As superyachts become more than just luxury vessels, they’re transforming into high-tech floating offices for the world’s elite.

The trend of “working from yacht” is gaining momentum among the ultra-wealthy, who are increasingly using their multimillion-dollar vessels as both a playground and a workplace. For billionaires like Jimmy John Liautaud, the founder of Jimmy John’s, work is a constant, whether he’s on a boat, in a plane, or at home. “I work everywhere I am,” he says. With the help of high-speed internet services like Elon Musk’s Starlink, executives can now attend Zoom meetings and manage business from the Mediterranean, often without their employees realizing they are not in the office.

Superyachts, once primarily seen as symbols of leisure, are now being designed with dedicated office spaces, meeting rooms, and even printers to accommodate the demands of modern business. Yacht brokers and designers report that more clients are requesting these features from the outset, reflecting a shift in how the ultra-wealthy view their vessels. “Almost every large new build I’ve been involved with has a designated office space,” says Alex Clarke, a yacht broker in Fort Lauderdale.

The post-pandemic shift toward remote work has only accelerated this trend. With Starlink providing reliable and affordable internet access, even the most remote locations are now viable for business. “The main driver behind more people working from their yacht is connectivity, and by that I mean Starlink,” says Henry Smith of Cecil Wright, a London-based yacht brokerage. The service, which costs $2,150 a month for a business package, has made it feasible for yacht owners to conduct serious business from anywhere in the world.

While some yacht owners embrace the work-life balance that their vessels offer, others are more focused on productivity. Simon Rowell, a yacht designer, notes that clients are increasingly asking about where they can work, take calls, or host meetings on their yachts. “It’s about future-proofing their yacht in case they decide to make it their place of work,” he says. One notable example is the 367-foot Renaissance, owned by A. Gary Klesch, which features not only a dedicated office for the owner but also an office suite with eight additional desks and a separate room for the printer.

For some, the ability to conduct business from a yacht has become so seamless that it’s nearly indistinguishable from working on land. Rob McCallum of EYOS Expeditions recounts a client who attended a board meeting from the South Pole, all while enjoying a heated tent and a selection of gourmet snacks. “No one had any clue where he was,” McCallum says.

Historically, yachts have been prime locations for high-stakes business meetings. Aristotle Onassis, a Greek shipping magnate, once said that his 325-foot Christina O—which hosted luminaries like Winston Churchill and John F. Kennedy—was “the best office in the world.” Today, with the addition of high-speed internet and advanced communication tools, that sentiment is being rekindled among the modern elite.

The demand for superyachts equipped with high-end workspaces is also being driven by a growing trend among the ultra-wealthy to live and work from their vessels for extended periods. “People are now staying on board their yachts not sporadically like they used to, but for months at a time,” says Alex Clarke. This shift has led to an increase in the number of yacht owners who are not only using their vessels for leisure but also as a mobile base of operations.

Yacht designers are also responding to this demand by incorporating more ergonomic and technologically advanced features into their designs. From ergonomic seating and soundproofed meeting rooms to advanced security systems and private communication channels, the modern superyacht is being built to meet the needs of a global executive on the move.

As the line between leisure and labor continues to blur, the superyacht is emerging as the ultimate symbol of the modern executive’s lifestyle—where work and play are no longer separate, but deeply intertwined. With the rise of satellite internet, the demand for floating offices is only expected to grow, making the “working from yacht” trend a defining feature of the new era of remote work.