Steve Jobs designed $120M superyacht with special area so he could develop an iPhone in peace
Published on Jul 19, 2025 at 7:19 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Jul 15, 2025 at 4:28 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs made sure his $120 million Venus superyacht was perfectly designed so he could work on the iPhone without interruption.
San Francisco-born Jobs co-founded Apple alongside Steve Wozniak in 1976.
Of course, it goes without saying that the company was, and still is, a huge success.
And much of that success is down to the dedication and commitment Jobs gave the company.
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Steve Jobs’ special requirement for his $120m superyacht
Steve Jobs’ sharp mind helped him discover a contractual loophole to get a free new Porsche every six months.
It also helped him to create some of the most groundbreaking products of their time, including the iPod and iPhone.
In order to come up with these smart tech products, Jobs was happy to dedicate a lot of time and energy.
He showcased this when building his 256-foot, $120 million superyacht dubbed Venus.
Jobs worked on the design for Venus alongside Feadship and Philippe Starck.
He pored over the key details to ensure every aspect was perfect, and when it came to the layout, he had plans in mind.
Jobs ensured his Venus superyacht was elegant and uncluttered and made use of soundproofing to keep it super quiet.
He placed the sleeping cabins for his teenage kids towards the front of the boat, while his personal cabin and workspace were tucked away in the back.
The space between his working area and the family spaces acted as a buffer and would allow Jobs to work away on the latest Apple iPhone or other upcoming product without interruption, even if he was in the middle of the ocean.
Sadly, the tech billionaire died before Venus superyacht was completed, meaning he never got a chance to enjoy all the hard work he’d put into its design.
Today, the superyacht belongs to his widow Laurene Powell Jobs, who has decided to keep it private and opted to never share pictures of its interior.
Venus’s design also saved its builders from a huge headache
While the design of the yacht was to help Jobs create a peaceful spot to work, it also ended up saving Feadship, its creator, from a massive headache.
At the time it was being built, many yachts were being decked out with Myanmar teak, a controversial material due to ethical and environmental concerns.
However, Jobs insisted that Venus be finished in Spanish poplar wood.
A smart move, as other yacht builders who went for the Myanmar teak have since been whacked with huge fines by the European Timber Regulation – something Feadship avoided thanks to Jobs.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
