The yacht Apple co-founder Steve Jobs commissioned won't be leaving the dock any time soon thanks to a dispute over payment to the designer, Philippe Starck. Mr. Starck's lawyers had the yacht seized and it is now tied to a dock in Amsterdam until an agreement with Mr. Jobs's family can be reached.
Jobs family yacht seized over payment dispute with designer
Mr. Starck is disputing a €3 million difference in what the Jobs family paid him and what he thinks he was actually owed, according to Dutch News. His fee was based on 6 percent of the yacht's total cost, which was originally estimated at €150 million. The family said the actual cost came in at €105 million.
At the estimated cost, Mr. Starck would've made €9 million, but at the lower price he made only €6.
Mr. Jobs commissioned the yacht before his death in 2011, but didn't live to see it completed. The craft, dubbed Venus, is sleek just like Apple's retail stores with glass walls and teak woodwork, and is controlled by seven 27-inch iMacs.
The 80-meter long craft was finally finished in October 2012 and is now the property of his family — or at least it will be once they settle the payment dispute. The Jobs family and Mr. Starck apparently became friends during the yacht's design and construction, so it's likely they'll reach an out of court settlement even though there wasn't ever a written contract for his services.