The pristine shores of the Caribbean island of St Barths have been transformed into a floating billionaire's enclave this New Year's Eve, prompting a fierce backlash from locals who decry the influx as 'tacky' and obstructive.
A Who's Who of Wealth Docks in Paradise
An armada of mega-yachts, belonging to some of the world's wealthiest individuals, has descended on the tiny French territory. The clear blue waters are now crowded with vessels, creating a spectacle that has drawn both awe and ire.
Among the A-list attendees is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, 61, and his wife Lauren Sánchez, 56. The couple were spotted on Wednesday aboard Bezos's 417-foot, $500 million yacht Koru, with Sánchez wearing a zebra-striped bikini. Their presence follows recent online mockery after they were seen partying with bikini-clad bottle service women at Nikki Beach on the island.
The guest list reads like a roll call of global elite. NBA legend Michael Jordan is present, with his $115 million superyacht M Brace. Film producer and record executive David Geffen has docked his yacht, Rising Sun. OpenAI's Sam Altman was photographed holding his baby, and British inventor Sir James Dyson is also in attendance with his classic yacht Nahlin.
Other notable figures include Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Disney CEO Bob Iger, WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum, and former Topshop owner Sir Philip Green, whose yacht Lionheart is in the harbour. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has had his yacht, Bravo Eugenia, stationed there since December 26.
Local Fury Over 'Floating Plastic' and Blocked Views
For residents and long-time visitors of St Barths, the annual billionaire pilgrimage is increasingly seen as a blight on the island's natural beauty. The sheer scale of the yachts, many featuring multiple bedrooms, spas, gyms, and helipads, is causing significant disruption.
Anger has spilled onto social media. One Reddit user, a 12-year visitor, lamented that the island has become 'more instagrammy' and filled with a 'tacky designer crowd'. On an Instagram Threads post mapping the yacht locations, a user sarcastically commented, 'A lot of floating plastic in one spot.'
Another shared an image of the ocean view, stating they had found a better spot to hang out so 'the big boats can't block the view!!' A post on X simply declared the billionaires were 'Living in a different reality.'
The Extended Guest List and Celebrity Sightings
The concentration of wealth and fame is staggering. Further sightings include:
- Leonardo DiCaprio, 50, with his 27-year-old girlfriend, Italian supermodel Vittoria Ceretti.
- Russian online gaming billionaire Dmitry Bukhman on his 378-foot yacht Ahpo.
- Heidi Klum and husband Tom Kaulitz, as well as Kris Jenner.
- Television personality Dr. Phil.
- Billionaire Tottenham Hotspur owner Joe Lewis on his yacht Aviva.
- The Mayan Queen yacht, owned by the family of the late Mexican billionaire Alberto Baillères.
The online criticism directed at Bezos and Sánchez typifies the local sentiment. One X user called the couple 'tacky' and 'cringe', while another wrote, 'One of the richest men in the world parading around... like a University of Miami fraternity brother. Exhausting and cringe.'
As the New Year celebrations commence, the event highlights the growing tension between the ultra-wealthy's playgrounds and the communities that host them, with St Barths serving as the latest flashpoint.
