1. It’s called Koru

Koru took five years to construct and is nearly twice the length of an Airbus A380 at 417 feet. Earlier this year the behemoth with an internal volume of 3,300 GT was spotted on her sea trials in the North Sea.

2. Koru is the tallest sailing yacht in the world

Koru has triple masts reaching 70 metres (230 feet) – making the sailing yacht nearly half the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza; certainly befitting of the third richest person on the planet, who currently has an estimated net worth of US$117 billion.

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3. Big boat, bigger bills

Koru was built by Holland-based Oceanco and the vessel’s upkeep is likely to be no less than US$50 million a year. Generally, the annual cost of running and maintaining a superyacht is close to 10 per cent of its price, and Koru is a mighty expensive boat, coming in at a whopping US$500 million.

4. The schooner created controversy even before it hit the waters

The Netherlands’ historic Koningshaven bridge that survived the Second World War bombings was to be temporarily dismantled to accommodate the extra-tall ship. This led to a furore among locals, with over 5,000 people signing up to a Facebook group to throw eggs at the three-masted schooner as a sign of protest as it passed through.

The New York Times later reported that shipbuilders Oceanco had decided against applying for a bridge-dismantling permit after all, and the yacht’s enormous masts would instead be installed at a separate facility.

5. Koru is ahead of its time, as smart as it is suave

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6. Koru will sail with a 247 foot-long support vessel

Built by Damen Yachting, the Abeona is the largest support vessel built by the shipyard to date. With space to sleep 45 people, including crew, guests and specialist staff, the ship features a helicopter landing pad for Bezos and his VIPs, an arsenal of toys including luxury cars, jet skis and speedboats – and a personal submarine.

7. It has its own swimming pool, spa and sauna

The US$500 million mega yacht features a black hull and white superstructure, and has an elegant silhouette, but there is little information so far about what it will look like inside. What we do know is that the yacht has an aluminium and steel superstructure and boasts three decks, including one with a swimming pool. The Amazon founder’s pleasure craft will also have a gym, a spa and a sauna.

8. Koru was inspired by the iconic Black Pearl sailing boat

Also built by Oceanco, the 350 foot-long, US$200 million Black Pearl sailing boat had a revolutionary design and eco-credentials, and boasted fantastic technological advancements when it was launched in 2016. Owned by Russian businessman Oleg Burlakov, it surely inspired Bezos’ even grander schooner that emulated its three 70-metre (230-foot) carbon masts. And yet, one can’t help but wonder why Bezos didn’t also opt for the Black Pearl’s intelligent folding system that allows the yacht to pass safely through canals …

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9. Koru may also be loosely based on the beautiful Eos yacht

Another iconic sailing boat that may have inspired Koru is the 305 foot-long yacht Eos belonging to Bezos’s close friend Barry Diller – founder and former CEO of Fox. British media has reported that Koru’s interiors have been inspired by the Lurssen-built Eos, which was considered the largest sailing yacht in the world at the time, in 2006. With interiors designed by Bill Langan and François Catroux, the Eos has an impressive layout and interiors that would certainly get the nod of approval from royals, aristocrats and moguls alike.