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Steve Jobs's yacht Venus impounded in Amsterdam over design bill owed on a handshake

Steve Jobs's yacht Venus impounded in Amsterdam over design bill owed on a handshake

Posted: 21 Dec 2012, 03:42, by Daniel P.

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Steve Jobs's yacht Venus impounded in Amsterdam over design bill owed on a handshake

Oh, the rich and their toys! The late Steve Jobs ordered an awesome yacht with minimialist design that cost $132 million to build, but never got to actually use it.

Today a lawyer is reporting that the yacht, called Venus, has been impounded at the port of Amsterdam Wednesday for nothing else but unpaid designer bills. You'd think that when you are paid $8 million to design a naval vessel, you'd not worry about the actual agreement of close to $12 million for envisioning the shape of it all, but that's not what happens when you are Philippe Starck.

The renowned French designer is seeking every dollar owed to the penny, resulting in the impounded Steve Jobs yacht in Amsterdam. "The project has been going since 2007 and there had been a lot of detailed talk between Jobs and Starck," said Roelant Klaassen, a lawyer representing Starck's company Ubik.

"These guys trusted each other, so there wasn't a very detailed contract," he added. There you go - if there was nothing signed on paper, we doubt the Jobs' estate lawyers will be very happy with the impounding, so this naval drama seems poised to be continued.

source: Reuters

26 Comments

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posted on 21 Dec 2012, 04:48 3

1. Droid_X_Doug (Posts: 5993; Member since: 22 Dec 2010)

Rule number 1 of contracts - if it isn't written, it didn't happen. Of course that only really applies in the U.S., so Jobs' estate may have to fork over some more coin to get his boat released from impound.

posted on 21 Dec 2012, 05:07 3

2. MeoCao (unregistered)

According to contract law it's not that simple. Contracts have many forms and signed document is only 1 of those forms.

posted on 21 Dec 2012, 05:19 1

4. Droid_X_Doug (Posts: 5993; Member since: 22 Dec 2010)

True, but based on burden of proof and the threshold of proof required to prove the existence of an agreement, in the U.S. at least, the guiding principle is if it ain't written, it didn't happen. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.

posted on 21 Dec 2012, 05:34 1

6. MeoCao (unregistered)

I guess the designer must have enough evidence to impound the ship.

posted on 21 Dec 2012, 06:22

13. Droid_X_Doug (Posts: 5993; Member since: 22 Dec 2010)

Or, the threshold for proof is different. I am only commenting based on experience in the U.S.

posted on 21 Dec 2012, 11:03 1

15. LionStone (Posts: 849; Member since: 10 Dec 2010)

Agree, I'm sure there are plenty of emails which will be used as evidence of their agreement.

And yes, that designer should have gone back to the drawing board, horrible design.

posted on 22 Dec 2012, 02:28

23. MeoCao (unregistered)

Haha, the horrible character of design belongs to Jobs, he wanted his ship to look minimalistic just like any iShip would.

I'm sure not many know it is an yacht w/o reading the title.

posted on 22 Dec 2012, 08:44

26. Aeires (unregistered)

Actually, the design was based on the iPod. The top section looks like it from above. The rest is just horrendous.

posted on 21 Dec 2012, 06:03 5

8. Cynipap999 (banned) (Posts: 138; Member since: 15 Nov 2012)

I'm not surprised that poor French man got stiffed by Steve Jobs.
I am surprised, though, that he didn't call the yacht iVenus and didn't insist on putting a "Home" button on it!?

posted on 22 Dec 2012, 02:32

24. MeoCao (unregistered)

LOL Great post!

I wonder what would happen when that "Home" button is pushed.

posted on 21 Dec 2012, 05:11 10

3. Tones (Posts: 74; Member since: 23 Aug 2012)

I wish i could be impounded in Amsterdam

posted on 22 Dec 2012, 00:34 1

22. Friendlysky (Posts: 54; Member since: 04 Jul 2012)

So you can get high right free sex right

posted on 22 Dec 2012, 02:36

25. MeoCao (unregistered)

Nope, he would be locked in a cell dreaming about it. No charge for the cell and the dreaming of course lol.

posted on 21 Dec 2012, 05:25 1

5. byazatt (Posts: 298; Member since: 26 Oct 2012)

but that is one beautiful boat man! I need a ride in that! mm just kidding lol

posted on 21 Dec 2012, 05:54 7

7. Aeires (unregistered)

Boat ugly

Yachts are supposed to be works of art, streamlined, flowing, and beautiful, not this travesty of a design.

posted on 21 Dec 2012, 06:13 6

12. Tones (Posts: 74; Member since: 23 Aug 2012)

Seriously ugly

posted on 21 Dec 2012, 19:21

19. InspectorGadget80 (unregistered)

I've seen YATCHS BETTER LOOKING than this crappy yatch. WATCH EXTREME YATCH on Travel Channel those looks VERY GOOD

posted on 21 Dec 2012, 06:04 6

9. akbar (Posts: 62; Member since: 09 Feb 2012)

Actually I just noticed that the yacht is quite ugly - looks like floating house.

posted on 21 Dec 2012, 06:24 7

14. Droid_X_Doug (Posts: 5993; Member since: 22 Dec 2010)

I was wondering if I was the only one who felt the boat looked ugly. Whew! IMO, that is one iUgly boat.

posted on 21 Dec 2012, 06:06 3

10. Nathan_ingx (Posts: 4328; Member since: 07 Mar 2012)

Must have been designed to hold machines inside to assemble iPhones.
Steve's escape plan B, which never happened.

posted on 21 Dec 2012, 06:08 3

11. someones4 (Posts: 625; Member since: 16 Sep 2012)

Poor Steve.. Never getting to enjoy what you "created" or daydream about...

posted on 21 Dec 2012, 11:42

16. roscuthiii (Posts: 2246; Member since: 18 Jul 2010)

Oh look! Steve wanted yet another rectangle!

posted on 21 Dec 2012, 14:45

17. Twisted247 (Posts: 282; Member since: 12 Oct 2012)

If there was no contract signed by Jobs to pay for the boat, then essentially the boat is the property of the company who deisgned/built it. So F*** the Jobs estate and it's lawyers the money payed out was essentially for nothing. A contract doesn't always concrete you down to their terms so when you mess up they cant hang it in your face it is ALSO so when they screw up you have it to hang in their face as well.

posted on 21 Dec 2012, 19:16

18. InspectorGadget80 (unregistered)

So Steve Jobs patent his ship with a trigangle like same with corners and curve bodyand now the yard won't let it sail.

posted on 21 Dec 2012, 19:48

20. remixfa (Posts: 14605; Member since: 19 Dec 2008)

in other news,
SJ's last patent has finally come to pass in the USTPO. A object of any length or width that displaces water in a way that it stays above the surface of the water and does not sink. AKA, a boat.

posted on 22 Dec 2012, 00:32

21. Friendlysky (Posts: 54; Member since: 04 Jul 2012)

Steve dont pay that's ok just take the yalt and sell for $8 million steve doesn't care he goneeeeee. his credit can't be use underground anyway.