Mark Zuckerberg’s $300m superyacht reportedly declined stranded boat rescue call

Mark Zuckerberg is facing questions after his superyacht reportedly declined to assist a small boat that became stranded in south-east Alaska.

The 387ft yacht, Launchpad, reportedly worth $300 million, was closer to the stranded 21ft skiff than the cruise ship that eventually came to its aid, according to the Alaska Beacon.

A passenger aboard UnCruise Adventures’ Wilderness Legacy said the ship's captain told passengers that the US Coast Guard had contacted Zuckerberg’s yacht.

“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,” the passenger wrote on Bluesky.

However, a spokesperson for Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, disputed suggestions that the yacht deliberately refused to help.

Brian Baker told Forbes that Zuckerberg and Chan were not aboard Launchpad at the time and said its crew had been using a different radio channel.

“The assist was already under way” when the crew reviewed the broadcast, Baker said.

The skiff had reportedly run out of fuel while travelling between Petersburg and Juneau.

Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook and Instagram, has not personally commented on the incident.