The Zuckerboat is at bay.
After several days on Seattle’s Lake Union — drawing onlookers, hecklers, and even some flaming protest art — Mark Zuckerberg’s superyacht quietly slipped back through the Ballard Locks early Sunday and has been anchored in Elliott Bay for more than 24 hours.
The location is less conspicuous, in that it’s not in the middle of the city, at least. It’s not clear what happens next. Launchpad is now a short distance from Pier 90, where its support vessel, Wingman, has been docked since arriving last week, next to the Smith Cove Cruise Terminal.
Also still unclear: why it’s here in the first place. Meta and Zuckerberg have been mum on the topic amid speculation that the boat is in town for the FIFA World Cup. A USA-Australia match is set for Seattle’s Lumen Field on June 19. The yacht could serve as a floating base for Zuckerberg and guests.
Launchpad arrived in Seattle last Tuesday, which was coincidentally the same day Meta disclosed plans to cut nearly 1,400 jobs in Washington state. That amounted to about 20% of its local workforce, part of a broader reduction of roughly 8,000 positions companywide.
The display of extreme wealth, juxtaposed against the lost jobs, fueled much of the reaction during the yacht’s arrival through the Ballard Locks and its stay on Lake Union.
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