Billionaire Jeff Bezos was spotted visiting Montserrat on 6 January after arriving aboard his luxury sailing superyacht, ‘Koru’.
The Amazon founder is believed to have been travelling around the Caribbean on the US$500 million vessel, with sightings also made in St Kitts and Nevis, and St Barts.
During a United Alliance town hall meeting in Salem on 10 January, a community member asked about his presence on the island.
Premier Reuben Meade said: “He came here as a tourist. We leave his private business, private.
“He cannot buy property in Montserrat, for example, unless government gives an alien land holding licence. Okay? So, we will know when business is being done.
“They can’t do anything unless they register a business or seek a licence to do business. So we will know what is happening when the time is right. Okay, so just bear with us.
“We’re not going to nosy in a person’s business. He comes here. He comes here as a tourist. He spends money in Montserrat. Thank God he’s spending some money in Montserrat.”
Koru is a 417 foot, three-masted sailing yacht that was built in the Netherlands by Oceanco in 2021 at an estimated cost of US$500 million.
Several residents posted photos and videos of the boat on their social media pages, sparking a mixed response.
Some saw it as an opportunity for support, with one person writing: “Ask him to help with the port project”, while another said: “Maybe I could of ask him to help us with the hospital project.”
Others speculated that he might be considering an investment, with one person commenting: “Something might be brewing”, and another suggesting: “Looking for an island to buy or to invest in?”
Some said his visit could help tourism: “Those people on Jeff Bezos’ yacht can share what they’ve seen and learn about our beautiful paradise. There’s some positive in this and not all negative.”
