The £75 million superyacht that just sailed around Wales
It is owned by the 'world's smartest billionaire' - but not everyone is happy to see it
Daniel Chipperfield
The arrival of the £75million superyacht in Bristol (Image: Clifton Suspension Bridge / Bristol Harbour)
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It's got a marble mosaic hot tub, helipad, large sun deck and even its own gym.
And this £75 million superyacht owned by a billionaire former hedge fund boss has been sailing around Wales.
The extraordinary vessel sailed the Irish Sea and Bristol Channel before docking in Bristol on Sunday, much to the amazement of the crowds that gathered to see it.
It's called the Archimedes , is owned by American billionaire James 'Jim' Simons and it is every bit as incredible as you'd expect it to be.
The Bristol Post explains what's on board the vessel, including a large sun deck where guests can sink into a marble mosaic hot tub, bar and entertainment area, enclosed gym and lots of dining and social areas.
Comfortable furniture and even a grand piano are in the main lounge as is a wood-burning fireplace.
A sitting area, complete with grand piano (Image: superyachtfan.com)
(Image: Charter World)
The full-beam master bedroom is divided into various relaxation areas, consisting of large central bed and a writing desk which was handmade for the owner's wife.
The bathrooms are Greek-inspired and showcase artisan mosaic marble floors in all six en-suite staterooms.
The boat also has a helipad and two smaller boats attached to make a quick and glamorous getaway.
The superyacht's owner
So who on Earth can afford such a vessel? Well, that would be James 'Jim' Simons who is 80 years old, was born in Massachusetts, and previously worked as a maths teacher and Cold War code breaker.
He is the founder of New York City-based hedge fund firm Renaissance Technologies.
The grand dining hall (Image: superyachtfan.com)
Simons founded the firm in 1982 and remained at the head of the company before announcing his retirement in January 2010.
Despite formally stepping down from his duties, Simons continues to hold the position of non-executive chairman.
According to Forbes, he is worth an estimated $16 billion.
The Archimedes makes its way through Avon Gorge (Image: Clifton Suspension Bridge / Bristol Harbour)
Prior to Renaissance Technologies, Simons worked for many years as a mathematics professor at Stony Brook University in New York.
He has a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - one of America's most prestigious educational institutions - and a PhD in mathematics from the University of California.
In 2006, the Financial Times described Simons as the "world's smartest billionaire" after being named on the paper's "alternative rich list".
The superyacht (Image: Clifton Suspension Bridge / Bristol Harbour)
The Archimedes (Image: Charterworld.com)
But it seems Simons shuns the limelight and rarely gives interviews. In an interview with Seed Magazine in 2006, he explained: "I was on Lou Dobbs for about a microsecond.
"He was doing a piece on teaching, and they interviewed a number of folks. But I've never been on TV in any meaningful way. And I don't really have a desire for that.
The spacious dining area (Image: Charter World)
"There's a wonderful quote in Animal Farm. The source of all wisdom in that book is Benjamin the donkey. He observes at one point that 'God gave me a tail to keep off the flies. But I'd rather have had no tail and no flies.' So, that's kind of the way I feel about publicity."
Why is the superyacht in the UK?
The million dollar question – and we aren't entirely sure of the answer.
What we do know is that the superyacht docked in Bristol on Sunday afternoon, having sailed via the Irish Sea.
James Simons, 'the world's smartest billionaire' (Image: Creative Commons)
It is not known if Simons is aboard the Archimedes, though the yacht is not believed to be available for charter, nor is it known how long it may remain in Bristol. A local resident watched it sail in, and said there were people on both of the upper decks waving and taking pictures.
And while crowds have turned out to take a look at the yacht, some people have protested its presence.
Nikki Jones and Fi Radford said the boat was an obscene display of wealth (Image: Bristol Post)
Climate change protesters, armed with banners and placards, told the yacht's billionaire owner to "go away and do something useful with your money".
"Bristol is still suffering terribly from austerity and the cutbacks. We can't care for the young, the homeless, the elderly – we're struggling," said Fi Radford.
"To see such conspicuous display of wealth as this in the harbour in Bristol is an affront. I am shocked and I am offended by it."
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