Celebrity2 min(s) read
Published 15:15 10 Aug 2026 GMT
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has denied claims that his $300 million yacht ignored a distress call from a nearby vessel that was stranded in Alaskan waters.
It's been reported that a 21-foot skiff ran out of fuel between Juneau and Petersburg, in the vicinity of where Zuckerberg's mega-yacht on August 3.
However, when the boat got into trouble, it was rescued by a much smaller ship.
Now, Zuckerberg's representatives have spoken out against the allegations.
Representatives of the billionaire said that he was not onboard the craft, called The Launchpad, at the time of the incident.
Zuckerberg's spokesperson Brian Baker said that the distress call made from the skiff was broadcast on a different radio channel to the one being used on the Launchpad at the time it ran out of fuel.
He added that by the time the Launchpad's crew had seen the broadcast, another boat was already responding and on its way to help.
The skiff was eventually rescued by the Wilderness Legacy, a cruise ship operated by UnCruise Adventures.
A litter to the Alaska Beacon from Baker read: "Mark and his family were not on board at the time of the incident.
"As the Coast Guard noted, the boat was not in distress, and by the time the crew reviewed the Coast Guard contact on a different radio channel from the one they were operating on, the assist was already underway. We’re grateful all parties are safe."
However, it may not be as clear-cut a situation as it seems.
Reporting by the International News says that a user on the social media app Bluesky claimed to have been on the cruise ship Wilderness Legacy at the time it came to the aid of the skiff.
The user, called Michael Love, claimed that "our boat rescued a stranded vessel last night and apparently we did that after the Coast Guard radioed Mark Zuckerberg’s yacht, which was closer, and they repeatedly refused to respond."
According to the Alaska Beacon, vessel-tracking data showed the cruise ship had manoeuvred around the yacht before towing the skiff to Farragut Bay.
Meta boss Zuckerberg originally purchased the Launchpad for $300 million in 2024.
This was a source of aggravation for some critics, especially given Zuckerberg's staunch advocacy for climate change.
