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- Billionaires appear to be flocking to warm Caribbean waters for New Year’s Eve — at least that’s what their yachts suggest.
- St. Barts is a hot spot this year, with yachts belonging to Jeff Bezos and Miriam Adelson in the vicinity.
- Here’s where the ultrawealthy will ring in 2026, according to MarineTraffic data.
As the year winds down, the world’s wealthiest are on the move on private jets and superyachts bound for a familiar set of ultra-exclusive holiday playgrounds.
The Caribbean Island of St. Barts draws tycoons, celebrities, and their entourages to an island where five-figure nightly rates are routine.
From a harbor packed with floating mansions to invite-only beach-club parties and fireworks over Gustavia, the capital of St. Barts, the island has become the unofficial year-end meeting place for the global 0.001%.
Elsewhere, a handful of other luxury enclaves from Antigua to Cabo San Lucas fill out the rest of the holiday map.
Here is what Business Insider could find out about where the ultrawealthy appear to be spending their New Year’s Eve, mostly through data from MarineTraffic.
Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos was spotted alongside Lauren Sánchez Bezos in Aspen, Colorado, for Christmas, but the pair may be heading for the Caribbean.
Bezos’s yacht Koru has been spotted near St. Barts. The enormous yacht belonging to the billionaire founder of Amazon measures 417 feet long and features a large swimming pool on its deck.
Mark Zuckerberg
Launchpad, the 387-foot megayacht that cost Mark Zuckerberg, the Meta CEO, more than $300 million, is floating in the Gulf of California after departing from La Paz, Mexico.
Wingman, the 220-foot support vessel, is also in proximity in the Gulf of California.
The location is near Cabo San Lucas, which has become a billionaire hot spot in recent years due to its natural scenery, private airports, and access to water sports.
Dmitri Bukhman
Ahpo, which belongs to Dmitry Bukhman, Russian cofounder of online gaming empire Playrix, has been spotted in St. Barts.
Ahpo is 378 feet long, featuring a long lineup of amenities, including a piano, a beauty salon, a spa, a beach club, a VIP cabin, and a gym.
Miriam Adelson
Queen Miri, the yacht that belongs to Miriam Adelson, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks and a major Republican donor, has been spotted in the Caribbean.
Adelson’s $70 million yacht can host up to 36 guests and is set to depart from Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, to Gustavia, St. Barts.
David Geffen
David Geffen’s yacht Rising Sun is anchored in St. Barts.
The billionaire entertainment mogul’s 454-foot-long yacht, with 82 rooms, departed from Saint Thomas in the US Virgin Islands and has been in St. Barts since early December. The yacht was originally commissioned by Larry Ellison and designed by Jon Bannenberg. The Oracle CEO found it too large and sold it to Geffen instead.
Jerry Jones
Bravo Eugenia, the yacht of Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, has been in St. Barts since December 26.
Jones’s yacht, named after his wife, Eugenia Jones, has been in the waters near St. Barts since the day after Christmas. The 358-foot yacht could accommodate 14 guests with a crew of 30, with amenities including helipads, a spa, a sauna, a gym, and a beach club.
Dona Bertarelli
Dona Bertarelli, the billionaire heiress who inherited biotechnology company Serono alongside her brother Ernesto Bertarelli, has her yacht on the move near Antigua. She is the daughter of Maria Iris Bertarelli and Fabio Bertarelli, who founded the company.
Bertarelli’s $80 million, 241-foot-long yacht named Dytan was last seen headed for Rendezvous Bay in Anguilla.
Antigua and Barbuda have experienced a surge in luxury travel in recent years, with exclusive resorts such as Jumby Bay Island and massive new developments like the Nikki Beach Residences.
Laurence Graff
Laurence Graff, the English jeweler and founder of Graff Diamonds, has anchored his yacht, Juice, near Sint Maarten.
Graff’s $140 million yacht, designed by American architect Peter Marino, was spotted arriving at Philipsburg after departing Las Palmas before Christmas.
James Packer
James Packer, the Australian media mogul, recently partnered with actor Robert De Niro on a new Nobu resort in Barbuda.
Packer’s I.J.E., a yacht named after the initials of his three children, is currently in St. Barts.
Rupert Murdoch
Vertigo, the yacht linked to the Murdoch family, was seen in Barbados.
The yacht is worth approximately $50 million, with an annual operating cost of around $5 million. Christian Liaigre, the French designer, crafted the interior of Vertigo.
Jan Koum
Moonrise, the $220 million yacht belonging to WhatsApp founder Jan Koum, has been in St. Barts since the beginning of December.
Graeme Hart
Graeme Hart, the wealthiest person in New Zealand, who has a packaging empire, has his Ulysses yacht anchored near St. Barts.
Hart’s vessel, delivered by Kleven Shipyard in 2024, is currently the world’s largest expedition yacht.
Eric Schmidt
Whisper, the yacht that belongs to Eric Schmidt, the billionaire founder of Google, is seen in St. Barts.
The yacht, which is 321 feet long and now worth about $200 million, was sold to Schmidt in 2023. Whisper was originally custom-made for billionaire couple Shahid and Ann Carlson Khan.
Bob Iger
Bob Iger’s ship, Aquarius II, is seen floating around the Caribbean.
The Disney CEO’s 213-foot-long sailing yacht was last seen near Anguilla, in proximity to yachts of other billionaires in St. Barts.
Joe Lewis
Two of Joe Lewis’s active Aviva yachts were both last spotted in the Caribbean, one near Nassau and the other near Barbados.
The Tottenham soccer owner and British billionaire investor is known to spend months at a time aboard Aviva III, which also houses his art collection.
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