approx Rs 23.5 crore) out of 9 million euros (Rs 70.5 crore) that he was charging them for the project.

Following the dispute, the yacht was impounded on December 21, 2013 at the Port of Amsterdam.

Images: The super yacht that Steve Jobs designed


Photographs: Michael Kooren/Reuters

Venus was freed from Amsterdam dock three days after the impounding. The bills were paid by Steve Job’s estate.

Jobs and Starck were well-known other and so there was not much paperwork between the two parties, according to media reports.

The project, which commenced in 2007, and was completed in October 2012.