The distinction between owners and crew is as stark as night and day. One lives the dream, the other facilitates it. When tech entrepreneur Aaron Fidler bought his 136-foot (41.4-meter) Palmer Johnson AK Royalty in 2022, he bridged the gap, going from chief engineer to superyacht owner in 15 years.
“I had quick career progression as crew and traveled the world,” Fidler says, his mirrored sunglasses glinting under the Dubai sun. “But I soon realized I didn’t want to be scrubbing decks on somebody else’s boat. I wanted my own.”
We’re sitting on the aft deck, dining on roasted sea bass, ceviche and finely sliced meat that we grill ourselves on hot stones. The spread’s 24-karat, gold-dust exterior paint job, which Fidler says took “many months and a lot of money” to get right. Twinned with personal watercraft and Seabobs in matching sparkling gold livery, the yacht makes quite the statement, even in the UAE.
