Archive · 10 Aug 2026
Zuckerberg's $300 Million Superyacht Declines to Help Stranded Alaska Boat
A little boat ran out of gas near the coast of Alaska.
The people on the little boat needed someone to come and get them.
The Coast Guard, who help people on the water, asked nearby boats for help.
A very big and expensive yacht owned by Mark Zuckerberg was close by.
The people on the little boat waited for help.
Another cruise ship, which was farther away, turned around and helped them.
The people riding on that cruise ship were upset when they learned the fancy yacht did not come to help.
Some people even booed when they heard the news.
Mark Zuckerberg's team said he was not on the yacht at that time.
In the end, the kind cruise ship came to help the people on the little boat.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's $300 million, 387-foot superyacht Launchpad faces scrutiny after a nearby stranded boat was rescued by another vessel.
A 21-foot skiff ran out of fuel near Kuiu Island in southeast Alaska while traveling between Petersburg and Juneau on Monday night.
The US Coast Guard, contacted at around 9:30 p.m., determined the boat was not in distress and issued a marine assistance request to nearby vessels.
Ship-tracking data cited by the Alaska Beacon showed Launchpad and its support vessel Wingman were closer to the stranded skiff than the MV Wilderness Legacy.
A passenger said the Wilderness Legacy's captain announced Launchpad had declined to help, prompting near-unanimous booing; a spokesperson said Zuckerberg was not aboard.
- Who
- Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Platforms, owns the superyacht Launchpad; the US Coast Guard coordinated the request; passengers and crew of the UnCruise Adventures ship MV Wilderness Legacy carried out the rescue.
- What
- A 21-foot skiff ran out of fuel and was rescued by the MV Wilderness Legacy after Zuckerberg's closer yacht reportedly declined to assist.
- When
- Monday night, with the Coast Guard contacted at around 9:30 p.m.
- Where
- Near Kuiu Island in southeast Alaska, between Petersburg and Juneau.
- Why
- The skiff ran out of fuel, prompting the Coast Guard to issue a marine assistance request to nearby vessels.
Passengers and critics
Zuckerberg's camp
Failing to respond to a rescue request
Passengers and critics
A passenger said the Coast Guard radioed Zuckerberg's yacht, which was closer, and it repeatedly refused to respond; when the Wilderness Legacy captain announced this, there was near-unanimous booing, and the yacht now faces scrutiny.
Zuckerberg's camp
A spokesperson told Forbes that Zuckerberg was not on the yacht at the time, and the Coast Guard had determined the stranded boat was not in distress.
- Yacht name
- Launchpad
- Yacht value
- $300 million
- Yacht length
- 387 feet
- Support vessel
- Wingman
- Stranded vessel
- 21-foot skiff
- Rescue vessel
- MV Wilderness Legacy (UnCruise Adventures)
- Location
- Near Kuiu Island, southeast Alaska
- Distress call time
- Approximately 9:30 p.m. Monday