Representatives for Mark Zuckerberg have denied claims that the Meta CEO's superyacht, The Launchpad, ignored a distress call from a smaller vessel that had run out of fuel in Alaskan waters.
The incident occurred on August 3 between Juneau and Petersburg. A 21-foot skiff contacted the Coast Guard for assistance, but officials determined it was not in immediate distress and issued a marine assistance broadcast. The cruise ship Wilderness Legacy eventually responded and towed the skiff to Farragut Bay after the skiff's crew had to be rescued by another boat.
According to a spokesperson for Zuckerberg, Brian Baker, the billionaire was not aboard his $300 million yacht at the time of the incident. Baker stated that The Launchpad was operating on a different radio channel when the assistance request was made, and by the time the crew reviewed the broadcast, another vessel was already responding.
Michael Love, who was aboard the Wilderness Legacy, posted on social media that the cruise ship's captain announced Zuckerberg's yacht had repeatedly failed to respond to calls for assistance, which was met with booing from passengers. Vessel-tracking data cited by the Alaska Beacon indicated The Launchpad was closer to the disabled skiff than the Wilderness Legacy.
Love noted that the yacht's representatives did not dispute the account but claimed they never received the call, rather than intentionally ignored it. He expressed a desire for an explanation as to why the yacht stopped its operations at that specific moment.
US regulations require mariners to assist a vessel only when it is "in danger of being lost." As the Coast Guard did not classify the situation as a distress emergency, this assessment appears to support The Launchpad's position.
Zuckerberg purchased the 387-foot yacht in 2024. The vessel has drawn criticism for its environmental impact, as reports indicate it burns a significant amount of fuel hourly. Critics have accused Zuckerberg of hypocrisy due to his advocacy for climate change policies.
The yacht has reportedly been accompanied by a $30 million support ship, Wingman, which carries smaller boats, a submarine, and a helicopter. Between late 2024 and early 2025, The Launchpad reportedly consumed over 528,000 gallons of diesel fuel, emitting an estimated 5,300 tons of carbon emissions, equivalent to nearly 400 U.S. households in a year. The yacht has been observed in Southeast Alaska for much of the summer.