Mega Yachts: The Latest Craze for Billionaires

Mega Yachts: The Latest Craze for Billionaires is an entertaining and slightly disgusting portrait of the excesses enjoyed by the ridiculously wealthy.

The filmmakers introduce us to Bill Duker, a software engineer who owns one of the most expensive super yachts in the world - the Sybaris. The cameras gawk at each opulent nook and cranny in the vessel, including the full-sized fitness room, the deck that measures the size of a tennis court and the priceless works of art that grace its walls. Understandably, Duker spends a lot of time on this yacht, and often invites a series of highly influential figures to join him on his nautical adventures. They are assisted and waited upon by a team of twelve crew members. "If the rest of the world learns what it's like to live on a yacht like this," Duker admits, "they're going to bring back the guillotine."

In Monaco, we meet the designer behind this and many of the most impressive yachts in the world. Many years ago, Espen Oeino built the first mega yacht for a Microsoft executive complete with helicopter landing pad and three subs. In his quest to construct ever more extravagant ships, he is accustomed to catering to each client's wildest desires. He does business with a very select clientele, but business continues to boom. Young entrepreneurs are demanding more contemporary designs, and the results can set them back to the tune of $18 million dollars.

In Dubai, we meet the eager sellers and buyers at an annual boat show. Designers and interior decorators schmooze the wealthiest elite. Social media influencers work alongside ship owners to parade a lifestyle to the masses who will likely never be able to afford it. We meet some of the Arabian clients who constitute almost half of the super yacht ownership in the industry. One such ship costs over $220 million dollars and is so notorious that it is featured on an official postage stamp.

Mega Yachts: The Latest Craze for Billionaires takes viewers inside the private living spaces of some of the world's richest people. It's a breezy portrait that might be exhilarating to some and distasteful to others.