Steve Jobs' Yacht Impounded in $3.6 Million Dispute Over Design Fee

DutchNews.nl reports on articles from the Dutch media noting that Steve Jobs' yacht Venus, which launched nearly two months ago, has been impounded by authorities due to a dispute with famed French designer Philippe Starck over design fees for the ship.

Baliffs boarded the brand new yacht Venus last Wednesday with an Amsterdam court order and it is now literally chained to the dock, the FD said. Port service companies have been instructed not to help it to leave.

The dispute centres on a €3m unpaid bill from Starck, known for his minimalist interiors, who worked with Jobs on designing the yacht for years. His fee had been established at 6% of the cost price, Rotterdam lawyer Roeland Klaassen told the paper.

The dispute seems to be related specifically to the cost of building the boat, with Starck claiming that the yacht was slated to cost €150 million while the Jobs family says that it only cost €105 million. The €45 million difference in prices means that Starck believes he is missing out on €2.7 million ($3.57 million) in design fees.

jobs yacht
The original report from Dutch financial newspaper Financieele Dagblad claims that there was no formal contract between Jobs and Starck, and that an out-of-court settlement of the dispute is likely.

Top Rated Comments

camnchar Avatar
137 months ago
I can't get over how ugly that thing is.
Score: 54 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rmatthewware Avatar
137 months ago
You don't make a million dollar deal without having a contract signed! I don't care if you are a minimalist!
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Oletros Avatar
137 months ago
Typical frenchie. Whinging because he's only getting paid €6,300,000 instead of €9,000,000. Aww, diddums..

How is he going to feed his family now? ;)


Because only French people get angry when they are paid less than they have to get?
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MonkeySee.... Avatar
137 months ago
Pay him the lot in pennies.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HarryKeogh Avatar
137 months ago
Wow. That's a yacht of money. Hopefully, boat sides can come together and sea if they can work this out.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bbeagle Avatar
137 months ago
Steve Jobs screwed people in life... and now in death too.

Yes, he was 'only' paid $6 million. I'd like to be screwed that way someday.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)