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VENUS Yacht – Captivating $120M Superyacht

The VENUS yacht was delivered in 2012 by Feadship, a Dutch shipbuilding company.

Phillippe Stark designed the VENUS, and Jobs was an integral part of the yacht’s design. The 78m yacht has garnered a lot of attention thanks to the famous name who commissioned it, but there are not many details about the boat’s interior available.

VENUS yacht interior

The interior design of the VENUS yacht was largely designed by Steve Jobs, in combination with Philippe Starck .

The yacht’s interior has never been published, and the details available are in short supply. There is a lot of intrigue as to what the yacht’s interior looks like, thanks to the famous name who commissioned it.

One can only imagine that the interior reflects Apple’s slogan “Think Different,” with an eye-catching and minimalist interior to reflect the design of the yacht’s exterior.

It is known that the bridge is lined with 27-inch Mac computer screens, with large cabin windows that are almost floor to ceiling, with a main living area. There is accommodation for 12 guests in 6 suites and 22 crew.

The VENUS yacht has a unique exterior, reflecting the sleekness and eye-catching nature of Apple’s products, and was designed by Philippe Starck.

Feadship was commissioned to execute the build. Everything about the exterior is eye-catching and unique, from the silver paint job to the stainless steel details to the line of rectangular windows that run from the bow.

The structure of VENUS features 90-degree angles, an axe bow for piercing waves, and a flat and somewhat unusually squared stern that opens to reveal a tender garage.

There is no visible radar arch or satellite equipment, as all the equipment is hidden within a box that keeps the VENUS exterior appearance clean and sleek.

Specifications

The 78m VENUS yacht has an 11.8m beam and a 3.1m draft that makes the boat appear low-slung in the water.

The 2 MTU engines give VENUS a top speed of 20.5kn and a cruising speed of 18kn. She displaces 1,876 GT and can cover 5500 nautical miles.

She has an annual running cost of $10-$15 million and was rumored to cost $100 million to build. VENUS was refitted in 2015 at Monaco Marine.

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Your Insider’s Look at Steve Jobs’ Yacht Venus

The Venus Yacht was built for Steve Jobs, or it almost was. Though Jobs commissioned the yacht, it was launched in 2012, a year after Jobs passed away. He never got to see the finished product. It’s been said that he actually spent the last several years before his death helping to custom design the Venus as his intent was to use it to sail the world with his family.

Venus was designed by a company called Ubik, owned by designer Phillipe Starck. Starck  handled both the interior design and the exterior design. The build was undertaken by renowned shipyard Feadship out of the Netherlands.

The yacht is a little lighter than some of her size thanks to the fact she doesn’t have a steel hull like many superyachts do. Instead, she features both an aluminum hull and an aluminum superstructure. She also features teak decks.

The exterior design features many straight lines and right angles. The stern is squared and it features an axe bow. There’s also very little to see on deck even from above. Unlike most yachts , there is no visible radar arch or satellite equipment because it’s obscured within a box structure to maintain that simple design look. 

Who Owns the Venus Yacht?

As a result of the death of Steve Jobs the yacht became part of his estate which belongs to his widow Laurene Powell Jobs. She has maintained ownership of the yacht since it was finished in 2012. There was a brief time when the yacht was impounded after its construction. This was caused by a dispute over payment. Phillipe Starck claimed that the fee for his work was never paid in full. He was said to have designed the yacht for about $9 million and $3 million was still owing. After 10 days, Jobs’ estate settled the account and the yacht was delivered.

How Big is the Yacht Venus?

The Venus measures in at a respectable 257 feet in length. So clearly she qualifies as a superyacht, even if she doesn’t quite measure up to Jeff Bezos’ 417-foot megayacht Koru . The Venus also has a beam of about 38 feet and her volume comes in at 1,876 GT which is actually a little on the light side for such a large yacht, in part due to the aluminum construction.

How Much Did the Venus Yacht Cost?

Steve Jobs commissioned the yacht for an impressive $120 million. Yachts like the Eclipse are alleged to be upwards of $1.5 billion and even the massive Azzam has been confirmed at around $600 million so obviously the Venus is not the most expensive vessel, but it’s nothing to sniff at, either.

We know from what we mentioned above that $9 million of that alone went to the designer of the yacht. Like many yachts of this size there is also a considerable cost related to the yearly operations of the vessel. Things like crew salaries, taxes and fuel costs are considerable. In light of that, it’s been estimated that it costs between $10 million and $20 million just to keep the boat on the water for a year. That may seem steep but it’s definitely normal for most yachts.

Is the Venus Yacht Available for Charter?

Jobs was a notoriously private man in many ways and his family remains the same, at least insofar as this yacht is concerned. It’s never been made available for charter and, in fact, very little is known about it.

How Fast is the Venus Yacht and What Engines Does It Use?

The Venus makes use of a pair of twin diesel MTU (16V 4000 M73) 16-cylinder engines. Together they produce  3,433 horsepower. This allows her to cruise at speeds of 16 knots. She can also reach a maximum speed of 22 knots which is fairly substantial for a yacht of her size.

What’s the Interior of the Venus Yacht Like?

As you can tell from the unique hull design, there is a minimalist aesthetic to the yacht. It does resemble some Apple products from the time period in its way. Towards the after of the vessel on the starboard side there’s a launch bay for tenders that can be deployed by crane and apparently the design included a wheelhouse powered by seven 27″ iMacs.

The aft of the vessel opens to a large beach club for guests to enjoy the ocean and the sun, features a swim platform and lounge area.

The yacht has the capacity to accommodate 12 guests across 6 cabins. There is also room for a crew of 22 to maintain the vessel. The design is simple and clean all over. Glass, silver and white with everything polished is what you see all over the vessel.

Features and Amenities

The features of the Venus are actually totally unknown to this day. Jobs has never invited photographers on board to get a glimpse of what the cabins or living spaces may look like so there’s no word on how it all came together. Likewise, the designer has not shared any of the blueprints or ideas that went into making the yacht. This is common among designers of superyachts, however, and many have to sign non-disclosure agreements so they couldn’t share details even if they wanted to. 

Until such time as Laurene Jobs opts to either open the yacht to the public or sell it, the interior details are going to remain a mystery beyond what observers are able to glimpse from afar.

The Bottom Line

The Venus was a yacht partially designed and commissioned by Steve Jobs before his death in 2011. The yacht was finished in 2012 so he never got to see the final product on the water. Jobs once admitted he knew he might die before the yacht was finished but didn’t want to stop his work because he felt like it was an admission that he was going to die and didn’t want to quit like that.

The yacht is very uniquely designed in a minimalist style which reminds many of how Apple products in general are designed. The yacht cost Jobs about $120 million. It measures in at 257 feet in length.

Laurene Jobs is the current owner of the yacht and she has maintained her privacy with the vessel. As such, not only is it not available for charter but no one has seen images of the inside either.

My grandfather first took me fishing when I was too young to actually hold up a rod on my own. As an avid camper, hiker, and nature enthusiast I'm always looking for a new adventure.

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Late Steve Job’s Super Yacht Venus

As inspiring and revolutionary Steve Jobs’ engineering concept is, equally brilliant is the late innovator’s mega yacht named Venus. Having commissioned the vessel even before the diagnosis of his terminal illness, Jobs intended the vessel to be his swan-song , after his terminal health problem was brought to light. According to the reports, the mega yacht was put into operation in 2012, a year after Jobs’ untimely demise.

The designing concept of the vessel was carried out mainly by reputed French marine architect Philippe Starck with several noteworthy inputs provided by Jobs himself. However for a brief period, the designing of the vessel was almost stalled by the American tycoon on account of the state of his health, though he later resumed it as a way of ensuring that his legacy and presence was carried forth even in his absence.

Feadship is known world-wide as a specialist in building one-of-a-kind super yachts.

With regard to Venus, it has provided the following technical uniqueness:

• A stream-lined aluminium hull that replicates the visual effect of the Apple gadgetries
• State-of-the-art technological inclusions like incorporation of iMac systems to allow for superior manoeuvring on water
• Ultra-modern accommodation amenities

Controversy about Payment

Almost immediately after the mega yacht was launched, there was a slight controversy surrounding the Venus. Principle designer Philippe Starck alleged that the legal inheritors of the yacht had failed to pay the balance of his dues, amounting to around US$ four million. Following the allegation, the yacht was seized at the Rotterdam harbor before the defaulted dues were paid and settled by the late entrepreneur’s legal team on behalf of the inheritors.

The mega yacht was named for the Greco-Roman Goddess of romance, Venus and it was with great love that Steve Jobs envisioned its completion. Although unfortunately he was unable to see his vision brought to life, yacht Venus holds one lasting memory of Jobs to his loved and cherished ones.

Video of Superyacht Venus

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78m yacht VENUS launched by FEADSHIP

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Written by Eva Belanyiova

The 78m yacht VENUS launched by FEADSHIP yesterday is a beautiful luxury vessel built under hull number 684 in the Netherlands. Superyacht VENUS was self-designed by late Steve Jobs in collaboration with Philippe Starck , with beautiful, clean lines and lightweight aluminium exterior, resulting in a much lighter vessel if compared to other yachts of her size.

Feadhips launch Venus - Photo courtesy of OneMoreThing.nl

78m Steve Jobs yacht VENUS - Photo courtesy of OneMoreThing.nl

Little information has emerged about luxury yacht Venus, however as mentioned in the Steve Job’s Biography, written by Walter Isaacson (published by Simon & Schuster in 2011), the vessel has been under development since 2009. Below is an excerpt from the book:

“ As expected, the planned yacht was sleek and minimalist. The teak decks were perfectly flat and unblemished by any accoutrements. As at an Apple store, the cabin windows were large panes, almost floor to ceiling, and the main living area was designed to have walls of glass that were forty feet long and ten feet high. He had gotten the chief engineer of the Apple stores to design a special glass that was able to provide structural support. By then the boat was under construction by the Dutch custom yacht builders Feadship, but Jobs was still fiddling with the design. “I know that it’s possible I will die and leave Laurene with a half-built boat,” he said. “But I have to keep going on it. If I don’t, it’s an admission that I’m about to die.”

Launch of the VENUS superyacht - Photo by OneMoreThing.nl

Luxury motor yacht VENUS - Photo by OneMoreThing.nl

Venus yacht was named after the Roman goddess whose functions included love, beauty, fertility, prosperity and victory.

Superyacht VENUS - 78m built by Feadship - Photo Courtesy of OneMoreThing.nl

Superyacht VENUS - Photo courtesy of OneMoreThing.nl

The images show luxury yacht VENUS during her launch at Feadship’s Koninklijke De Vries facility in Aalsmeer on the 28th October, 2012. Project 684 yacht VENUS is one of the most secretive vessels built by this shipyard to date. One of interesting particularities of this boat his her wheelhouse featuring seven 27-inch iMac computers.

VENUS Yacht designed by Philippe Starck and Steve Jobs, built at Feadship - Photo courtesy of OneMoreThing.nl

Video courtesy of OneMoreThing.nl

Please contact CharterWorld - the luxury yacht charter specialist - for more on superyacht news item "78m yacht VENUS launched by FEADSHIP ".

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Video shows moment Steve Jobs' former superyacht collides with yacht in Italy

Steve job's venus cost $120 million when it was built in 2012, by gerardo pons • published august 7, 2024 • updated on august 7, 2024 at 10:03 pm.

Video posted on social media shows the moment Steve Jobs' former superyacht Venus collided with another yacht in Naples, Italy.

The video, posted by Mexican telecom billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego on X, shows the moment the 257-foot-long Venus, now owned by Steve Jobs' former wife Laurene Powell Jobs, collided with Pliego's 344 foot-long Lady Moura on July 22.

"You guys won't believe this, but our yacht was hit while we were in Naples," Pliego wrote to his followers on X. "Apple founder Steve Jobs' yacht (now owned by his wife Laurene) hit us while we were anchored off Naples."

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No me lo van a creer pero nos chocaron el yate mientras estábamos en Nápoles. Les cuento ☕️… el yate de Steve Jobs fundador de Apple (ahora de su esposa Laurene), nos pegó mientras estábamos anclados frente a Nápoles. Yo quisiera saber que andaba haciendo el capitán y la… pic.twitter.com/R1XVzZFGkD — Don Ricardo Salinas Pliego (@RicardoBSalinas) August 7, 2024

Pliego added his boat only suffered a few large scratches, which "will cost a lot to repair."

"I would like to know what the (Venus) captain and crew were doing that they didn't see a yacht the size of mine in front of them."

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In a statement to Business Insider, Emerson Collective, an organization that Powell Jobs founded and is president of, said the collision happened while both boats were anchoring off Naples, adding only the crew was onboard.

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Designed by famed French architect Philippe Starck, Steve Job's Venus cost $120 million when it was built in 2012. The boat had its first voyage shortly after the Apple cofounder's death.

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Steve Jobs’ Venus superyacht docked in Cairns, Australia after completing an 11-day, 4,200-mile journey across the Pacific. The $120 million vessel instantly became the center of attention as it dwarfed every other boat in the harbor.

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Steve Jobs' former yacht Venus collided with another superyacht off the coast of Naples

• Venus, the yacht built for Steve Jobs , collided with another yacht off Italy's coast.
• It's unclear which yacht struck which or when exactly the crash occurred.
• With a minimalist design, Venus is one of the world's most iconic superyachts.

Venus, Steve Jobs' former superyacht — now owned by his wife, the philanthropist and investor Laurene Powell Jobs — has collided with another superyacht off of the Italian coast.

A spokesperson from Powell Jobs' Emerson Collective who spoke with a crewmember confirmed to Business Insider that Venus, the 78-meter yacht Steve Jobs commissioned, had collided with Lady Moura, a 105-meter yacht. The collision happened on July 22 off the coast of Naples, Italy.

The spokesperson said that only crew were onboard the yacht and that both boats were anchored when a sudden change of wind led to the collision.

Venus is cruising in the Ligurian Sea, while Lady Moura made its way to Mykonos on Wednesday, based on publicly available tracking data from Marine Traffic.

Videos posted on social media show the strikingly minimalist Venus and the Lady Moura coming into contact. It's not clear from the videos which superyacht struck which, though someone who said they were aboard the Lady Moura seemed to blame Venus' crew on social media, SuperYacht Times reported. The person said the damage was "only a scratch, albeit a significant one that will be costly to repair."

Others on social media said that the Venus appeared to be moored and that Lady Moura seemed to have swung into the boat. BI hasn't been able to independently verify either claim.

The Italian Marina Militare didn't respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. The owner of the Lady Moura couldn't be reached.

No matter how little damage may have been done, insurance will probably cover it. Yacht insurance , which can cost six figures each month, is one of the largest costs incurred by yacht owners.

Venus, built by the top yacht-builder Feadship, was delivered after Jobs died in 2011 and was worth $130 million upon completion. The Apple cofounder was heavily involved in the design process alongside the French architect and decorator Philippe Starck.

"Venus comes from the philosophy of minimum," Starck said of her design. "The elegance of the minimum, approaching dematerialization."

Jobs and Starck spent four years working on her design, the designer told Vanity Fair , holding monthly meetings to discuss her specifications. She has six identical cabins, was built to maximize absolute silence, and, upon delivery, included the most up-to-date technology.

"There will never again be a boat of that quality again. Because never again will two madmen come together to accomplish such a task," Starck told the magazine. "It was not a yacht that Steve and I were constructing, we were embarked on a philosophical action, implemented according to a quasi-religious process. We formed a single brain with four lobes."

August 7, 2024 — This story has been updated with a statement from a Laurene Powell Jobs spokesperson.

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Superyacht Collision, Sinking Incident, Takeaways and Lessons

• By Caleb Revill
• August 23, 2024

Two superyacht incidents occurring within two months of each other in the Mediterranean are prompting experts to assess what went wrong and how to more safely navigate the high seas.

On July 22, the superyacht Venus owned by Laurene Powell Jobs –widow of former Apple CEO Steve Jobs– collided with another vessel off the coast of Italy. The incident was captured on video where crew members can be heard yelling as the ships drew nearer and bumped into each other.

On Monday, superyacht Bayesian owned by British technology businessman Mike Lynch was sunk during a storm off the coast of Sicily. The Independent reported that the Bayesian was carrying 22 people at the time, and Italian officials fear Lynch and five others may have been trapped inside the boat.

More recent reporting by The Independent on Wednesday states that five bodies have been recovered from the shipwreck so far, with one person still missing. The deceased have not yet been identified.

What Happened to the Bayesian ?

It’s still unknown what caused the Bayesian to sink, but a recent New York Times article states witnesses described seeing a possible waterspout during Monday’s storm.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Ocean Service describes two types of waterspouts : fair weather waterspouts and tornadic waterspouts.

“Tornadic waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water, or move from land to water,” NOAA’s National Ocean Service states on its website. “They have the same characteristics as a land tornado. They are associated with severe thunderstorms, and are often accompanied by high winds and seas, large hail, and frequent dangerous lightning.”

Fair weather waterspouts on the other hand are generally not associated with thunderstorms and form along the dark flat base of a line of developing cumulus clouds.

“While tornadic waterspouts develop downward in a thunderstorm, a fair weather waterspout develops on the surface of the water and works its way upward,” The National Ocean Service states. “By the time the funnel is visible, a fair weather waterspout is near maturity. Fair weather waterspouts form in light wind conditions so they normally move very little.”

Given this information, it’s more likely that Monday’s storms would have yielded a tornadic waterspout.

How to Avoid and Safely Navigate Waterspouts

NOAA’s Ocean Today website states that waterspouts are spotted in the Florida Keys more than any other place on earth. The organization warns sailors to watch the sky for certain types of clouds when trying to avoid these storms.

“In the summer, with light winds, look for a possible waterspout underneath a line of cumulus clouds with dark, flat bases,” Ocean Today states on its website. “Anytime of the year, a thunderstorm or line of thunderstorms, can produce very intense waterspouts.”

NOAA also advises captains to listen for special marine warnings about waterspout sightings that are broadcast on NOAA Weather Radio. In the case a waterspout is sighted, captains are advised to immediately head at a 90 degree angle from the apparent motion of the waterspout.

“Never try to navigate through a waterspout,” Ocean Today states. “Although waterspouts are usually weaker than tornadoes, they can still produce significant damage to you and your boat.”

Superyacht Captain Weighs in on Venus Collision

Superyacht Captain and social media influencer Kelly Gordon provided analysis of the Venus’ collision. She said that while there are many actions that could have been taken to avoid the collision, incidents like this one can happen quickly and allow minimal time to react.

“However, alarms should have been set on each vessel that would notify crew when another vessel is within a certain distance of theirs, wind alarms for when wind speeds exceed certain limits, anchor alarms to indicate drag, use of radar, and a proper bridge watch, to name a few,” Gordon told Yachting in an emailed statement. “One would think that they had time to react, but maybe not. Weighing anchor and maneuvering in these conditions can be extremely difficult.  Forward thinking and precautionary measures can never be understated regardless of the forecasted conditions.”

Gordon said that the individuals heard yelling in the video did not appear to be in uniform and were likely guests. While the video doesn’t make it clear whether or not the captains were communicating via radio, Gordon affirmed that they should have been doing so well in advance to this collision.

“You can hear that Lady Moura did sound their horn,” Gordon said. “What is interesting is that it was only one long blast and should have been 5 short blasts to indicate danger. Regardless, a blast was made and that would have gained the attention of a proper watchman. Again, it’s obvious that there was not a proper bridge watch being maintained on Venus, but why? While there are numerous errors that were made in this instance the most notable is that Venus did not have a proper bridge watch, but again, why not? Was it complete and gross negligence or were there demands placed on the captain and crew that caused them to be under crewed and overworked-this is often the case in this industry. …”

When it comes to reducing damage from this kind of accident, Gordon said that mitigating a collision happens well in advance of the collision.

“Collisions are meant to be prevented and not reacted to after it has occurred,” Gordon said. “I can’t emphasize enough the importance of a proper bridge watch and use of all means available to execute that watch. Not only is it important to utilize all means of equipment available, but also your senses. Action needs to be taken well in advance. You aren’t just on watch for your own vessel, but also for others that are around you as well.”

Gordon stresses that she is not judging the actions taken by other captains, who might just lack the resources and staff to do their job safely.

“I am not one to judge another captain’s actions,” Gordon said. “Being a captain is a very stressful and demanding job and I have long expressed to my crew that I would never be one to judge the actions of another.  In defense of the captain and crew one has to ask-were they under crewed?  Did the owners put extraneous demands and pressures on them? Were they allowed to maintain proper work/rest hours?  Was proper training provided? Yes, a master of this size of vessel should be extremely experienced, but you just don’t know what the crew were fully up against.”

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More photos of Steve Jobs' yacht Venus

The 78m yacht Venus , built for the late founder of Apple Steve Jobs, was photographed on Thursday at Feadship’s De Vries yard in Aalsmeer, Holland.

After a private party with the workers and the current owner inside the drydock on 27 October, the yacht was Christened on 28 October, when she floated out of the building hall for completing.

Venus was engineered by De Voogt Naval Architects and features styling by Philippe Starck. Construction began in 2009 and the false top deck hiding her communication and television receivers is noted in the new book by Boat International Media, Megayachts 2013.

T: +31 23 524 7000

E: [email protected] www.feadship.com

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