In 2020, Bill Gates excitedly spent $80 million buying the most exclusive berths on the French Riviera for his hydrogen-powered superyacht and support ship. He sold the $650 million vessel before even stepping foot on it and has now put the berths up for sale.

For years, one of the most ambitious projects in the superyacht industry extended far beyond a single vessel. It involved a purpose-built superyacht and her support yacht, custom marina infrastructure, hydrogen fueling technology, and two of the most coveted berths on the French Riviera. Now, the final pieces of that vision are changing hands as the berths once secured for Bill Gates’ hydrogen-powered yacht program have been put up for sale.

Located on the legendary Billionaires’ Quay at Port Vauban in Antibes, the two berths, part of the longest stretch of the quay originally built in the 1980s for King Fahd of Saudi Arabia’s yacht, were reportedly leased by Bill Gates in 2020 for at least 20 years for €63 million, or roughly $80 million, according to the French business magazine Challenges. The berths are now expected to attract offers worth several tens of millions of euros, as reported by Riviera Radio. The sale comes after Gates parted ways with both the yachts they were designed to accommodate, leaving behind one of the most sophisticated and strategically positioned superyacht bases ever assembled in the Mediterranean.

The Riviera’s ultimate yacht address

The assets being offered are not ordinary marina slips. Known as A01 and A02, the berths occupy a prime stretch of Quai Camille Rayon, the section of Port Vauban better known as Billionaires’ Quay. This exclusive enclave has hosted some of the world’s largest yachts for decades and remains one of the few places in southern France capable of accommodating vessels exceeding 100 meters in length.

The configuration was carefully planned around Gates’ yachting ambitions. The package includes a 140-meter primary berth and a 70-meter secondary berth, creating a mothership-and-support-vessel setup similar to those used by the world’s largest yacht operations. The larger berth was intended for Breakthrough, the 118.8-meter hydrogen-powered superyacht built by Dutch shipyard Feadship, while the smaller berth was designed for her support vessel, the 68-meter Wayfinder.

The timeline surrounding the berths is almost as remarkable as the yachts themselves. In 2020, Port Vauban announced the sale of what was described as Europe’s largest berth package to an unnamed industrial titan. Subsequent reporting linked the acquisition to Gates and his hydrogen-yacht project. Various reports over the years have attached different values to the arrangement, with one estimate placing the original package on a 20-year lease at around €63 million (around $73 million), while later sales guides suggested figures closer to €11.95 million (about $14 million). With the current transaction being conducted privately through yacht brokerage Edmiston, no official asking price has been disclosed.

Built around a hydrogen revolution

What makes the story particularly unusual is that the berths were never simply purchased and occupied. They were transformed. To accommodate Breakthrough and Wayfinder, Port Vauban reportedly undertook roughly €7.1 million (more than $8 million) worth of infrastructure works. The project included extending the main mole from approximately 40 meters to more than 120 meters, rebuilding secondary docking areas, widening maneuvering zones, relocating the helistation, creating access routes for heavy trucks, enabling crane operations, and installing a 20-meter pedestrian gangway.

Those modifications ultimately helped position Antibes at the forefront of a technological milestone. Last year, Port Vauban became the first marina in the world capable of supplying liquid hydrogen to a superyacht. The achievement was demonstrated when Breakthrough successfully refueled there, turning the marina into a showcase for the future of clean maritime propulsion.

Fueling the 390-foot vessel was no simple task. Liquid hydrogen must be maintained at an astonishing -253°C (-423.4°F), requiring a carefully coordinated operation involving specialized transport trucks, port authorities, hydrogen experts, and local emergency services. The process was completed within hours and marked a major step forward for hydrogen-powered yachting.

A project that outlived its original owner

Ironically, Gates never turned Antibes into the personal base these berths were designed to become. Breakthrough was sold before he ever stepped aboard, with Canadian billionaire Patrick Dovigi acquiring the vessel in a deal reportedly worth around $650 million. Wayfinder was also sold in 2024, effectively dismantling the yacht program around which the berths had been custom-built.

What remains is an extraordinarily rare piece of superyacht real estate. Beyond their location between Monaco and Saint-Tropez, the berths offer long-term access in a market where large-yacht space is notoriously scarce. Owners benefit from ISPS-level security, concierge services, VIP pontoons, helipad access, crew facilities, event spaces, maintenance support, and even the potential to generate income through sub-rental arrangements.

The yachts may be gone, but the infrastructure they inspired remains. That leaves the next buyer with something arguably more difficult to acquire than a superyacht itself: a permanent foothold on one of the most exclusive stretches of waterfront in the Mediterranean.