Apple

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

posted by Daniel P. / Dec 21, 2012, 4:42 AM

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

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26 Comments

1. Droid_X_Doug

Posts: 5993; Member since: Dec 22, 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 Dec 21, 2012, 4:48 AM 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 Dec 21, 2012, 5:07 AM 3

4. Droid_X_Doug

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 Dec 21, 2012, 5:19 AM 1

6. MeoCao unregistered

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

posted on Dec 21, 2012, 5:34 AM 1

13. Droid_X_Doug

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

posted on Dec 21, 2012, 6:22 AM 0

15. LionStone

Posts: 1048; Member since: Dec 10, 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 Dec 21, 2012, 11:03 AM 1

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 Dec 22, 2012, 2:28 AM 0

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 Dec 22, 2012, 8:44 AM 0

8. Cynipap999

Posts: 138; Member since: Nov 15, 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 Dec 21, 2012, 6:03 AM 5

24. MeoCao unregistered

LOL Great post! I wonder what would happen when that "Home" button is pushed.

posted on Dec 22, 2012, 2:32 AM 0

3. Tones

Posts: 77; Member since: Aug 23, 2012

I wish i could be impounded in Amsterdam

posted on Dec 21, 2012, 5:11 AM 10

22. Friendlysky

Posts: 54; Member since: Jul 04, 2012

So you can get high right free sex right

posted on Dec 22, 2012, 12:34 AM 1

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 Dec 22, 2012, 2:36 AM 0

5. byazatt

Posts: 316; Member since: Oct 26, 2012

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

posted on Dec 21, 2012, 5:25 AM 1

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 Dec 21, 2012, 5:54 AM 7

12. Tones

Seriously ugly

posted on Dec 21, 2012, 6:13 AM 6

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 Dec 21, 2012, 7:21 PM 0

9. akbar

Posts: 62; Member since: Feb 09, 2012

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

posted on Dec 21, 2012, 6:04 AM 6

14. Droid_X_Doug

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

posted on Dec 21, 2012, 6:24 AM 7

10. Nathan_ingx

Posts: 4766; Member since: Mar 07, 2012

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

posted on Dec 21, 2012, 6:06 AM 3

11. someones4

Posts: 627; Member since: Sep 16, 2012

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

posted on Dec 21, 2012, 6:08 AM 3

16. roscuthiii

Posts: 2383; Member since: Jul 18, 2010

Oh look! Steve wanted yet another rectangle!

posted on Dec 21, 2012, 11:42 AM 0

17. Twisted247

Posts: 282; Member since: Oct 12, 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 Dec 21, 2012, 2:45 PM 0

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 Dec 21, 2012, 7:16 PM 0

20. remixfa

Posts: 14605; Member since: Dec 19, 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.