Power Work

Many folks in tech would consider themselves lucky to be work from home from even a couple of days a week. It is an employer's market for the most part (not counting the billion dollar packages being offered to rare AI talent) and they are making it clearly understood. But then there are some who can afford to work from yacht. 

The allure of the superyacht has evolved well beyond leisure. Today’s billionaire class routinely transform their multimillion-dollar vessels into high-tech, fully functional floating offices. With designated workspaces, meeting rooms, executive desks, and premium internet access (powered by services like Elon Musk’s Starlink), the ultra-wealthy can manage empires, close deals, and join Zoom calls from anywhere on Earth’s oceans—sometimes with staff aboard for months at a time.

Yacht designers and brokers confirm a surge in demand for these business-friendly builds. Clients want not just luxury, but the option to work seamlessly at sea, with private quarters and serious connectivity. Starlink’s satellite internet has been a game changer, making reliable, high-speed service affordable and standard on virtually all serious yachts, enabling business to be conducted from the Seychelles to the South Pole, often with colleagues none the wiser.

For some, “working from yacht” isn’t just a novelty, it’s the new normal. Executives say their teams sometimes prefer it, relieved the boss isn’t physically at the office. Remote meetings can happen in a dedicated office suite overlooking the water, followed by a dive in the Jacuzzi. These arrangements can be elaborate, with some superyachts boasting entire office suites to support on-board teams for global business. 

I had a young person tell me recently, that there is increasingly a penalty for junior team members who happen to live in the same city as the company HQ and therefore are expected to be in-person most days. They are scrutinized and judged for things their remote-working peers would not be. Some female coworker of this person has been chastised for not being dressed well-enough for work whereas folks on Zoom could get away with being dressed in PJs and tee-shirts. The person in question proceeded to find herself another job which allowed her to be remote.

The story about working from a yacht, highlights a broader trend: ultra-high-net-worth individuals are future-proofing their lifestyles for maximum flexibility, whether they choose to work, relax, or both. The lines between office and escape have blurred; the best place for a high-stakes meeting might be on a Mediterranean deck, or even in a heated tent in Antarctica.

While most people can now work from home (though many have employers who will not allow it to keep them in control), only the .001% can WFY, work from yacht, thanks to technology, wealth, and a changing definition of the workplace. For the world’s richest, work-life balance sometimes means business at sea, with the ultimate office view.