Zuckerberg’s $300 million superyacht ignored stranded boat’s distress call

The Story in Brief

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is facing criticism after his $300 million superyacht reportedly ignored repeated distress calls from a stranded 21-foot skiff off the coast of Alaska. A passenger on the cruise ship Wilderness Legacy, which eventually rescued the skiff's occupant, posted on Bluesky that the Coast Guard first radioed the superyacht but received no response despite it being closer. The passenger said the cruise ship's captain announced the yacht's refusal to help, prompting near-unanimous booing from those on board, according to a report by Alaska Beacon.

Zuckerberg's spokesperson Brian Baker told Forbes that neither Zuckerberg nor his wife Priscilla Chan were aboard the yacht Launchpad at the time. Baker claimed the crew was monitoring a different radio channel and only learned of the distress call after the rescue was already underway. The incident adds to public scrutiny of Zuckerberg, already facing criticism over his social media platforms' societal impact and his growing ties with Donald Trump, though the exact timeline of events remains disputed.