Koru Figurehead Shows That $500 Million Megayacht Is Jeff Bezos' Biggest Flex

That last part has nothing to do with Koru itself but with Oceanco's attempt to temporarily dismantle Koningshaven Bridge from Rotterdam so that they could take the vessel out to sea trials with the masts on. Residents perceived the request as a slap in the face since only a billionaire would dare take apart a historic bridge just because his vessel wouldn't fit underneath. They threatened to egg the ship, but ultimately, it was the online uproar that got Oceanco to think of alternative routes.

Earlier this week, Jeff Bezos finally set foot onboard Koru, more or less confirming that he is the direct beneficiary, or owner, of such a spectacular piece of naval engineering. Koru is now sailing around Mallorca in Spain, with Abeona close behind, and Bezos and girlfriend Lauren Sanchez have been photographed onboard doing multi-millionaire things like tanning, lounging, and touring the vessel as they would a small seaside town.

This allowed photographers to get better shots of the vessel and, at the same time, of the figurehead on its bow, which had been kept so carefully under wraps during the final stages of construction. Superyacht watchers had already determined that it was more likely a female figure, but few expected it to bear such a close resemblance to Sanchez. This explains all the hubbub online right now.

What exactly is a figurehead?

Back in the day, when heading out to sea meant the most uncertain future, figureheads carried deep spiritual meaning. Egyptians used figureheads on their vessels as early as 3000 BC, but the practice became standard in the 16th century, peaking three hundred years later. By then, figureheads had become massive, heavy pieces of elaborate art, negatively impacting the ship's performance. Builders started to downsize them and later replaced them with today's badges.

In the most basic sense, a figurehead is a decoration that adorns the bow of the ship – like the hood ornaments favored by the late Queen Elizabeth II or the famous Spirit of Ecstasy on a Rolls-Royce. Figureheads would represent anything from mythological creatures or real-life animals, real persons or goddesses, and were often of women – in which case, the figurehead was the only woman onboard. Living women brought bad luck and all manners of curses and disasters, but the figurehead guided the sailors to shore in safety or, worst case scenario, to the realm of the afterlife after the ship went under.

Figureheads also served to indicate the nature or name of the vessel to the illiterate masses, to show off the wealth and status of the owner, or for intimidation purposes. It was a flex and it was among the biggest possible at the time. At the height of their popularity, the bigger the piece of decoration, the more influential the owner of the vessel, which is how they came to be many-ton structures that altered the ship's performance.

Today's vessels no longer have figureheads because performance is top priority. And because owners have other, way more efficient ways of showing off. But you can still see them on the old sailing yachts that have been preserved and are still in use – and on Bezos' just-delivered Koru.

The familiar-looking siren of Koru, a love letter

Whatever treasures Koru hides inside can only be imagined based on the gorgeous, elegant exterior. The three-masted schooner measures 127 meters (417 feet) in total length and boasts a gleaming black hull with a white superstructure, just like the Black Pearl. Its masts and sails are white, and the bow features a gorgeous curvaceous figurehead carved out of a single piece of polished hardwood.

It's difficult to say whether the figurehead is a siren or a woman, but there can be no mistaking the fact that it looks very much like Lauren Sanchez. Fully dressed but somehow not seeming like it, she wears a necklace that resembles the "koru” coil, which gives the name of the megayacht.

If you’re not into celebrity gossip or pop culture trivia, Bezos and Sanchez went public in 2019 after reportedly carrying out an affair that resulted in the demise of both their marriages. Sanchez was a "new beginning" for Bezos, and Koru seems to be the physical representation of that.

This makes the figurehead an open love letter, carved out of hardwood, polished to perfection, and elevated to the level of art. Like the photo of your significant other you keep on your phone's screen but with a much higher (and unattainable, for us) price tag. It's a way of letting the world know of your love and appreciation but on a much larger scale. It also turns Sanchez into a goddess-like figure while allowing Bezos to show off his wealth to us, no longer the illiterate masses but just as poor in comparison to him.

It turns out Koru is more traditional than you imagined.