Zuckerberg faces questions after $300 million superyacht reportedly fails to respond to stranded boat in Alaska

Mark Zuckerberg is facing questions over why his $300 million superyacht reportedly did not respond to a Coast Guard request for assistance after a 21-foot boat carrying two women, a child and a dog ran out of fuel in southeast Alaska, with an expedition cruise ship eventually diverting to tow the stranded vessel to safety.

The incident took place on August 3 between Juneau and Petersburg, near Farragut Bay. The stranded boat contacted the US Coast Guard shortly after 9:30 p.m., according to the Alaska Beacon. By about 9:56 p.m., Coast Guard officials determined that the occupants were not in distress and issued a marine assistance request to nearby vessels instead.

Zuckerberg's 387-foot yacht, Launchpad, was reportedly closer to the stranded boat than the vessel that ultimately responded. The expedition ship Wilderness Legacy, operated by UnCruise Adventures, answered the assistance request, reached the skiff and towed it roughly nine miles to Farragut Bay. The people aboard the boat and their dog were brought to safety.

Why Zuckerberg's yacht is facing scrutiny

The incident attracted attention because Launchpad, the superyacht associated with Zuckerberg, was reportedly in the vicinity and was closer to the stranded boat than Wilderness Legacy.

Launchpad is approximately 387 feet, or 118 metres, long and was built by Dutch shipbuilder Feadship. It was delivered in 2024 and has been widely reported to have a value of around $300 million.

Passengers aboard Wilderness Legacy were reportedly told by the ship's captain that Zuckerberg's yacht was closer to the stranded vessel but had not responded to the assistance request.

Michael Love, a passenger aboard Wilderness Legacy, told reporters that passengers reacted by booing when they heard the information.

However, the circumstances are more complicated than the initial reports suggesting that the yacht simply ignored a distress call.

Zuckerberg's representatives give a different explanation

A spokesperson for Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, said neither was aboard Launchpad when the incident occurred, as reported by Forbes. The spokesperson said the yacht's crew was monitoring a different radio channel and therefore did not hear the Coast Guard's assistance broadcast at the time.

According to the representative, the crew became aware of the situation only after the rescue was already underway. The spokesperson also said thet Meta CEO and Chan were relieved that everyone involved was safe.