US billionaire's $300m superyacht spotted in Auckland

A US$300 million luxury superyacht owned by a former Starbucks boss has been spotted in Auckland waters, berthed next to Jeff Bezos’ pleasure vessel.

Keen boat watchers noticed the impressive 100m craft arrive in the City of Sails today.

Owned by the former chief executive and chairman of Starbucks, Howard Schultz, the superyacht, named Pi, cruised into Auckland this morning from Vanuatu.

It has berthed in the harbour near Koru, the luxury yacht belonging to billionaire Jeff Bezos, which arrived in Auckland’s Waitematā Harbour in September.

It’s unclear whether Schultz is currently in New Zealand but the billionaire announced his retirement earlier this year, relocating to Florida with his wife Sheri.

Pi has recently made stops throughout the Pacific, including spending time in Cairns.

The 16-cabin yacht has been described as a “floating palace”, built in 2025 by Dutch luxury shipbuilder Feadship and estimated to cost US$30m ($54.30m) to run annually.

Its 16 cabins include seven guest staterooms and nine rooms for crew members.

After Pi was launched, Feadship won top honours at the World Superyacht Awards 2026 in Venice for the vessel, in particular her “sculptural hull”, extensive use of curved glass, architectural build, and styling and interiors.

American billionaire Howard Schultz, known as the "king of coffee", owns a luxury superyacht estimated to be worth US$300 million that arrived in Auckland today. Photo / Trevor Coppock

The superyacht is said to have a glass-bottom pool and on-board spa pool, as well as a sundeck described as a “large beach club platform” close to the water.

Its design allows for jetskis to be stored in concealed hatches on the foredeck.

French architect and interior specialist Christian Liaigre designed the interior with natural woods, neutral tones and vintage furniture.

Schultz has a net worth of US$3.8 billion and had multiple stints leading Starbucks from 1986 to 2023.

The 73-year-old has been credited for elevating Starbucks from being a minor Seattle bean retailer to the largest coffee-house chain in the world, earning him the title “king of coffee”.

He took Starbucks public in 1992 and it has since grown to operate 35,000 stores globally, including 18 in Auckland, three in Hamilton, three in Wellington and four in Christchurch.