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Why More Billionaires Are Chartering Superyachts Instead of Buying

Even as ownership remains strong, more billionaires and celebrities are choosing temporary access to the world’s most extravagant vessels.

In the Mediterranean every summer, the world’s richest vacationers turn superyachts into highly personalized playgrounds, whether they own them or not. Jeff Bezos has been spotted cruising the Balearics aboard his 417-foot sailing yacht, “Koru,” since its 2023 debut, while Google co-founder Sergey Brin’s 466-foot “Dragonfly,” delivered in 2024, has made appearances along the French Riviera. Meanwhile, chartering remains just as visible: Beyoncé and Jay-Z have repeatedly vacationed on the 450-foot “Flying Fox” off Ibiza in recent years, and Kim Kardashian used the 241-foot “Naia” as a floating base during the Monaco Grand Prix in June 2026.

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Owning a superyacht is perhaps the ultimate symbol of wealth, but even among the fraction of the top 0.1 percent who can afford one, buying isn’t always ideal. Instead, a growing class of billionaires is choosing to........

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