Going with the flow! This 28-yr-old Meta employee pays $300,000 for a cruise ship condo so he can WFH and travel the world

A 28-year-old man who is part of Meta's augmented and virtual reality division, Reality Labs, has paid a whopping $300,000 for a 12-year lease for a cruise ship condo so he can travel the world while working remotely.

As per a report in CNBC, Austin Wells, who "loves to travel the world" and currently lives in San Diego, has leased a residence on board one of the world's most luxury cruise ships for at least three years so that he can sail, work remotely and also see the hidden places this globe has to offer.

Wells paid close to $300,000 on a 12-year lease for 'Discover', an entry-level 237 square feet studio that includes a foldaway bed, pantry area, desk and separate shower room.


The cruise ship, named the MV Narrative which is made up of more than 500 private rooms and apartments, comes with complete medical services, private kitchens, co-working space, spa, exercise centre, farmer's market and more.

During its sail, the cruise will be home to around 1,000 residents who will either live on the boat permanently or temporarily.

For Well, the most exciting thing about living on the cruise ship is that he doesn't have to upend his daily routine in order to live his dream of seeing the world.
But what happens when Wells is seeing the European cities during his cruise journey, how will he manage his work?

"My working hours will be shifted towards evenings, nights and very early mornings. But that does open up the ability for me to … maybe see a city midday to afternoon and then start my workday around six or 7 p.m.,” Wells told CNBC during an interview.

This is probably the first time ever that Wells has the ability to have a standard job and consider working and living from a floating apartment complex.

The MV Narrative, an upscale residential cruise ship, offers 11 types of residence on board with the largest 'Global' at 1,970 square feet which comes with up to four bedrooms, two bathrooms, walk-in closet, a large balcony, and a dining room that can sit at least six people.

The cruise ship is currently under construction in Croatia's Split from where it will set sail in 2025 and travel through Rome, Naples, Sapri, Marsala, Venice, Albania, Croatia, Greece and Turkey among other places.

“I’m going from this model where you want to go somewhere, you pack a bag, you get on a flight, you rent a room, to now my condo, my gym, my doctors and dentists, all of my grocery stores travel the world with me,” the 28-year-old Meta employee added.