Bill Gates spent $88M on these 460ft and 230ft French Riviera berths with a 20-year lease but he's selling them before his superyacht even goes near them

Bill Gates is said to be selling two of the most exclusive superyacht berths on the French Riviera after reportedly spending $88 million on them.

The billionaire acquired the berths as part of an ambitious hydrogen-powered yacht project that was supposed to change the future of luxury boating.

But after selling both the superyacht and its support vessel, Gates is now putting the prized marina spaces on the market.

Even among billionaires, securing a spot to dock a superyacht on the French Riviera is no easy feat.

Bill Gates is selling his exclusive French Riviera berths

Back in 2020, Bill Gates reportedly secured a pair of ultra-rare superyacht berths at Port Vauban in Antibes, France, one measuring 460ft (140m) and the other 230ft (70m).

The berths sit on the famous Billionaires’ Quay, one of the most sought-after stretches of marina space in the Mediterranean.

Reports suggest Gates paid around €63 million, roughly $88 million, for a lease lasting at least 20 years.

The spaces were specifically configured to accommodate Breakthrough, a 390ft (118.8m) hydrogen-powered superyacht, and its 223ft (68m) support vessel, Wayfinder.

The setup was designed as a mothership-and-support-vessel arrangement, giving the vessels a permanent base between hotspots such as Monaco, Cannes, and Saint-Tropez.

To make the project possible, Port Vauban reportedly carried out extensive infrastructure upgrades worth more than $8 million.

These included extending docking facilities, creating new access routes, relocating the helistation, and installing specialist equipment capable of supporting hydrogen-fueled operations.

The futuristic yacht project ended before it really began

What makes the story so remarkable is that Gates never actually used the berths for their intended purpose.

Breakthrough became one of the world’s most talked-about superyachts thanks to its hydrogen fuel-cell technology and ability to refuel using liquid hydrogen.

The vessel helped Port Vauban become the first marina capable of supplying liquid hydrogen to a superyacht.

However, Gates sold the yacht before ever stepping aboard it, with Canadian billionaire Patrick Dovigi reportedly acquiring the vessel in a deal worth around $650 million.

Wayfinder was also sold, effectively bringing the entire project to an end.

Now the two berths themselves are being offered for sale, with reports suggesting they could attract bids worth tens of millions of euros thanks to their location and rarity.

For yacht owners, securing a berth on Billionaires’ Quay can be almost as difficult as buying the yacht itself.

As a result, Gates’ former marina spaces may end up becoming some of the most valuable pieces of waterfront real estate on the entire French Riviera.