A $300 million diesel-powered megayacht owned by Walmart heiress Nancy Walton Laurie is making waves — not only for its ostentatious luxury but also for its staggering environmental impact. It has even been dubbed "one of the most controversial vessels afloat today."
Luxurylaunches recently spotlighted the yachting history of the superstore "billionairess," including her recent purchase — a 361-foot megayacht previously owned by the Qatari royal family. The dirty fuel-guzzling ship named Kaos was reportedly purchased for nearly $300 million. Fittingly named after the Greek word for chaos, the gigantic superyacht is stirring up a sizable amount of havoc for the environment.
Walton Laurie paid for nearly a year of renovations on the vessel after its purchase, not out of necessity but out of aesthetic preference. Luxurylaunches reported that the "floating palace" can accommodate 31 guests in "stately cabins" and features an "owner's deck separated from the rest of the yacht for privacy." The yacht includes a helipad, a 12-person cinema, a massage parlor, a steam room, a gym, a bar outfitted with smoke machines, and a DJ booth. There's also a beach club, a massive pool, and an aquarium on board — not to mention 6,561 feet of LED strip lighting on its exterior.
Kaos runs on two MTU diesel engines, which are industrial-grade power systems commonly used in cargo ships, military vehicles, trains, and massive generators. While modern diesel engines are cleaner than older models, they still emit harmful pollutants that contribute to rising global temperatures and environmental degradation. These emissions include carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and fine soot particles that pose risks to human health and ecosystems. And if they malfunction, these engines can produce oil leaks or fuel spills.
According to Oxfam, the average diesel-powered superyacht releases 6,250 tons of carbon emissions annually — the equivalent of what a single person would emit over 860 years. Fully electric or hydrogen-powered yachts offer cleaner alternatives, but such technologies are still rare among megayachts.
Fuel consumption aside, all superyachts have an outsize impact on marine environments and global health. The vessels discharge large amounts of wastewater into the ocean, emit harmful noise, contribute to marine plastic through improper waste disposal, and produce intense light pollution — the thousands of LED lights on Kaos being a prime example.
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But this isn't Walton Laurie's first megayacht. The heiress, who is worth an estimated $15 billion, previously owned a 270-foot superyacht featuring custom room finishes and equipped with a spa, gym, hot tub, and accommodations for 25 crew members. Walton Laurie recently sold the yacht for around $80 million, per Luxurylaunches.
After the Luxurylaunches article was shared on Reddit, commenters were quick to criticize the excessive and environmentally damaging display of wealth.
"Obsessing over the lives of the elite seems tiring," one commenter wrote. "They don't even live in the same world we do. They don't perceive reality like we do. And they don't experience time the same way we do. Different worlds of life, in every single way imaginable."
They aren't wrong. A recent scientific study found that two-thirds of all planetary warming can be attributed to the wealthiest 10% of people.
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At a time when the planet urgently needs less pollution and more protection, yachts such as Kaos seem to be steering us in the wrong direction. The vessel is a flashy reminder that while some are scaling back for the climate, others are doubling down on excess.
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