Fertitta’s $450 Million Yacht Diplomacy Divides Italy as Protests Shadow His Coastal Tour
Updated
Updated · The Daily Beast · Aug 30
Fertitta’s $450 Million Yacht Diplomacy Divides Italy as Protests Shadow His Coastal Tour
3 articles · Updated · The Daily Beast · Aug 30
Summary
$450 million yacht Boardwalk has become the centerpiece of Ambassador Tilman Fertitta’s two-and-a-half-month “Coastal Diplomatic Tour,” with the Trump appointee hosting Italian power brokers aboard the 383-foot vessel.
Fertitta says the semiquincentennial-themed tour will cost him about $1 million personally, after he already spent more than $2 million renovating the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Rome.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto praised Fertitta’s access to Trump and his affinity for Italy, saying he is among the few who can call the president directly.
Critics say the display crosses a line for a U.S. official: former ambassador Barbara Bodine called it inappropriate, lawmaker Angelo Bonelli said it was odious, and Venice protesters last month chanted “No space for billionaires.”
The split reaction underscores the gamble in Fertitta’s “Love Boat” diplomacy, which mixes private wealth with public office as he argues Italians value the status and attention his visits bring.