Steve Jobs' Yacht Impounded in $3.6 Million Dispute Over Design Fee

[ronwasserman]

Nothing with Apple is ever resolved without a lawsuit.

Perhaps Steve tried to get a patten on 'objects that float on water.'

[jessica.]

Quibble over a few mil? Come on!

[Doctor Q]

The dispute seems to be related specifically to the cost of building the boat, with Starck claiming that the yacht was slated to cost EUR150 million while the Jobs family says that it only cost EUR105 million.

150€ vs. 105€? Stop picking on people just because they're dyslexic!

[gotluck]

Originally Posted by ronwasserman

Nothing with Apple is ever resolved without a lawsuit.

Baha, seems that way. Hey - the lawyers have to stay busy.

I wonder if they have more engineers or lawyers working for them?

[iansilv]

Originally Posted by rmatthewware

You don't make a million dollar deal without having a contract signed! I don't care if you are a minimalist!

That's a great quote! I plan on using that sir, with the amount interchanged to fit the need...

[Shrink]

Originally Posted by ctdonath

Very nice design, with Frank Lloyd Wright sensibilities.
More suitable design than the "mach 7 aerodynamics" of most recent superyachts.

Having seen, and visited, many Frank Lloyd Wright structures (homes, a church, and Taliesen), I guess I don't see the Wright design sensibilities in this thing.

Originally Posted by Jsameds

Typical frenchie. Whinging because he's only getting paid €6,300,000 instead of €9,000,000.

Yeah, it's those greedy French folk. No open hearted, altruistic American designer/builder would ever complain about getting shorted 3.5 million dollars. The altruistic American would just walk away happy and never say a thing, unlike those "frenchies".

[miknos]

I'm not familiar with design fees based on the construction price. Why Jobs didn't estimate a fixed price?

[i-John]

How is he supposed to pay? He's dead </sarcasm>

[osaga]

Originally Posted by camnchar

I can't get over how ugly that thing is.

I think it's beautiful. Unlike any yacht ever produced, and is something that only jobs would have the means and design sense to have produced. It's a monument and a rare glimpse into steve's ego. That, and parking in handicap spots. (at least the one at apple)

[topmounter]

Better pay up...

Now that the Google Maps app is available for IOS6, they're going to want to take that yacht for a spin (without getting lost).

[diazj3]

Originally Posted by avanpelt

Does anyone else think this seems odd? Jobs was a master at business negotiations and protecting Apple and yet he hires this guy to design his yacht with no formal contract?

And it's BECAUSE he was a master at "negotiations" and protecting his own interests, that he hired a guy with no formal contract... that way, once que job is complete, you can always force them to renegotiate and save some extra money on their backs... or bury them in court.

Originally Posted by SlugBlanket

Would be nice if Apple would apply your logic with respect to it's own customers don't you think ?

exactly.

Originally Posted by AZREOSpecialist

Europeans have the highest sense of entitlement that I've ever encountered.

yeah, right... Europeans do. Not Americans... and certainly not Apple and Steve Jobs!

Originally Posted by miknos

I'm not familiar with design fees based on the construction price. Why Jobs didn't estimate a fixed price?

And don't worry too much. I don't think anybody here knows what the hell they're talking about when it comes to luxury yachts, luxury yacht design fees, luxury yacht construction costs or even european law applied to them.

cheers!

[TheMacBookPro]

Originally Posted by Jsameds

I'd be quite happy with six million quid.

Would you be happy if you sold me a laptop for $900 then I only gave you $600?

[mdelvecchio]

Originally Posted by coolspot18

Steve Jobs screwed people in life... and now in death too.

im certainly sure it makes someone like yourself feel better to say that. even to believe it.

[See Flat]

Originally Posted by Oletros

Because only French people get angry when they are paid less than they have to get?

why dont you tell us your heritage so we can say something completely stupid about them

[Glideslope]

Originally Posted by rmatthewware

You don't make a million dollar deal without having a contract signed! I don't care if you are a minimalist!

Does seem very odd. As Steve became more ill one would at least expect the construction to stop.

Probably just those Crazy French bein silly again.

[firewood]

Originally Posted by rmatthewware

You don't make a million dollar deal without having a contract signed! I don't care if you are a minimalist!

That's only 0.1% of a billionaires worth. Similar in percentage scale to a normal working wage bloke saying he'll pay you back tomorrow for buying him that cup of coffee. No one signs a written contract for a cup of coffee, but the percentage is about the same.

[Jimmy James]

I wonder if the contract is based on the anticipated cost or actual cost. Seems he got the amount he was due.

[9Speed]

Originally Posted by TheMacBookPro

Would you be happy if you sold me a laptop for $900 then I only gave you $600?

He was paid for his service, not for a goods exchange. The designer had a verbal deal with Jobs. Jobs died. Designer continued to work without signing a contact with the estate holders to firmly establish his fee in writing. Cries when he doesn't get as much money as he thought he deserved.

I find it kinda hard to feel sorry for him.

[raccoontail]

The designer is apparently such a minimalist he skipped getting a written contract, which would have kept this matter out of the news and saved a lot of legal fees.

I'm surprised the French government hasn't gotten involved, as that's where most of the fee will go. If the fee is paid in 2013, as a french national, Starck will likely face a 75% tax rate

[D-a-a-n]

Originally Posted by camnchar

I can't get over how ugly that thing is.

I'm probably the only one who doesn't think this is ugly .

[tech4all]

Originally Posted by jordache16

I was thinking the same exact thing.

I wasn't.

Originally Posted by Macist

Looks like a kid designed it with a ruler and an HB pencil.

Nothing wrong with that.

[TsMkLg068426]

Reminds me of this:


3====================)~~~~~~~



for some reason.

[alhedges]

It doesn't matter that there was an oral contract, since no one seems to be challenging either the existence or the terms of the contract. Everyone seems to agree that there was a contract and that the contract called for 6% of the cost. The only dispute is how much the yacht actually cost to build, and a contract wouldn't help resolve that issue.

[diazj3]

Originally Posted by alhedges

It doesn't matter that there was an oral contract, since no one seems to be challenging either the existence or the terms of the contract. Everyone seems to agree that there was a contract and that the contract called for 6% of the cost. The only dispute is how much the yacht actually cost to build, and a contract wouldn't help resolve that issue.

Actually, it would, if the contract stated the projected cost as the basis of the design fee calculation, or if it stated such calculation as the minimal fee to be paid.

But either way... who cares!

cheers!

[teknikal90]

Originally Posted by Jsameds

Typical frenchie. Whinging because he's only getting paid €6,300,000 instead of €9,000,000. Aww, diddums..

How is he going to feed his family now?

if the government raises taxes on your paycheque by 30% would you say diddiums and go back to smiling again?