PEOPLE across the globe who are batting for egalitarianism and demanding oversight on the excesses of billionaires got a sweet taste of schadenfreude from an incident in the Netherlands in mid-2022. The world's biggest yacht, owned by Jeff Bezos — once the richest man in the world who is now the third-wealthiest in the latest Forbes ranking — was about to leave the Rotterdam shipyard that built his $500-million mega vessel when a practical problem arose: it had to pass through the 97-year-old Koningshaven Bridge, popularly known as De Hef. It needed to be dismantled to let Bezos' superyacht pass. The Rotterdam City Council initially agreed to dismantle the De Hef to promote the niche shipbuilding capabilities of the country's third-largest city. The council required the immediate restoration of De Hef after the superyacht's passage, with the dismantling and restoration costs to be shouldered by Oceanco, the yacht's builder.
But the ordinary citizens of Rotterdam rejected the council's decision outright. After the decision was made public, protesters immediately turned to social media and organized. Their decision? If the city council did not take back the decision, the superyacht would be pelted with eggs as it snakes out of the Rotterdam river into the sea. Vegetarians said they would throw vegetables instead. But they are united on one thing: De Hef is a "national monument" and should not be dismantled just to allow the passage of Mr. Bezos' superyacht.
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