Valve co-founder and games industry man of mystery Gabe Newell put consoles on notice Wednesday, and has now ended the week by taking delivery of his new custom-designed superyacht, the Leviathan. The vessel was built by Oceanco, a firm that’s done such a good job that Newell just decided to up and buy it outright in August: apparently because he “respects the sea.”
The news comes via Boat International, “the global authority on superyachting,” which has Oceanco CEO Marcel Onkenhout waxing lyrical about the glories of the Gabenboat. Leviathan is 111 meters long and the 50th largest yacht in the world. Onkenhout says the diesel-electric vessel is the “most comfortable yacht ever designed” by the company (you’d hope so!) and a feat of custom engineering.
We’re gonna need a bigger yacht
Time for some words from the man himself:
“Working with the team at Oceanco is incredibly enjoyable and a lot of fun; everybody is professional, creative and dynamic,” said Newell. “We knew we were asking for unusual things, and Oceanco embraced it with open arms. Not only have we designed a very unusual yacht that leans into Oceanco’s strengths of innovation and design, but the team has also been willing to collaborate with us on evolving the process.”
“From the very start, we knew nothing about her would be done in a traditional way,” says Onkenhout. “We were welcomed into the team alongside Gabe and everyone who would ultimately be involved in operating her. It is this level of collaboration that sets Leviathan apart from anything we’ve built before.”
I’m guilty of going on about the luxury side of this, but Leviathan has also been designed with scientific work in mind: Newell’s interests now include Starfish Neuroscience, a company focused on neural interfaces (popularly known as “brain chips”), and Inkfish, a marine research operation. Part of this is a “convention-defying layout” that apparently brings teams together, which makes me think about all the times I’ve read about desks with wheels at Valve.
The materials were also chosen with an eye on reducing maintenance and repetitive tasks for the yacht’s staff, so traditional materials like teak decks and wooden handrails are out, and composite alternatives are in. The diesel-electric power plant works alongside a battery storage system that allows Leviathan to operate for long stretches with no emissions, and it also features an advanced wastewater treatment system.
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“She is not just a high-performance vessel,” said Charlie Birkett, CEO and co-founder of brokerage firm Y.CO. “She is a working ecosystem, designed to support everything from world-class hospitality to scientific research. That is what happens when you put people and purpose at the centre.”
Over 2,000 people were involved in the vessel’s creation, and all of their names are engraved on a glass panel in the main staircase.
The Leviathan joins Newell’s existing small fleet of very expensive boats, including the Draak and Rocinante, though this is undoubtedly the jewel in his collection. Newell says he still works seven days a week on “super-awesome” projects, even though he’s technically retired, and the Leviathan will no doubt fit nicely into the multi-billionaire’s daily routine: “get up, work, go scuba diving.”
