Tuesday, April 8, 2025

March 23, 2023

25 Injured As Wind Topples Microsoft Billionaire’s Boat

Strong winds tipped a large ship belonging to billionaire Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's estate

[imagesource:flickr]

Strong winds tipped a large ship belonging to billionaire Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s estate on Wednesday, injuring 25 people.

The injured were transported to hospitals by air ambulance, three trauma teams, five additional emergency vehicles, and five ambulances, according to the Telegraph. Authorities have kept their conditions a secret. In the dock, 10 more victims received medical attention for their wounds.

“Emergency services are responding to a major incident at Leith docks — a ship has been dislodged from its holding in strong winds. Terrifying for those on board, my thoughts are with those who’ve been injured & hope everyone recovers quickly,”

The 250-foot ship toppled over from its holding at Imperial Dock in Leith, Edinburgh, and social media users were quick to post images of the late billionaire’s beached whale as it lay at a 45-degree angle. The vessel was mostly used for deep-sea research.

Named Tatoosh, the boat is thought to be the 60th-biggest superyacht in the world. Allen formerly had the 20th-largest ship in the world, named Octopus.

Tatoosh was once hired for R8 million by the son of Equatorial Guinean president Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, for a Christmas cruise. The yacht was also accused of destroying a large patch of coral reef in the West Bay replenishment zone in the Cayman Islands.

Allen reportedly bought the yacht for a cool R 1,8 billion in 2001. It features a shaded 1,8 metre deep swimming pool with an adjustable depth, a movie cinema, a saloon with a French limestone fireplace, a dining area, staterooms, and a ladies’ powder room on the main deck.

That’s a very bourgeoise beached whale.

[source:nypost]