The question of "What is the ultimate show of wealth?" has many answers, but one such answer is "owning a giant yacht"—a floating mansion you can use for parties or other gatherings, fully staffed and constantly having to pay either mooring/docking fees or pay to rent space to store it.
So of course billionaire Jeff Bezos, Amazon's creator and soon-to-be former CEO, owns one of these so-called superyachts.
But Bezos' show of wealth will go beyond owning the yacht itself, after it's completed.
In order to leave its manufacturing spot in the city of Rotterdam, Netherlands, a 144-year-old bridge will need to be dismantled.
The Konigshaven bridge, also known as "De Hef" by locals, stands at 131 feet high.
Bezos' yacht, at 130 feet, will not fit under the bridge and make it out to sea upon completion.
Rotterdam local council agreed to allow Oceano, the manufacturer of the superyacht, to take the craft through a small section of the bridge to be removed to get the craft out to sea.
"It's the only route to the sea," said a spokesperson for Rotterdam's mayoral office.
The bridge, which was once part of a railway, has undergone several renovations. In the 1940s, the bridge had to be rebuilt as it was bombed and destroyed by Nazi Germany.
The city will not be paying for the job. Oceano and Jeff Bezos will pay for both the dismantlement and reconstruction of the bridge.
“As a city, this is a great way to take some of his [Jeff Bezos'] money,” said Dennis Tak, a member of the Labour party and city councillor for Rotterdam.
However, people across the world are upset at Bezos' perceived entitlement.
More than 600 people have vowed, via a Facebook event, to gather by the bridge and throw eggs at the yacht as it passes by.
“I think that’s why there is so much turmoil about Jeff Bezos and his boat,” said Tak.
“People say, ‘Why this guy?’ It’s a working-class town, and they all know that Jeff Bezos, of course, he exploits his workers, so people say, ‘Why should this guy be able to demolish the bridge for his boat?’”
The city has not yet officially greenlit the dismantling of the bridge.
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