david geffen yacht in portland maine

Gigayacht spotted in Portland Harbor attracts attention

by Ariana St Pierre , WGME

PORTLAND (WGME) -- A $400 million gigayacht floating in the Portland Harbor is turning heads.

According to the Press Herald, a yacht is typically at least 30 feet long, a superyacht is 80-100 feet long, a megayacht is 200 feet, and a gigayacht is over 300 feet long.

The yacht, named Rising Sun, is owned by billionaire entertainment mogul David Geffen, according to CBS News.

CBS News reports the boat's original owner, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, sold Rising Sun to Geffen in 2010.

The Rising Sun reportedly has 82 rooms, including a gym, a basketball court, a wine cellar, a spa, and a movie theater, according to CBS News.

• Also read: 'It's amazing:' Nearly $70M middle school set to open in South Portland

It can reportedly accommodate up to 16 guests and 45 crew members.

Geffen’s gigayacht is the 20th largest in the world, according to the Press Herald.

It’s certainly an eye-catcher at five stories high and 453 feet long.

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Massive yacht turns heads along Portland waterfront

PORTLAND, Maine (WMTW) - Maine is known for its waterfront, and places like Portland are certainly no stranger to massive cruise ships and luxury yachts.

But a boat that has been docked in Portland for the last several days is certainly turning some heads.

The “Rising Sun” is owned by billionaire media mogul David Geffen. The so-called giga-yacht is one of the 20 largest yachts in the world.

It is 452 feet long, and five stories high with 82 rooms, a spa, a movie theater, a wine cellar and a full-sized basketball court. It staffs a crew of 45 people.

Many people have been heading to the Portland waterfront just to get a look.

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David Geffen's 82-Room Megayacht Docks In Portland, Maine

The picturesque harbor at Portland, Maine hosts a number of luxury cruise ships in the fall months, but rarely does a privately owned vessel of a similar stature grace its waters. Thus when the world's 10th largest yacht, David Geffen's 453-foot long Rising Sun  docked there recently, it caused quite a sensation. The five-story, 82-room yacht took up enough space for several smaller boats at the city's Ocean Gateway International Marine Terminal. Originally commissioned by Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison from Germany's Lürssen shipyard in 2004, the yacht cost about $250 million to build. The Rising Sun features luxe accommodations for 12 people, in addition to 30 crew members, and features a gymnasium, spa, sauna, wine cellar, private cinema and basketball court that converts to a helipad. 

Geffen and Ellison were originally co-owners of the yacht before Geffen took full control of it in 2010. It it is the largest yacht in the world owned by a U.S. citizen. It is not known whether Geffen was on board the yacht when it arrived in Maine, but here's where a few other billionaires docked their yachts recently: 

• Russian Billionaire Andrey Melnichenko brought the world's "coolest" megayacht — a 390-foot, $400 million vessel designed by Philippe Starck and dubbed the A  — to Auckland, New Zealand.
• Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich brought the 536-foot  Eclipse , the second largest yacht in the world which cost around $800 million, to the southern Croatian island of Mljet.
• Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen arrived in Iceland aboard the 414-foot Octopus , the 13th largest yacht and the largest expedition yacht in the world.

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Gigayacht arrives in Portland Harbor

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A $400 million gigayacht floating in the Portland Harbor is turning heads.

A yacht is typically at least 30 feet long, a superyacht is 80 to 100 feet long, a megayacht is 200 feet and a gigayacht is more than 300 feet long, according to the Portland Press Herald .

The vessel is owned by entertainment mogul David Geffen, the Press Herald reported.

The yacht, named Rising Sun, has 82 rooms, including a gym, wine cellar, spa and movie theater, according to the Press Herald. It can accommodate up to 16 guests and 45 crew members.

Geffen’s gigayacht is the 20th largest in the world, according to the Press Herald.

It’s certainly an eye-catcher at five stories high and 453 feet long.

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Photos: david geffen's "superyacht" docks in portland harbor.

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One of the largest yacht's in the world, owned by David Geffen, was docked in Portland Harbor on Tuesday.

PHOTO: WMTW Image

Geffen is a former record producer and founder of Dreamworks.

His yacht, the Rising Sun, is listed as one of the largest yachts in the world.

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Portland Press Herald: Lavish and looming, gigayacht bobbing in Portland harbor attracts curiosity and contempt

Some people view it as a symbol of wealth-hoarding. Others see it as a tourist attraction. Some believe it's merely a sign of a changing Old Port. To entertainment mogul David Geffen, the 82-room, $400 million gigayacht floating in the Portland harbor is merely a part-time home.

A boat that is worth $381 million more than the most expensive home for sale on Maine Listings docked in Portland on Monday night. Though it's not a boat, it's not a yacht, it's not a superyacht and it's not even a megayacht. It's a gigayacht and it's the 20th largest in the world, according to the Robb Report, a chronicler of all things luxurious.

The yacht, named Rising Sun, is one of Geffen's vacation homes. Geffen is the music and film producer behind The Eagles, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and DreamWorks – the animation studio that produced, among many hits, "Shrek," Shrek 2," "Shrek the Third" and "Shrek Forever After." Fifty-nine years after he launched his entertainment career, Geffen has landed himself at No. 229 on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index with a net worth of $9.14 billion.

Geffen is also pals with many celebrities, and he's brought many of them aboard Rising Sun, including Paul McCartney, Oprah Winfrey and Julia Roberts.

Doug Sargent, a New Jersey resident, is similarly unimpressed by Rising Sun.

"It's not interesting, it's too blah," Sargent said. "Buy that boat? It's so far beyond comprehension that that's not even one of my thoughts."

However, Sargent said there are some upsides to a visitor like Geffen. Perhaps Geffen and his guests are spreading the wealth in the Old Port.

"I hope he's helping the local economy," he said.

Sargent, 79, lived in Portland until he was 13 years old and has watched the Old Port transform over the course of his life. It's people like Geffen who have given the Old Port the money to change for the better, he said.

Whether the arrival of the Rising Sun has positive or negative impacts on the city, lobsterman Rob Rutter is ambivalent. He's making the same amount of money for his catch even when people like Geffen visit Portland.

"I didn't even think that yacht being in town was going to make a story other than 'it was here,' " Rutter said.

It's not entirely clear where Rising Sun is floating while it awaits its next journey. According to Portland city spokesperson Jessica Grondin, it's not at any of the city's docks or moorings. Dionne, the Portland Discovery Land Sea and Tours deckhand, said it's likely at Fore Points Marina, "a safe, deep harbor, specifically designed to host megayachts" that opened in 2019. Office Manager Lauren Whitney would neither confirm nor deny whether Rising Sun was on its docks. Its current coordinates, according to Marine Traffic, are in an area where there are no other marinas but Fore Points.

If so, Geffen would pay at least $3,624 a day for the dockage rate, according to the company's website.

What say Geffen? Does he like coming to Portland? How long will he be here? How much is he spending on the ship? Is he spending any money in the Old Port? Where does he stand on the ongoing Hollywood writers and actors strike?

Who knows – a reporter tried but could not get in touch with him.

"This is not possible, he doesn't take any calls," said an unnamed receptionist at the David Geffen Foundation. "Thank you for trying."

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Tenth-largest yacht in world docks in Portland

The Rising Sun, owned by billionaire David Geffen, has 82 rooms and cost more than $200 million to build.

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PORTLAND — The 10th-largest yacht in the world is berthed in Portland this week.

The Rising Sun, a five-story, 82-room super yacht owned by billionaire David Geffen, arrived Tuesday morning at the Ocean Gateway International Marine Terminal. The yacht also was in Portland and Bar Harbor last September.

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It is unclear how long the yacht will stay in Portland, said Nicole Clegg, spokeswoman for the city of Portland.

The Rising Sun is 453 feet long and reportedly cost more than $200 million to build. It has an extensive wine cellar, bathrooms with Jacuzzis, a private cinema and a basketball court that doubles as a helicopter landing pad, according to the yacht’s Wikipedia page .

The Rising Sun can accommodate up to 16 guests and 45 crew members, according to Superyachts.com .

The yacht was built for Larry Ellison, the CEO and co-founder of Oracle, an enterprise software company, according to Forbes.com .

Geffen, who bought the yacht from Ellison several years ago, is a record executive and film producer who started DreamWorks Studios with Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg.

Fred E. Gignoux, a Portland-based steamship agent and customs broker established in 1918, is acting as agent for the Rising Sun. Owner Justin Costello could not be reached for comment.

Last year, the Rising Sun was charged $2.10 per linear foot for each day it was berthed in Portland. Clegg said she expects the Rising Sun to be charged about $2,000 per day for berthing and amenities fees while it’s in Portland.

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Who Owns the $400M 82-Room Gigayacht Floating in This Maine Harbor?

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We're no strangers here in Maine to seeing the ultra-wealthy dock their massive floating mansions on the docks at one of hundreds are amazingly beautiful ports. Even though we're used to it, it's still remarkable when a yacht of THIS size shows up.

According to many people on Facebook, Instagram and even WGME, a gigayacht has docked in Portland. Now, to be fair, I had no idea what a gigayacht even was until I read a little further into it.

The Portland Press Herald explained in part that "a yacht is typically at least 30 feet long, a superyacht is 80-100 feet long, a megayacht is 200 feet, and a gigayacht is over 300 feet long."

The yacht, currently docked in Portland Harbor, is a whopping 453 feet in length, WGME reported , and is run by a crew of 45 people and features at least half a dozen decks, has a built-in wine cellar, movie theater, fitness gym and is equipped with more than 82 rooms.

But, how how does a yacht of this size COST? I mean, it has to be a few thousand bucks, right?

In fact, this astonishing piece of nautical equipment cost a staggering $400+ million to build, according to WGME.

Who has that kind of money and the desire to build such a floating palace? None other than David Geffen.

But who the heck is David Geffen?

According to Forbes , Geffen is the cofounder of Dreamworks Animation and "the founder of record labels Asylum Records, Geffen Records and DGC Records."

Forbes states that as of August 2023, he's worth over $7 billion. With a B.

For a little more insight into just how LAVISH this sailing paradise is, check out this YouTube video we came across that provides even more info (and pictures!) of this epic gigayacht.

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David geffen and his megayacht rising sun are still at large.

David Geffen may have stopped posting pics from his megayacht after backlash, but that hasn’t stopped others from buzzing about his boat, Rising Sun.

The $590 million yacht was seen this week off the Maine coast.

Two weeks ago, it made a refueling stop in New Bedford, Mass.

Inside The Rising Sun: David Geffen's $590 Million Superyacht

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Details of the yacht, interior and exterior details, the rising sun’s onboard comfort and entertainment.

Billionaire and entertainment mogul David Geffen reportedly purchased the superyacht for $590 million from the Oracle founder Larry Ellison. It was reported that wealthy people love spending money on yachts, and about 88% of the luxury market can be associated to spending on yachts. For this reason, it is not at all surprising that billionaires are spending so much money buying yachts . Yachts can be considered as the pinnacle of luxury and decadence and about $22 billion annually are spent on Yachts by the wealthy people. The Rising Sun has hosted numerous famous celebrities including American talk show host Oprah Winfrey and Academy Award winner Leonardo DiCaprio on board and even Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was seen hanging out in the superyacht.

Geffen has cruised everywhere using the Superyacht from St. Bart's in the Caribbean to Portofino to Italy and even Ibiza, Spain. He loves travelling using his yacht but not without his friends and some high profile celebrities. Among the guests in his massive yacht are Julia Roberts, Maria Shriver, Steven Spielberg, JJ Abrams, Karlie Kloss, Peter Harrington-Cressman, Paul McCartney and even Michelle and Barack Obama. Take a look inside the majestic yacht of Geffen.

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https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/205054589254118565/

The Rising Sun is a motor yacht which was designed by Jon Bannenberg and was built and constructed in 2004 by German shipbuilder Lürssen. The yacht reportedly costs $200 million to build. The yacht was built at Lürssen’s Bremen shipyard for the founder and CEO of Oracle Corporation, Larry Ellison. It was delivered to Ellison in June 2004. Since 2010, David Geffen has owned the yacht. Geffen bought half of the share of the 454-foot megayacht in 2007 and decided to buy the yacht in full in 2010 which totaled his payment for $590 million. The exact estimated value of the yacht is still unclear but as of 2019, the yacht was valued for $300 million. After Geffen bought it, he had the yacht refitted in the period of just six months.

The motor yacht has a tonnage of 7,841 GT and has a length of 138 m that is about 452 ft 9 in. It utilizes the installed power of the diesel engine of 4 × MTU 20V 8000 M90 with 36,000 kW. It also has 4 propellers as its propulsion and has the speed of 28 knots that can comfortably run at the speed of 26 knots but can run at the maximum speed of 30 knots. It was built with steel hull and an aluminum superstructure that includes a teak deck. It also features an anchor stabilizer which provides the people on board an exceptional comfort. Unlike some other luxury yachts, the Rising Sun is not available for private charter.

https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/532058143448158436/

The superyacht has about eighty two rooms and has the ability to accommodate about 18 guests and 55 staff and crew members. The eighteen guests can comfortably stay in the nine suites at the yacht which can ensure a relaxed luxury yacht experience . The massive yacht even has a basketball court on board. The top deck is entirely dedicated to the owner which includes a double-height cinema. Aside from the basketball court, there is also a wine cellar and a movie theater which can be found among the eighty two rooms of the yacht.

The interior design of the yacht was designed by design house Seccombe Design. The exterior design on the other hand was designed by Bannenberg & Rowell and was refitted in 2011 after David Geffen has requested for it. The builders of the Rising Sun have experimented with the extensive use of some structural glass that gives off a clean and stripped-down profile for the yacht. This includes the builders extensively working on the engineering and systems of the yacht. The exposure of the yacht’s structure is one of the overarching themes in the superyacht’s design.

https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/400961173065183662/

There is a reason why a lot of famous celebrities and public figure enjoy hanging out at the superyacht. For the added comfort and entertainment, there is a sauna, underwater lights, beauty salon, elevator and gym at the superyacht. It offers the luxuries of the land space on a secluded area which gives them the privacy that they need. The general arrangement of the layout of the Rising Sun has given the guests spacious cabins which have a direct access to the exterior side decks of the yacht. With the use of the 45-degree indents in the yacht’s superstructure, the guests are also protected from the weather.

The yacht has so much space that the guests can roam around and just party. The top deck was designed entirely for the owner’s entertainment. The guests can also enjoy the double-height cinema which was embedded just like the stone of the avocado.

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Sources: Business Insider , Luxury Launches , Yacht Charter Fleet , Boat International