Adorned with more marble than an Italian palazzo, staffed as though it were a CEO’s home headquarters, and carrying price tags substantial enough to make anyone short of a multibillionaire reconsider their delicacies, the superyacht lifestyle of the wealthy appears worlds apart.

But even in the luxurious fantasy land of the ultrarich, it’s not all smooth sailing.

A surge of young, status-seeking influencers is diluting a classic yachting hotspot, to the dismay of the long-standing wealthy elite who frown upon the extravagant displays of affluence and relentless photo-taking, according to the Daily Mail.

While there are numerous yachting locales globally—from the French Riviera to Fiji or Croatia—few match the exclusivity of St. Barthélemy, a private haven favored by the A-list, which, according to the tourism board, boasts a ‘reputation as a world-class yachting destination,’ the Daily Mail reports.

The island’s harbor regularly sees incredibly ornate vessels carrying the one-percenters and their friends through a fantastical getaway – and Jeff Bezos’ liner is the crown jewel.

The Amazon founder was recently spotted aboard his $500 million superyacht Koru in May – and was caught feeling up his fiancée Lauren Sanchez while she soaked up the Caribbean sun on the deck.

The ship, named after the Maori word for ‘new beginnings,’ is one of the largest sailing ships in the world, measuring at a whopping 416 feet long, and is complete with three decks, a pool, a sun terrace and a figurehead that bears a striking resemblance to Sanchez, though the former journalist insists it was modeled after the Norse Goddess Freyja.

Koru’s dedicated support vessel is similarly impressive, serving as 246-foot storage for the tycoon’s helicopter, jet skis and luxury cars.

And Bezos’ boat is just one of the dozens of ultraluxe vessels anchored off the island’s shore. 

Kismet, a $360 million superyacht owned by Pakistani-American billionaire businessman Shahid Khan, gives Koru a run for its money.

Measuring just over 400 feet, it boasts a helipad, beauty salon, spa, sauna, swimming pool, indoor and outdoor cinemas, a dance floor and a gym. The goliath vessel can accommodate up to 12 guests in its nine cabins, and even features an elevator.

But it may pale in comparison to Kaos, the $300 million yacht – garnished with silk carpets and crystal caviar insets – owned by heiress Nancy Walton Laurie, the youngest daughter of Walmart co-founder James Walton. 

The ship, which can host up to 31 guests, was named ship manufacturing company Oceano’s largest build yet after its transformation in 2022. Its luxe amenities include a helipad, 12-seat cinema, gym and a small hospital.

Other lavish vessels found floating just beyond St Barts’ bay include WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum’s 327-foot Moonrise and mining titan Gary Klesch’s behemoth Renaissance, which can accommodate 36 guests and 44 crew members, complete with a beauty salon, sushi bar and spa deck.

A celebrity hotspot, St Barts has also seen the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio vacationing just off the shore. The ‘Titanic’ actor was among the town’s New Year’s holiday partiers as he rang in 2025 on Swiss billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli’s $150 million 315-foot yacht, Vava II, according to Page Six.

A particular favorite that time of year, its Port de Gustavia housed an estimated 173 superyachts in early January alone, and its annual regatta event drew a record-breaking 450 boats this year, eight of which were multi-million dollar superyachts.

But the island’s celebrity reputation might be slowly losing its shiny allure.

St Barts is popular among the rich and famous because of its exclusivity and unparalleled privacy for A-list vacationers who want to fly under the radar. Visitors can only reach the island via small-scale transportation, as the airport’s runway is too short for large commercial jets to land. 

Now, there is a new threat to the sunny sanctuary.

Speaking anonymously to the Daily Mail, one vacationer, who has visited the island annually for the last 12 years, described the idyllic destination as having always been ‘a very expensive, luxurious place’ because ‘it was somewhat private.’

Now, they believe ‘it has much lost that same appeal’ in the age of multi-billionaires and Instagram influencers searching for ‘clout.’

One Reddit user, who claims to have frequented the island for around 16 years, wrote that ‘It’s changed SO much since social media/instagram/tiktok etc really took off.’

They called it ‘somewhat sleepy’ compared to neighboring islands, as it was once ‘only a place yacht owners, crew, and certain celebrities would be hiding out’ in addition to those who have called the island home for generations.

‘Now it’s everyone and their uncle,’ they continued. ‘I don’t enjoy it as much as I did a little over a decade ago. It’s a dog & pony show now on full parade.’

They wrote that the ‘influencer crowds’ detract from the ‘charming reasons I enjoyed living/working here in the past.’

Adding to the island’s list of not-famous-but-known visitors is Elon Musk’s latest baby mama, Ashley St Clair, who said she believes their child was conceived on St. Barts.

But one vacationer has expressed her regret for tanking the island’s premier status.

‘I arrive, get into a car, and I’m mired in traffic looking at hillsides full of construction, there’s garbage all over, they’re spraying poison against mosquitoes, the beaches are covered in seaweed, and there are influencers taking selfies everywhere,’ the anonymous traveler told Palmer in 2023.

‘I know I’m part of the problem – I can’t stand to see what I’ve done.’

To some, such a massive display of wealth may be a turn off, but the island’s bustling port is a boon for business.

‘Some people who are not working in the tourism industry might choose that time to leave and go back to Europe, see family,’ said Christian Wattiau, the chairman of Sibarth Real Estate brokerage. ‘Yes, it can create more traffic and more noise. Some parties are a bit wild, but it’s okay. We don’t have a big negative reaction to this.’

Many locals work in tourism, construction or ‘in services to the villas,’ he explained, so ‘there is an understanding that that’s how it is here’ – even if ‘it can be annoying.’

One St Barts frequenter, who has visit the island for the last six years, told the Daily Mail that it’s actually ‘kind of beautiful to walk around the harbor and look at the yachts.’

While she might not be ‘fancy’ like the high-profile crowd on their superyachts, she tries to fit in with the locals as much as possible.

But while marveling at Port de Gustavia, she can’t help but think, ‘Who are those people? What do these people do for a living? How do we get into that party?’