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RISING SUN Yacht – Exceptional $400M Superyacht

RISING SUN yacht is currently the 16th largest motor yacht in the world at a length of 138.6 meters (454 ft).

She was built by Luerssen in Bremen, Germany, and launched in June of 2004.

RISING SUN yacht interior

The interior of the RISING SUN yacht was styled by Seccombe Design, a small and highly specialized design company. The 138.6 meter-long vessel was their largest project to date. She was last refitted in 2011 and fully updated to fit modern standards. The interior of RISING SUN is classically styled with lots of dark elements and wooden features.

She comes with a gym, a grand piano, multiple swimming pools, a beauty salon, and a spa which includes a sauna.

Sixteen guests can be welcomed aboard the super yacht’s eight suites. A further 45 crew members find space in 30 cabins below the deck.

Specifications

The RISING SUN yacht is powered by four MTU engines which allow her to reach top speeds of up to 30 knots although her cruising speed lies at 26 knots.

She was built by Luerssen , one of the most famous shipyards for luxury yachts in the world. Her total volume lies at 7841 tons making her one of the largest motor yachts in the world not only by length but also weight.

Her beam measures 19 meters (62.4 ft) and her draft is 4.85 meters (15.1 ft). The built-in at-anchor stabilizers allow her guests to be comfortable even during rough seas.

The exterior of the RISING SUN yacht was developed by the superyacht designers Bannenberg & Rowell.

Dickie Baneberg’s father was one of the most legendary designers of all time in the industry, sometimes even called the father of yacht design.

His son is continuing his legacy and elements of Jon Bannenberg’s style can still be recognized in this work. With her many separate windows RISING SUN almost looks like a small cruise ship.

She is all-white, in classical yacht design with a steel hull and aluminum superstructure. In addition to her covered decks, she features a large open-air space at the bow as well as one at the aft of the vessel.

The RISING SUN yacht originally cost an estimated US $200 million when she was launched in 2004. However, due to refits and sales RISING SUN is now valued at a price of US $570 million.

Her annual running costs lie somewhere between US $25 and 40 million.

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Rising Sun yacht: The luxurious world of Larry Ellison and David Geffen’s nautical retreat

Rising Sun is a notable super yacht known for its size and high-profile owners. Here are some key details about the Rising Sun yacht.

Brief Overview

Rising Sun was originally built for American business magnate Larry Ellison , the co-founder of Oracle Corporation. However, Ellison later sold a significant portion of the yacht to music and film producer David Geffen. Today it is co-owned by Larry Ellison and David Geffen.

Rising Sun is approximately 454 feet (138 meters) in length, making it one of the largest yachts in the world at the time. Its impressive size allows for a wide range of amenities and luxuries.

Design and Features

The yacht boasts a stunning exterior design and a luxurious interior. It’s equipped with multiple decks, a swimming pool, a basketball court that can be converted into a helipad, and a variety of dining and entertainment spaces. The interior features opulent staterooms and lounges.

Cruising Range

Rising Sun is powered by powerful engines, which give it a a top speed of around 28 knots (about 32 mph or 52 km/h). This allows the yacht to cover vast distances on the open sea.

Part 1: Ownership of Rising Sun

Who are the notable owners of the rising sun yacht.

The Rising Sun yacht is co-owned by two prominent figures in the world of business and entertainment: Larry Ellison and David Geffen.

Who is Larry Ellison?

Larry Ellison is a renowned American entrepreneur and the co-founder of Oracle Corporation, one of the world’s leading software and cloud computing companies. With his immense success in the tech industry, Ellison has amassed substantial wealth and has used some of it to indulge in a life of luxury, including the ownership of Rising Sun.

Who is David Geffen?

David Geffen is a prominent figure in the entertainment industry. He is a music and film producer, co-founder of Asylum Records, and a co-founder of DreamWorks SKG. Geffen is known for his influence in the world of entertainment and, like Ellison, enjoys the opulent lifestyle provided by the Rising Sun yacht.

Part 2: Size, Design, and Features

How large is the rising sun yacht.

Rising Sun is a colossal super yacht, measuring approximately 454 feet (138 meters) in length. Its vast dimensions are a testament to its opulence and the array of amenities it offers.

What are the design and features of Rising Sun?

Rising Sun is an architectural marvel, featuring a stunning exterior design and an interior that exudes luxury. Onboard, guests can enjoy multiple decks, a lavish swimming pool, a basketball court that converts into a helipad, and a variety of dining and entertainment spaces. The interior is adorned with opulent staterooms and lounges, making it a floating palace on the seas.

Part 3: Cruising Range of Rising Sun

What is the cruising range of the rising sun yacht.

Thanks to its powerful engines, Rising Sun has an impressive cruising speed of approximately 28 knots, which translates to about 32 miles per hour (52 kilometers per hour). This remarkable speed allows the yacht to cover vast distances during its journeys across the ocean, providing its passengers with access to a wide range of destinations.

Part 4: Notable Guests of Rising Sun

Who are some of the notable guests who have been aboard rising sun.

Rising Sun has been a favored choice for hosting celebrities and high-profile events. Some of the notable guests who have had the privilege of experiencing the yacht’s luxury include:

• Oprah Winfrey : The iconic talk show host and media mogul has been spotted aboard Rising Sun, enjoying the yacht’s lavish amenities.
• Steven Spielberg : The renowned filmmaker and director has also graced the decks of Rising Sun, adding a touch of Hollywood glamour to its guest list.
• Tom Hanks : The beloved actor Tom Hanks has enjoyed the yacht’s hospitality during his time on the open seas.
• Bruce Springsteen : The rock legend Bruce Springsteen is another famous personality who has been a guest aboard Rising Sun, making his voyages truly unforgettable.

What makes Rising Sun a preferred choice for such guests?

Rising Sun’s opulent interior, world-class amenities, and exceptional service make it a sought-after destination for celebrities and high-profile individuals. Its spacious decks and luxurious accommodations provide the perfect backdrop for relaxation and entertainment, ensuring that every voyage is a memorable experience for its guests.

In conclusion, the Rising Sun yacht, co-owned by Larry Ellison and David Geffen, represents the epitome of luxury on the high seas. With its impressive size, breathtaking design, remarkable cruising range, and a list of notable guests that includes some of the biggest names in entertainment and business, it continues to be a symbol of opulence and indulgence in the world of super yachts. Whether you’re interested in its ownership, design, or the celebrities who have graced its decks, the Rising Sun yacht is a true icon of maritime luxury.

Technical specifications and additional details about the Rising Sun yacht

Length: Approximately 454 feet (138 meters)

Rising Sun has a steel hull and aluminum superstructure with a beam of 18.5m (60.70ft) and a 5m (16.40ft) draft.

Estimated to be around 7,500 tons

Cruising Speed: Approximately 28 knots (32 mph or 52 km/h)

Maximum Speed: Around 30 knots (34.5 mph or 55.5 km/h)

Crew Members

The Rising Sun yacht typically employs a large crew to ensure top-notch service and maintenance. The exact number can vary but may range from around 45 to 55 crew members, including officers, chefs, stewards, and technical staff.

Positions of Crew Members

The crew members on Rising Sun are organized into various departments, including deck, engineering, interior, and more. Specific positions can include captain, first officer, stewardesses, engineers, deckhands, and chefs, among others.

Number of Rooms

Rising Sun boasts an impressive number of rooms and accommodations, including numerous staterooms and suites for guests. While the exact count can vary, it typically offers accommodations for around 16 to 18 guests.

Other Amenities

Rising Sun offers a wide range of luxurious amenities, including:

• Multiple dining areas for formal and casual dining experiences.
• A stunning swimming pool with jacuzzi features on the deck.
• A basketball court that can be converted into a helipad.
• A dedicated cinema room for entertainment.
• An on-deck bar for social gatherings.
• A gymnasium and spa facilities for guests to relax and stay active during their voyage.
• A high-quality audio-visual entertainment system throughout the yacht.
• A library and study area for quiet moments.

Support Vehicles

Super yachts like Rising Sun often come equipped with support vessels, such as smaller boats and jet skis, for various recreational activities and transportation to and from shore.

Additional Information

• Rising Sun is equipped with state-of-the-art navigation and communication systems to ensure safety and efficient travel.
• The yacht’s interior is designed with opulent materials, including marble and rare woods, adding to its luxurious atmosphere.
• It has a range of environmental and sustainability features, including advanced waste management and energy-efficient systems.

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This Yacht is not for Charter*

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RISING SUN yacht NOT for charter*

138.6m  /  454'9 | lurssen | 2004 / 2011.

Owner & Guests

Cabin Configuration

• Previous Yacht

Special Features:

• Guest elevator
• Swimming pool
• Germanischer Lloyd classification
• Spa facilities
• Cruising speed of 26 knots

The 138.6m/454'9" motor yacht 'Rising Sun' was built by Lurssen in Germany at their Bremen shipyard. Her interior is styled by design house Seccombe Design and she was delivered to her owner in June 2004. This luxury vessel's exterior design is the work of Bannenberg & Rowell and she was last refitted in 2011.

Guest Accommodation

Rising Sun has been designed to comfortably accommodate up to 18 guests in 9 suites. She is also capable of carrying up to 45 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht experience.

Onboard Comfort & Entertainment

Her features include a spa, beauty salon, elevator, underwater lights, gym and air conditioning.

Range & Performance

Rising Sun is built with a steel hull and aluminium superstructure, with teak decks. Powered by 4 x diesel MTU (20V 8000 M70) 20-cylinder 11,149hp engines running at 1150rpm, she comfortably cruises at 26 knots, reaches a maximum speed of 30 knots. Rising Sun features at-anchor stabilizers providing exceptional comfort levels. Her water tanks store around 100,000 Litres of fresh water. She was built to Germanischer Lloyd classification society rules.

*Charter Rising Sun Motor Yacht

Motor yacht Rising Sun is currently not believed to be available for private Charter. To view similar yachts for charter , or contact your Yacht Charter Broker for information about renting a luxury charter yacht.

Rising Sun Yacht Owner, Captain or marketing company

'Yacht Charter Fleet' is a free information service, if your yacht is available for charter please contact us with details and photos and we will update our records.

Rising Sun Photos

Rising Sun Awards & Nominations

• International Superyacht Society Awards 2019 Best Refit Finalist

NOTE to U.S. Customs & Border Protection

Specification

M/Y Rising Sun

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Motor Yacht

Rising Sun is a 138,4m (454'1''ft) motor yacht, custom built in 2004 by Lurssen Yachts. The yacht's interior has been designed by Seccombe Design. She was last refitted in 2007.

Rising Sun has a steel hull and aluminium superstructure with a beam of 18.5m (60.70ft) and a 5m (16.40ft) draft. Performance + Capabilities Rising Sun is capable of 28 knots flat out, with a cruising speed of 26 knots. Rising Sun Accommodation Rising Sun offers accommodation for up to 16 guests. She is also capable of carrying up to 45 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht experience.

• Yacht Builder Lurssen Yachts View profile
• Naval Architect Lurssen Yachts View profile
• Exterior Designer Jon Bannenberg No profile available
• Interior Designer Seccombe Design No profile available

Yacht Specs

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Inside The Rising Sun: David Geffen's $590 Million Superyacht

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The Cast Of Suits' Per Episode Salaries, Revealed

Million-dollar serve, ace earnings: novak djokovic's net worth is volleying up, the scream queen's stash: jenna ortega's net worth, quick links, details of the yacht, interior and exterior details, the rising sun’s onboard comfort and entertainment.

Billionaire and entertainment mogul David Geffen reportedly purchased the superyacht for $590 million from the Oracle founder Larry Ellison. It was reported that wealthy people love spending money on yachts, and about 88% of the luxury market can be associated to spending on yachts. For this reason, it is not at all surprising that billionaires are spending so much money buying yachts . Yachts can be considered as the pinnacle of luxury and decadence and about $22 billion annually are spent on Yachts by the wealthy people. The Rising Sun has hosted numerous famous celebrities including American talk show host Oprah Winfrey and Academy Award winner Leonardo DiCaprio on board and even Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was seen hanging out in the superyacht.

Geffen has cruised everywhere using the Superyacht from St. Bart's in the Caribbean to Portofino to Italy and even Ibiza, Spain. He loves travelling using his yacht but not without his friends and some high profile celebrities. Among the guests in his massive yacht are Julia Roberts, Maria Shriver, Steven Spielberg, JJ Abrams, Karlie Kloss, Peter Harrington-Cressman, Paul McCartney and even Michelle and Barack Obama. Take a look inside the majestic yacht of Geffen.

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https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/205054589254118565/

The Rising Sun is a motor yacht which was designed by Jon Bannenberg and was built and constructed in 2004 by German shipbuilder Lürssen. The yacht reportedly costs $200 million to build. The yacht was built at Lürssen’s Bremen shipyard for the founder and CEO of Oracle Corporation, Larry Ellison. It was delivered to Ellison in June 2004. Since 2010, David Geffen has owned the yacht. Geffen bought half of the share of the 454-foot megayacht in 2007 and decided to buy the yacht in full in 2010 which totaled his payment for $590 million. The exact estimated value of the yacht is still unclear but as of 2019, the yacht was valued for $300 million. After Geffen bought it, he had the yacht refitted in the period of just six months.

The motor yacht has a tonnage of 7,841 GT and has a length of 138 m that is about 452 ft 9 in. It utilizes the installed power of the diesel engine of 4 × MTU 20V 8000 M90 with 36,000 kW. It also has 4 propellers as its propulsion and has the speed of 28 knots that can comfortably run at the speed of 26 knots but can run at the maximum speed of 30 knots. It was built with steel hull and an aluminum superstructure that includes a teak deck. It also features an anchor stabilizer which provides the people on board an exceptional comfort. Unlike some other luxury yachts, the Rising Sun is not available for private charter.

https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/532058143448158436/

The superyacht has about eighty two rooms and has the ability to accommodate about 18 guests and 55 staff and crew members. The eighteen guests can comfortably stay in the nine suites at the yacht which can ensure a relaxed luxury yacht experience . The massive yacht even has a basketball court on board. The top deck is entirely dedicated to the owner which includes a double-height cinema. Aside from the basketball court, there is also a wine cellar and a movie theater which can be found among the eighty two rooms of the yacht.

The interior design of the yacht was designed by design house Seccombe Design. The exterior design on the other hand was designed by Bannenberg & Rowell and was refitted in 2011 after David Geffen has requested for it. The builders of the Rising Sun have experimented with the extensive use of some structural glass that gives off a clean and stripped-down profile for the yacht. This includes the builders extensively working on the engineering and systems of the yacht. The exposure of the yacht’s structure is one of the overarching themes in the superyacht’s design.

https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/400961173065183662/

There is a reason why a lot of famous celebrities and public figure enjoy hanging out at the superyacht. For the added comfort and entertainment, there is a sauna, underwater lights, beauty salon, elevator and gym at the superyacht. It offers the luxuries of the land space on a secluded area which gives them the privacy that they need. The general arrangement of the layout of the Rising Sun has given the guests spacious cabins which have a direct access to the exterior side decks of the yacht. With the use of the 45-degree indents in the yacht’s superstructure, the guests are also protected from the weather.

The yacht has so much space that the guests can roam around and just party. The top deck was designed entirely for the owner’s entertainment. The guests can also enjoy the double-height cinema which was embedded just like the stone of the avocado.

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Sources: Business Insider , Luxury Launches , Yacht Charter Fleet , Boat International

RISING SUN a Lurssen Superyacht

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If you have any questions about the RISING SUN information page below please contact us .

Built under the project name LE120, mega yacht RISING SUN belongs to the fleet of the world's largest yachts, thanks to her impressive length of 138 metres (452'76''). She was constructed by the renowned German shipyard Lurssen and launched in 2004. Super Yacht RISING SUN was builder with steel hull and aluminium superstructure to naval architecture by Lurssen Yachts, exterior design by Bannenberg & Rowell Design and interior by Seccombe Design. She has received a refit in 2007.

Luxury yacht RISING SUN offers ultra deluxe accommodation to her lucky guests with en suite bathroom facilities, luxurious amenities and is said to have Jacuzzi spas in her staterooms. Guests have a fully-equipped gymnasium, spa and a sauna at their disposal, as well as a private cinema with a giant plasma screen for relaxation.

RISING SUN Specifications

RISING SUN has an extensive wine cellar with a selection of some of the best wines around. There is also a basketball court on the main deck, which can be converted into a helicopter pad depending on the necessities of the owner and guests.

RISING SUN yacht is fitted with four MTU diesel engines, model 20V 8000 M90, of 12,070hp (9,0001KW) each, powering her up to a maximum speed of 28 knots and allowing her to cruise at 26 knots.

Yacht Accommodation

RISING SUN can accommodate a maximum of 16 guests in 8 cabins.

Amenities and Extras

We do have available further amenity, owner and price information for the 138m (452'76'') yacht RISING SUN, so please enquire for more information.

RISING SUN Disclaimer:

The luxury yacht RISING SUN displayed on this page is merely informational and she is not necessarily available for yacht charter or for sale, nor is she represented or marketed in anyway by CharterWorld. This web page and the superyacht information contained herein is not contractual. All yacht specifications and informations are displayed in good faith but CharterWorld does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the current accuracy, completeness, validity, or usefulness of any superyacht information and/or images displayed. All boat information is subject to change without prior notice and may not be current.

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'...total originality in yacht design has become more difficult to attain following Jon Bannenberg’s masterful levels of creative daring.' - “I don’t want to lead everything back to my dad — but it’s well known and accepted that, whether it’s his big round windows, or certain lines, or a way of treating wings on a superstructure, they all inspired many people and I think that’s fair game. I think all people’s design processes, whether subliminal or not, are recalling something — whether it’s something that’s stirred, or triggered something, or sparked an idea, or an unintentional homage to someone.” - Dickie Bannenberg talks of yacht design and his father Jon Bannenberg's groundbreaking work.

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Iconic yachts: Inside the design journey of the 138m Lürssen superyacht Rising Sun

Rising Sun was the last yacht that ever came from designer Jon Bannenberg’s drawing board (literally, as the office was then an almost CAD-free zone), and one that he was destined never to see completed.

To a degree, Rising Sun represented a back-to-basics approach and a final opportunity to work with Lürssen’s lean destroyer-type hull, which had been the platform 30 years earlier for Carinthia V and Carinthia VI (now named The One ). The similarities ended there. Rising Sun experimented with extensive use of structural glass for a clean and stripped-down profile that involved Lürssen and its sub-contractors working on engineering and systems.

Jon Bannenberg’s appointment to design Rising Sun came out of the blue after Larry Ellison had commissioned a number of studies from different designers. None seemed to have the impact that he wanted until Jon Bannenberg unveiled his initial study model one morning in London over a couple of lattes. Things moved quickly after that, and they reached an agreement in two emails without even a hint of a lawyer being involved. LE120 became the project’s codename but it did not need Enigma codebreaking skills among the yachting community to work out the vessel’s length and who had commissioned her.

Jon Bannenberg worked on many study models in the early months, including a colossal version that was shipped to Lürssen and used for an initial presentation meeting with the principal sub-contractors. The basic form did not change much from his first drawing. Among the spectacular concepts was a suspended, tube-like walkway through the main machinery spaces for visitors to see exactly what drove her at speeds of 30 knots, and an exposed Z frame structure separating the tender launching areas. This was monumental in scale but sculptural and simple to fabricate.

The exposure of structure was one of the overarching themes of his Rising Sun design – no more clearly apparent than in the web frames of the superstructure, into which the full-height glass panels were set. The initial intent was to have these in raw finished aluminium, but this subsequently got ‘value engineered’ into a metallic paint finish.

His general arrangement layouts of Rising Sun gave spacious guest cabins direct access to the exterior side decks, protected from the weather by 45-degree indents in the superstructure. There was so much space to play with that the top deck was given over entirely to owner use, while a double-height cinema was embedded like the stone of an avocado, with the corridor arcing gently around it. And, of course, a basketball court was obligatory.

All in all, Jon Bannenberg’s original concept for Rising Sun survived relatively intact after his death. The yacht divided opinion, like many of his designs, and her sheer scale – eventually growing to 138 metres – made even Larry Ellison pause for thought. But she is certainly a Bannenberg original, and somehow neatly completed the circle that started with Carinthia V and Lürssen some 30 years earlier.

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A Closer Look at the $200 Million Rising Sun Superyacht

There are a few different categories of yachts in the world. As a yacht enthusiast you might hear a few different terms being thrown around in the descriptions, such as Super yacht up to 100 feet in length or Mega yacht up to 300 feet. These are the larger water craft and there is even a giga yacht which are those that are over 300 feet in length. With this in mind, the Rising Sun, which is often referred to as a Super yacht far exceeds the parameters set for the classification, so if we’re going to be particular about the classification, we’d call it a Giga yacht. However it’s categorized, the Rising Sun is one of the most amazing private yachts afloat and we’re going to take a closer look at the features which make this multi-million dollar ship so special.

Rising Sun Yacht built by Lurssen: A Celebrity Choice

This yacht has hosted some of the most celebrated personalities in the film and record industry as well as the political arena. Barack and Michelle Obama were seen vacationing on the Rising Sun in 2017, and it’s also hosted Hollywood stars including Oprah Winfrey , Julia Roberts , Leonardo DeCaprio, Tom Hanks and others. The co-founder of Dreamworks, film producer and record executive David Geffen is the owner of the Rising Sun, which ranks as the 9th largest yacht in the world, currently. Depending on which source you consult, the cost to build this giant is estimated to be $200 million and some have it as high as $400 million but we believe that the base cost was the latter and the extra figures come from upgrades .

The history of the Rising Sun

The Rising Sun is the commissioned craft of its first owner Larry Ellison, who partnered with David Geffen and is the current CEO of the Oracle Corporation. He ordered the building of the ship from the German shipbuilding company Lürssen . The Rising Sun is the design of Jon Bannenberg, who has since passed away. The ship was delivered to Mr. Ellison in 2004, who shared ownership with David Geffen until 2010, when he decided that it was too large, so he sold his share to Geffen, who is now the sole owner of the yacht and Ellison bought a smaller yacht.

Specifications and details

The Rising Sun yacht is constructed of a strong aluminum superstructure with a displacement steel hull and teak decks, in accordance with Germanischer Lloyd classification society rules. The ship requires 4 MTU 12,061 horsepower diesel engines to propel it though the water. The average cruising speed is 26 knots and the top speed of the ship is 30 knots. To make the yacht more comfortable and safe in rough waters, it is fitted with zero speed stabilizers for times when she is at anchor. The Rising Sun measures 453.97 ft in length with a 62.34 ft beam, a draft of 16.08 ft and gross tonnage of 7841 tons. The exterior was designed by Bannenberg & Rowel and the interior by Seccombe Design. It was built by Lurssen and refit in 2004 and 2011. At the time of the sale it was the 6th largest yacht in the world, but other new superyachts have displaced it to the 9th position.

Luxury amenities

It takes a crew of 45 to maintain and operate this massive vessel and they are housed in 30 cabins. The guests are housed in 8 cabins which can accommodate between 16 and 18 guests comfortably. The yacht has been designed with more than 8,000m² of living space, allowing for larger gathering areas as well as plenty of places to find privacy from the crowd of guests. There are a total of five decks with 82 rooms aboard the yacht. Some of the luxury amenities include a spa and gym so guests don’t need to miss out on their daily workout routines. The Rising Sun is also quipped with a lift/elevator to take guests between the five decks. For practicality so guests/owners can come and go from any location, there is also a helipad on board. For fun in the sun there is a swimming pool as well as underwater lights for excellent illumination, and a sauna for relaxation. The ship also features air conditioning throughout the 82 rooms so guests can achieve the optimal room temperatures, even on hot days at sea, and there is also a Tender Garage, as well as a Cinema large enough to accommodate all guests for entertainment.

Final thoughts

The Rising Sun has only had two owners since it was built in 2004. Co-owners Larry Ellison and David Geffen shared it for a period of time, then Ellison sold his share to Geffen who is now the sole owner. The yacht was once the sixth largest yacht in the world, but is still considered a wonder coming in at ninth place. It’s packed to the hilt with luxury amenities and there is plenty of space aboard with five decks and 82 rooms. The ship which cost $200 million to build is now valued somewhere between $3 and $4 million, and it has only increased in value with the passage of time and no doubt numerous upgrades to suit the preferences of the owner. It’s served as the vessel that provides a source of recreation for some of the most famous people in the world including some of our most beloved Hollywood stars and even a former president and first lady. The Rising Sun is truly one of the most magnificent yachts that has ever been created, and those who are fortunate enough to be invited on board are in for a top notch luxury experience.

Dana has extensive professional writing experience including technical and report writing, informational articles, persuasive articles, contrast and comparison, grant applications, and advertisement. She also enjoys creative writing, content writing on nearly any topic (particularly business and lifestyle), because as a lifelong learner, she loves to do research and possess a high skill level in this area. Her academic degrees include AA social Sci/BA English/MEd Adult Ed & Community & Human Resource Development and ABD in PhD studies in Indust & Org Psychology.

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David Geffen’s Yacht: Everything You Want To Know

David Geffen is a businessman most famous for his work running record labels and a film studio. His net worth is estimated at around $7.7 billion and he’s also been the owner of one of the world’s largest yachts for some years now. He owns a second yacht as well, one called Pelorus that clocks in at 115 meters in length. That means Geffen is the owner of at least two megayachts

What is David Geffen’s Yacht Called?

Geffen named his yacht the Rising Sun and it was built back in 2004 and then refitted in 2007. The yacht was originally built by German yacht maker Lurssen and originally it belonged to Oracle founder Larry Ellison, but Geffen purchased it in 2010. Word is that Ellison thought it was just too big and ended up buying a smaller yacht that he felt was more manageable. That said, Geffen apparently owned a percentage share of the yacht since 2006.

How Big is the Rising Sun?

With a gross tonnage of 7,841 GT, the yacht is not as heavy as you might think for one of its size. The Rising Sun length clocks in at just under 453 feet with a beam of 60.7 feet. The yacht features a steel hull with an aluminum superstructure. It ranks as one of the largest yachts in the world .

How Much Did David Geffen Pay for the Rising Sun Yacht?

It’s been reported that Geffen paid Ellison a staggering $590 million for the Rising Sun however other reports suggest the vessel was $200 million. Given the size of the yacht and the time it was built plus various amenities it seems more likely the true price is closer to $200 million. That’s speculation and also some educated guessing as a $590 million motor yacht sale in 2010 would likely have raised more flags in the media. It would make the Rising Sun one of the most expensive yachts ever, and that’s simply never been claimed by many sources.

The value of the luxury yacht has been speculated to currently be between $300 million and $400 million after various refits and upgrades that have been added over the years. Despite the cost there is no yacht charter available to offset that for Geffen.

How Fast is the Rising Sun Yacht?

The Rising sun has a maximum speed of 28 knots and a cruising speed of 16 knots. This is achieved by 4 MTU 20V 8000 M90 diesel engines producing 48,000 hp.

What’s the Interior of the Rising Sun Like?

A crew of 45 is needed to keep the Rising Sun operating and that includes taking care of the up to 18 guests in 9 staterooms. That includes one master suite and then 8 double suites. 

Geffen has numerous amenities on board to ensure a luxurious stay for guests who, in the past, have included people like Tom Hanks, Barack and Michelle Obama, Mariah Carey and even Jeff Bezos and Oprah Winfrey. For a short time there were stories that this was, in fact, Oprah’s yacht because she had been spotted on board in 2013 when she was on holiday. However, she was just borrowing the yacht and does not own a yacht of her own.

There is both a sauna and a beauty salon on board as well as a large swimming pool and an elevator to travel between the five decks. There are 8,000 square meters of living space available between those decks which include teak decks and bathrooms finished in onyx.

The top deck of the yacht serves as a master suit and features a double sized cinema screen. The layout has been described as being like the pit of an avocado, meaning the movie screen is embedded in the wall in a way that creates an archway that can be traveled around it. A normal sized theater exists elsewhere on the yacht for the rest of the passengers to enjoy.

In addition to movies, there’s also a full size basketball court on board if anyone is looking to get into a game. The court also doubles as a helicopter landing pad. Of course there’s a well-equipped gym for working out as well. When it’s time to relax, the yacht features its own fully stocked wine cellar. 

Unfortunately, Geffen has not welcomed media onto the yacht so images of the interior are few and far between. As you can imagine, he’s a man who enjoys his privacy and doesn’t want to share his space very openly. In fact, mentioning it has backfired on him in the past.

Back in 2020, sometimes after he was spotted refueling at Sea Fuels Marine in New Bedford, Geffen made an Instagram post about how he was self-isolating on his yacht in the Grenadines during Covid. The post went over poorly with people pointing out it was a little tone deaf to the average person who doesn’t have a multi-million dollar yacht to escape on. He deactivated his Instagram shortly thereafter. 

The Bottom Line

David Geffen is a billionaire businessman known for is work in the music industry such as running Geffen Records and Asylum Records. His superyacht Rising Sun was built for $200 million though it’s been reported he paid as much as $590 million for it. The yacht is one of the largest luxury yachts in the world at 453 feet and features many amenities including a massive, double sized cinema screen, a basketball court, and a large pool.  The motor yacht is a notorious hot spot for celebrity visitors that range from Paul McCartney to Bruce Springsteen to Chris Rock, Leonardo DiCaprio and Katy Perry among many others.

My grandfather first took me fishing when I was too young to actually hold up a rod on my own. As an avid camper, hiker, and nature enthusiast I'm always looking for a new adventure.

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Gigayacht spotted in Portland Harbor attracts attention

by Ariana St Pierre , WGME

PORTLAND (WGME) -- A $400 million gigayacht floating in the Portland Harbor is turning heads.

According to the Press Herald, a yacht is typically at least 30 feet long, a superyacht is 80-100 feet long, a megayacht is 200 feet, and a gigayacht is over 300 feet long.

The yacht, named Rising Sun, is owned by billionaire entertainment mogul David Geffen, according to CBS News.

CBS News reports the boat's original owner, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, sold Rising Sun to Geffen in 2010.

The Rising Sun reportedly has 82 rooms, including a gym, a basketball court, a wine cellar, a spa, and a movie theater, according to CBS News.

• Also read: 'It's amazing:' Nearly $70M middle school set to open in South Portland

It can reportedly accommodate up to 16 guests and 45 crew members.

Geffen’s gigayacht is the 20th largest in the world, according to the Press Herald.

It’s certainly an eye-catcher at five stories high and 453 feet long.

It Sank in 15 Minutes. How Tragedy Struck Mike Lynch’s Yacht.

P ORTICELLO, Italy—The sun set over a calm Mediterranean Sea as the Bayesian approached this small fishing town on the north coast of Sicily.

On the teak deck of the 180-foot superyacht, British tech mogul Mike Lynch was enjoying a new lease on life together with his family, friends and lawyers after his against-the-odds acquittal in a California trial.

The 59-year-old software entrepreneur, once hailed as the British Bill Gates, was celebrating with his wife and daughter, along with big names in law and banking in New York and London, and others who had helped him during his years fighting what the U.S. Justice Department had alleged was a massive accounting fraud. Friends joined and left as Lynch crisscrossed the Mediterranean, including stops at Positano and Palermo.

Lynch vowed to keep the maritime celebration rolling. He told another of his lawyers, Brian Heberlig, who had begged off this summer’s festivities because of other travel plans, that he wouldn’t be allowed to miss next year’s trip.

Amid the festivities came a shock on Sunday. Lynch’s co-defendant, Stephen Chamberlain, who had also been acquitted, had just been fatally hit by a car while out for a run at home in England. From the yacht, Chris Morvillo, a former U.S. prosecutor who had helped lead Lynch’s defense for more than a decade, emailed Heberlig and other legal colleagues to share the tragic news.

The Bayesian dropped anchor for the night a short distance outside the harbor wall of Porticello, in a wide bay east of Palermo. The lights on its aluminum mast—once the world’s tallest, but now eclipsed by a vessel owned by Jeff Bezos—shone like a Christmas tree as night fell.

Another large yacht, the Netherlands-flagged Sir Robert Baden Powell, was at anchor nearby.

The day had been sunny and hot. The night was clear and starry.

It was an unusual place for luxury yachts to linger, said local fishermen. The exposed spot offered less protection than the waters beneath the nearby mountain of Capo Zafferano, or the much larger port of Palermo.

And there was a storm warning. Porticello’s fleet of around 30 seaworn fishing boats were all inside the harbor wall as fishermen decided against going out to work that night.

The storm struck shortly before 4 a.m.

“The sea was an inferno for 15 minutes. Then it was calm again,” said local fisherman Giuseppe Balistreri.

When the lashing rain eased, the Bayesian was gone.

Divers struggle

Heberlig received a phone call on Monday morning from a U.K. number he didn’t recognize. He thought it was Morvillo, calling to commiserate about Chamberlain. Instead, it was someone else, calling to tell him that tragedy had also struck Morvillo, Lynch and others on the yacht.

Since Monday, Italian authorities have been investigating what caused the Bayesian to sink in a matter of minutes a few hundred yards from the harbor. They have interviewed survivors, reviewed photos and closed-circuit television footage and are analyzing the wreck, including with an underwater drone.

A prosecutor has begun an investigation into potential manslaughter and causing a shipwreck through negligence. The probe is at an early stage and is still reconstructing the incident to ascertain who may have been culpable, the prosecutor, Ambrogio Cartosio, said on Saturday.

It took salvage divers five days and 123 dives to search the yacht for bodies as it lay on its side on the Sicilian seabed. In the darkness 160 feet below the surface, divers found its tight corridors were blocked by furniture, electric cables and other debris.

On Thursday, Lynch’s body arrived in the harbor in a blue body bag. The bodies of five other passengers have also been recovered from the yacht: Morvillo and his wife, Neda, a jewelry designer; Morgan Stanley International Chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy; and Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, the last to be brought ashore on Friday.

The ship’s cook, Recaldo Thomas, was found lifeless in the sea soon after the boat went down.

Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, was among the survivors, along with five other guests and nine of the 10 crew.

From the harbor wall of this modest fishing port, international media and curious locals watched the somber progress of coast-guard boats bearing shrouded cadavers. Investigators questioned the yacht’s surviving crew and passengers at a nearby vacation resort. Local fishermen wondered how such an impressive vessel could have sunk in a sharp but short tempest.

“It breaks my heart to think that these people died so close to where I cast my nets,” said Balistreri.

The surviving crew members of the Bayesian, secluded by Italian authorities, were unavailable for comment. The Lynch, Bloomer and Morvillo families declined to comment.

Gone in minutes

Throughout its history, the Mediterranean Sea has been known as much for its treachery as for its beauty. Sudden storms have sunk ships here since humans learned to sail.

In recent years, the Mediterranean has become a graveyard for thousands of migrants from poor or war-torn countries, who continue to drown while trying to cross the hazardous sea in rickety boats in search of safety or a better life in Europe.

The Bayesian’s Italian manufacturer has angrily rejected suggestions by some marine engineers that the yacht’s 240-foot-high aluminum mast might have contributed to the accident, instead accusing the crew of a series of mistakes that led to the boat taking on water in the storm until it capsized.

The speed with which the $35 million boat disappeared under the waves has flummoxed even seasoned maritime accident investigators. “In my many years of accident investigation I can’t recall anything similar to this,” says Gavin Pritchard, a former investigator at the U.K. Marine Accident Investigation Branch, who probed sunken wrecks for a decade.

‘Saying goodbye to everything’

A few weeks earlier, in June, Lynch had hugged his weeping wife in a San Francisco courtroom after a jury found him innocent of fraud and conspiracy. Around him, a legal team co-led by Morvillo, some of whom had devoted many years to Lynch’s defense, was also in tears.

The British mogul had earlier resigned himself to spending the rest of his life in a U.S. prison. Lynch was flown in chains last year from London to California to face his trial over allegations that he had artificially inflated the value of Autonomy, a software company he founded, when he sold it to Hewlett-Packard in 2011 for more than $11 billion. “It’s a 0.7% acquittal rate,” he later said in an interview. “You basically go round saying goodbye to everything.”

It was a twist of fortune for a man who spent most of his career feted as a rare example of a British tech titan. Lynch, who grew up in London, the son of a nurse and firefighter, started out with a secondhand computer and a Ph.D. in mathematical computing from Cambridge University, drawing on the work of 18th-century statistician Thomas Bayes.

In 1996 Autonomy was spun out of a company called Cambridge Neurodynamics, which was an early venture into using machine learning to trawl data sets. Quickly a stock-market darling, Autonomy offered software that used Bayes’s techniques to process massive amounts of data for clients ranging from banks to intelligence agencies.

Lynch cultivated a hard-charging sales culture, had a piranha tank in the office and named conference rooms after James Bond movies. Lynch drove one of Bond’s favorite types of cars, too, a vintage Aston Martin.

HP’s acquisition of Autonomy gave Lynch a payday of about $800 million. Lynch stayed on, while investing some of his wealth in raising rare breeds of cows and pigs at his English farm.

In 2014, a company owned by his wife, Angela, bought the fateful yacht, made six years earlier by Tuscan luxury boat builders Perini Navi, and renamed it Bayesian after the statistician.

HP claimed that Lynch and senior finance executives had cooked Autonomy’s books. Lynch, who denied this, was fired from the company in 2012.

Morvillo, 59 years old and a senior partner at law firm Clifford Chance in New York, became Lynch’s attorney—a prominent federal prosecutor for the Southern District of New York who had worked on cases linked to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and money laundering. Lynch’s case would consume a third of his professional life, and the two men became close friends.

Lynch and Morvillo argued that HP had botched the integration of Autonomy and was trying to pin its wider corporate failings on him. Lynch said that Autonomy’s accounting was in line with other software companies’.

In 2018, the U.S. government charged Lynch, alleging that he and his lieutenants had used false and misleading documents to make Autonomy more attractive to a potential buyer.

In May 2023, after losing a fight against extradition to the U.S., Lynch said goodbye to his six dogs, his wife and two daughters, walked around the corner from his West London home, and was ushered into a waiting police car which drove him to Heathrow airport.

He spent the next year living under house arrest in a San Francisco townhouse, with an electronic tag on his ankle, CCTV cameras in multiple rooms, and guarded by armed ex-Navy SEALs to make sure he stayed put. His family had posted a $100 million bond. He bought a sheepdog puppy for company.

Tears in the courtroom

Lynch faced trial along side Chamberlain, a former finance official at Autonomy. During the three-month trial, which involved around 16 million documents, Lynch’s lawyers argued that he had acted in good faith and wasn’t an expert in arcane accountancy matters.

Lynch’s defense team also leaned on a key witness, Bloomer, a City of London grandee and chairman of Morgan Stanley International, who had formerly chaired Autonomy’s audit committee.

The defense team gambled and got Lynch to testify. “You and I have met a lot, right?” Morvillo asked Lynch in the witness stand. “You’re probably sick of me at this point?”

“It’s a bit like we’re married sometimes,” Lynch responded, to laughter in the courtroom.

The jury cleared Lynch and Chamberlain on all 15 counts. Bacares rushed into the well of the courtroom, where spectators aren’t allowed, and threw her arms around her husband.

“I’ve never seen a moment like it in the courtroom before,” Morvillo recalled, talking on the podcast For the Defense. “Grown people sobbing, hugging, people clapping. It was remarkable.”

Lynch described the verdict as a fork in the road of his life. “It’s Schrödinger’s cat,” he later said. “You open the box and you are in one universe or the other.”

‘Only the captain knows the truth’

Rising sea temperatures in the Mediterranean are leading to more frequent maritime tornadoes known as waterspouts: short-lived but powerful twisters made of air and water that can lift up or capsize boats.

Locals in Porticello say such a tornado hit the yacht. But the Bayesian should have been able to withstand it.

“As a fisherman I ask myself: How can a boat of 56 meters sink, even if a waterspout passes directly over it?” said Balistreri. He said the biggest danger is if a boat at anchor gets sideways in the wind and the sea pours in over the gunwale and into the hold.

“Only the captain knows the truth,” he said.

In the last year there were over 600 waterspouts around Europe, according to the European Severe Weather Database.

Giovanni Constantino, chief executive of the Italian Sea Group, parent company of the Bayesian’s manufacturer, told Italian media that the yacht could sink in such a storm only if it took on too much water while tilting in the gale with open doors or hatches.

The crew should have prepared the ship, given the storm forecast, including by closing all doors and gathering the passengers, he said.

CCTV footage from the shore shows how the Bayesian with its brightly lit mast leans hard to starboard. The lights go out as the gale hardens. That could indicate a power failure caused by water flooding into the yacht, Constantino said.

The wind and rain intensify so much that the yacht disappears from view in the video.

Data from MarineTraffic, a maritime-information provider, shows both the Bayesian and the Sir Robert Baden Powell, anchored nearby, drifting southeast when the storm hit, suggesting their anchors were slipping. The captain of the Dutch ship, Karsten Börner, turned his engine on and maneuvered to keep his stern to the wind, avoiding being pushed sideways, he told reporters later.

Within minutes, after the storm had passed, Börner said he looked around but could no longer see the Bayesian. The crew of the sinking yacht fired a red flare, spotted also by some local fishermen, who sped out in their boats to help.

Börner saw and picked up an orange inflatable life raft, carrying 15 survivors of the Bayesian.

Seven people—Lynch and his daughter, the Morvillos and the Bloomers, and the cook Thomas—hadn’t made it out of the yacht in time.

Write to Marcus Walker at [email protected], Max Colchester at [email protected] and Aruna Viswanatha at [email protected]

What is known about the sinking of a luxury…

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What is known about the sinking of a luxury yacht off the coast of sicily and those aboard.

PORTICELLO, Sicily (AP) — Specialist cave divers working in 12-minute underwater shifts were searching Tuesday for six missing passengers and crew, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, believed to be in the submerged wreck of a luxury yacht that was slammed by a powerful storm and swiftly sank off Sicily.

The sleek yacht, named the Bayesian, was carrying a crew of 10 people and 12 passengers when it suddenly sank near the Mediterranean island that is part of Italy at about 4 a.m. on Monday. One body has been recovered and 15 people survived.

Fire rescue officials have said the six believed to remain in the sailboat’s hull will be considered missing until they are located in the wreckage.

Here’s what we know so far about the sinking and those who were on board.

What happened?

Italian civil protection officials believe a sudden and fierce storm that battered the coast of Sicily in the early hours of Monday whipped up a waterspout in the exact spot where the 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged Bayesian was moored.

Karsten Borner, the captain of another yacht moored nearby, said he saw the Bayesian during the storm but when the wild weather passed it was gone and he saw only a red flare lighting the night sky, ANSA and the Giornale di Sicilia newspaper reported.

Borner and one of his crew boarded their tender and found a lifeboat carrying 15 people, some of them injured. They took them aboard their yacht and alerted the coast guard.

Rescue authorities said the wreck was resting at a depth of 50 meters (163 feet) about a half mile offshore of the picturesque fishing village of Porticello.

Who was on board?

Among the missing is 59-year-old tech tycoon Mike Lynch , sometimes described as the British Bill Gates. Lynch was acquitted in June of all charges in a U.S. fraud trial linked to the $11 billion sale of his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.

Lynch still faced a potentially huge bill stemming from a civil case in London that HP mostly won during 2022. Damages haven’t been determined in that case, but HP is seeking $4 billion. Lynch made more than $800 million from the Autonomy sale.

A Cambridge-educated mathematician, Lynch made his name running Autonomy, which made a search engine that could pore through emails and other internal business documents to help companies find vital information more quickly.

Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter Hannah was reportedly among the missing. His wife, Angela Bacares, and 14 other people survived.

Among others still missing Tuesday, according to the civil protection agency, were one of Lynch’s U.S. lawyers, Christopher Morvillo of Clifford Chance, and Morvillo’s wife, Neda. Morvillo was regarded as an elite defense lawyer and was also a federal prosecutor in New York after 9/11.

Also missing was Jonathan Bloomer, the non-executive chairman of Morgan Stanley International, and his wife, Judy. He is the former head of the Autonomy audit committee and testified for the defense at Lynch’s trial.

Bloomer was also chair of the Hiscox Group, an insurer that does business on the Lloyd’s of London market.

“We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event,” Hiscox CEO Aki Hussain said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular our chair, Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy, who are among the missing, and with their family as they await further news from this terrible situation.”

Among the survivors was Charlotte Golunski, who said she momentarily lost hold of her 1-year-old daughter Sofia in the water, but then managed to grab her and hold her up over the waves until a lifeboat inflated and they were both pulled to safety, Italian news agency ANSA reported. The father, identified by ANSA as James Emslie, also survived.

The Dutch foreign ministry said a Dutch man survived. The ministry, citing privacy, did not release his identity.

One body was recovered on Monday, identified as the on-board chef.

What is the Bayesian?

The Bayesian was a luxury yacht built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Nav. It was known for its single 75-meter (246-feet) aluminum mast — one of the world’s tallest. Online charter sites listed it for rent for up to 195,000 euros (about $215,000) a week.

Its registered owner is listed as Revtom Ltd., based on the Isle of Man, according to online maritime database Equasis. Lynch’s wife is listed as Revtom’s sole owner, according to corporate registration documents from the Isle of Man.

The yacht’s name is an apparent reference to “Bayesian inference,” one of the two main approaches to statistical machine learning and the one that was used by Autonomy.

What is a waterspout?

Waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water and can happen when a storm moves across warm water.

According to the U.S. National Ocean Service, there are two types of waterspouts — fair-weather and tornadic.

Tornadic waterspouts “have the same characteristics as a land tornado. They are associated with severe thunderstorms, and are often accompanied by high winds and seas, large hail, and frequent dangerous lightning,” the service says on its website.

While scientists haven’t attributed the specific event to climate change, average monthly surface temperatures have been at record highs for months . Hotter air can hold more moisture, making heavier storms more likely.

Sicily has been baking under intense heat this summer , and the United Nations’ panel of climate change experts notes the Mediterranean is particularly vulnerable to climate change, with warming rates roughly 20% higher than the global average.

What happens next?

As the search for the missing continues, authorities already have begun trying to piece together exactly what happened.

Prosecutors from the Sicilian town of Termini Imerese have opened an investigation, as is normal in such events even when no suspects are identified. To date, they have not commented publicly.

The British Marine Accident Investigation Branch said four of its inspectors were being deployed to Palermo.

Corder reported from The Hague, Netherlands.

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How is solar energy solving a hospital energy crisis in myanmar.

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Atutu’s solar field technicians are installing a solar array on top of a hospital in a town in ... [+] Northern Kachin, Myanmar in May 2024.

An engineer who left the south-east Asian country of Myanmar as a child is now spear-heading efforts to provide solar power to hospitals in remote areas there.

According to a 2023 World Bank report , there are over four million households without access to electricity in Myanmar, which is embroiled in the midst of civil conflict .

Lin Thu Hein , co-founder and executive director of a non-profit called Atutu, says the team is working to bring solar energy access to rural healthcare facilities in northern Myanmar , having started out bringing solar energy to indigenous communities and conflict-affected communities in Kachin State.

"After working in displaced communities and powering schools, many of our communities encouraged us to look into healthcare centers, since the lack of grid energy and rising fuel prices were causing resource strain in the healthcare industry; many hospitals and clinics operate using diesel generators," he says, "Patients and healthcare staff have had to pay out of pocket to cover the cost of diesel during their hospital stay due to budget shortages."

Hein explains this led the team to pilot a project at a local hospital in northern Kachin state in Myanmar, in order to validate the feasibility and benefits of a solar microgrid in a healthcare setting.

"After nearly 3 months of operation, we saw that the solar power has served as the primary source of power for the hospital since installation, leaving the generators as backup emergency power," he says, adding that the logistics challenges posed from ongoing armed conflicts means access to diesel has been sparse or exorbitantly costly.

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"This project has environmental, social, and financial benefits to the communities," he says, "If we’re able to make technology work with all the challenges in Myanmar, we are most likely to make it work in other communities too."

Based on the success of the pilot project, Hein and his collaborators entered into a partnership with a capital planning software start-up called ACTUAL to bring solar energy to the hospitals and other healthcare centers that are under-resourced in rural areas of Myanmar.

"We are building a project portfolio of microgrids to over 300 off-grid healthcare facilities, and support their transition to solar energy from diesel generators," Thein says.

Karthik Balakrishnan , president and co-Founder of ACTUAL says that they've partnered with Atutu to tackle the complex energy challenges in Myanmar

"Our AI-powered platform will help identify and structure financially viable renewable energy projects that can make a real difference in people’s lives,” Balakrishnan says.

Lin Thu Hein, Atutu’s executive director, is assembling a prototype for a new product that will be ... [+] used in future projects at a warehouse in California in August 2024.

From Kachin To Bay Area and Back

Hein grew up in a small rural town in Kachin State, Northern Myanmar called Tanai (a.k.a. Danai), but migrated with his family to San Francisco, California, USA at the age of 13.

"My family received two hours of electricity per week when I was growing up in Kachin; my upbringing in a rural off-grid community exposed me to challenges, experiences, and localized knowledge that can not be taught or researched," he says, "My childhood in Myanmar and my experience as an immigrant has shaped my ambitions to give back to marginalized communities like mine who are often forgotten or left behind."

Hein says that this fascination with energy and first hand experience of the energy gap drove him to pursue a degree in electrical engineering. After working with a local nonprofit with the goal of bringing solar lights to a small community in the Philippines during his college years, Hein joined a Berkeley based startup New Sun Road after graduation, working in hardware, cellular connectivity, and IOT devices.

"In the fall of 2021, I received a fellowship from Echoing Green, which equipped me with resources and funding to work full time for Atutu, bringing energy access to offgrid communities in Myanmar," he says.

Hein explains that when he meets leaders from other indigenous communities or communities from the Global South, there’s a feeling of solidarity and he can see the care, compassion, and determination they bring to their work to improve their communities.

"Without the voice, representation, and participation of leaders from the Global South with lived experience, we are likely to deploy ineffective interventions in our fight to make the world a more just place," he says, "I have received a plethora of helpful guidance and mentorship from other leaders from the global South who are working to improve their own communities.

Atutu’s solar field technicians are electrifying an off-grid home in a rural village of Northern ... [+] Kachin, Myanmar.

Bamboo Know-How From Myanmar

A different group of engineers are now using of bamboo construction know-how from prefabricated housing in Myanmar to build a much large structure in Madagascar.

Raphaël Ascoli , founder of Yangon-based architecture design studio Blue Temple explains that he was working in Japan as an architect for a corporate design firm, before quitting and moving to Myanmar seven years ago to specialize in small-diameter bamboo construction and scaling-up the production of prefabricated bamboo low-cost housing units for internally displaced people (IDP) and informal settlements.

"Small diameter bamboo is abundant on the local market; this species was never used in construction because of its slenderness, but bundled in large groups, it can become a strong structural element," he says.

Ascoli explained that after having experimented with this technique for a couple of years, his team was building houses for the price of a smartphone, about 1000 dollars.

"Today we have built over 14 housing units in IDP camps and informal settlements such as an orphanage, a preschool, a community center, and houses," he says, adding that bamboo can change the carbon footprint of the construction industry.

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