Billionaire Tilman Fertitta, President Donald Trump’s ambassador to Italy and owner of the NBA’s Houston Rockets, has angered Venice residents by planning to bring his $450 million superyacht to the city.
The billionaire began a weeks-long Italian coastal tour on June 13 to mark America’s 250th anniversary, with stops planned in Naples, Genoa, Palermo, and Cefalù, according to the Daily Beast.
According to a U.S. Embassy source who spoke with The Times of London, Fertitta is planning to attend the Festa del Redentore, a centuries-old festival celebrated between July 18 and 19, as well.
The 380-foot Boardwalk yacht features six decks, two helipads, two pools, and a beach club.
The controversy echoes protests over Jeff Bezos’s $50 million Venice wedding last year.
Activist and member of Laboratorio Occupato Morion, Federica Toninello said, “This is about the exploitation of Venice.”
“Flaunting that level of wealth is a slap in the face to people who are increasingly struggling to make ends meet and find a home in Venice.”
Toninello also said activists are planning demonstrations, including marches, banners, and canal blockades.
The visit coincides with diplomatic tensions between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
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