Are luxury submersible yachts the new trend for billionaire travellers? Billionaire industrialist Ray Dalio, co-founder of Bridgewater Associates and James Cameron, filmmaker and founder of the film production company Lightstorm Entertainment, have partnered to invest in Triton Submarines. This is a company that manufactures and markets personal submersibles to allow travelers to reach extraordinary depths in the ocean.
Triton Submarines are more than just luxurious yachts – they offer a once in a lifetime adventure to explore the depths of the sea. The top-of-the-line models are submersible super-yachts that can accommodate up to 66 guests and travel down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific Ocean. These extraordinary vessels are built with the best materials to ensure a direct underwater viewing experience, powered with the latest imaging technology, and equipped with highly advanced artificial intelligence.
The project is the result of the long friendship between Lahey, Dalio and Cameron. Lahey, an engineer and entrepreneur, contributed design to over 50 manned submersibles and built the company with investors like Cameron and Dalio. Cameron was drawn to the project due to the scientific aspect, and Dalio was motivated by the concept of something truly different than just a luxurious yacht experience.
Meanwhile, Dalio has also been creating a buzz with the recent launch of OceanX, his mobile exploration and research center built on a former oil rig and staffed with his youngest son, Mark. In his memoir, he called it the “crown jewel of his philanthropy,” and his vision is to advance human knowledge and understanding of the seas. Following this commitment to ocean exploration, he and Cameron became partners in OceanX, leading to their subsequent investment in Triton.
These vessels don’t come cheap, however. The price range from $2.5 million to $40 million and require expert operators. Nonetheless, this idea of exploring unknown worlds of the ocean mixed with unparalleled luxury has found popularity among billionaires seeking experiences. Even renowned oceanographer and filmmaker David Attenborough touts Triton by having rented one of their vessels to film the second season of Blue Planet television series.
No matter the cost, Dalio and Cameron agree that ocean exploration is much more important to our immediate future than space exploration. With this in mind, luxury submersible yachts are slowly becoming the adventure of a lifetime for the privileged few. The promise of collective scientific knowledge and adventure is a tantalizing prospect, making Ray Dalio and James Cameron the modern-day Jules Verne exploring our own unknown world.
