Gabe Newell buys yacht builder Oceanco

[Grey Havoc]

https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-indu...-later-this-year-because-he-respects-the-sea/

Gabe Newell is the Kilroy of videogames, constantly popping up in strange corners where you least expect to find him. He owns Valve, he's doing weird brain science, he's at the bottom of the ocean, he's chatting with a YouTuber with a double-digit number of subscribers. Where will he pop up next? Right behind you? Yes.

Today, Newell's popping up to acquire a yacht company. In a press release hot out of Alblasserdam, Netherlands (via Knoebel), it was announced that "Oceanco, one of the world's leading custom yacht builders, is entering a new chapter with Gabe Newell." Sure. Why not? Maybe Half-Life 3 is a boat.

For 15 years, Oceanco has been the domain of the Barwani billionaire family, from Oman, but now "it’s time for Oceanco’s next ownership," apparently. "Gabe Newell is not entering this world as a financier or a strategist, but as a hands-on visionary who respects the sea, the craft, and above all, the people who make it possible," trundles the press release.

[snip]

https://www.boatinternational.com/boat-pro/news/oceanco-yacht-builder-sold-to-gabe-newell

Dutch yard Oceanco – one of the world's leading builders of custom superyachts – has been sold to American video game developer and businessman Gabe Newell.

Over the past 15 years, under the stewardship of the Barwani family, Oceanco has delivered some of history's most iconic yachts, including Kaos, Bravo Eugenia and H3 (which won awards for her transformational rebuild), as well as the world's largest and second-largest sailing yachts, Koru and Black Pearl.

The family will remain "active in the yachting world" through their continued ownership of Turquoise Yachts.

"Gabe Newell is not entering this world as a financier or a strategist, but as a hands-on visionary who respects the sea, the craft, and above all, the people who make it possible," read a statement from the yard. "He wants Oceanco to continue on what it already does best: placing people first."

It concluded: "This is not about buying a yacht company. It’s about plugging into a team and exploring what kind of future they can create when nothing holds them back."

This groundbreaking acquisition comes at a busy time for Oceanco, with four major 80-metre-plus projects currently under construction according to BOATPro. This includes the 111-metre Y726, which was launched just last month.

https://www.superyachttimes.com/yacht-news/oceanco-acquired-by-gabe-newell

 

[Grey Havoc]

https://www.oceancoyacht.com/

 

[Mr.T]

Well if you can afford it...............

In my first job i used to work in a renowned naval design buro and running joke with regards to super yacht builders was , there are only those that went bust and those that will go bust in near future .

A particular owner of such jard we vere consulting was trying to make it profitable by bringing in design experience from mass produced boats ,started a yard in Italy moved to France ,Morocco ultimately Algeria for cheap labor but was still on average loosing money on every boat they sold. Owner is a heir to billionaire industrialist so could afford it.
Its extremely difficult to calculate upfront costs of these projects and when they get it badly wrong a single project can sink the shipyard as its often worth more than the company itself