Billionaires take over St Barths: Mega-wealthy descend on Caribbean paradise in their superyachts… which locals say are ‘tacky’ and spoiling their ocean views

Billionaires have taken over St Barths after the mega-rich, including Jeff Bezos and Leonardo DiCaprio, flocked to the tiny Caribbean paradise for New Year’s Eve.

Pictures of St Barths beach show clear blue waters filled with dozens of yachts of all sizes, encouraging locals to blast the hordes of ‘tacky’ billionaires who have landed on the French island.

Jeff Bezos and his new wife Lauren Sánchez, NBA legend Michael Jordan and filmmaker David Geffen are just a few of the many star players coming to the island this year.

Sánchez and Bezos, who were recently mocked for partying with bikini-clad bottle service women on the island, were spotted soaking up the Caribbean sun on Wednesday aboard their 417ft, $500 million luxury yacht called Koru.

Sánchez, 56, left little to the imagination in a tiny zebra-striped bikini, while the Amazon founder, 61, wore patterned shorts, a white short-sleeved top, a baseball cap and aviator sunglasses.

Meanwhile, OpenAI founder Sam Altman was also invited to the party as he was seen holding the baby he shares with husband Oliver Mulherin in one photo.

But for those living in St Barths, the infiltration of huge yachts is obstructing their views and ‘enhancing’ this stunning destination.

While big names were experiencing this situation, residents of the region expressed their anger online about the elite segment’s disruption of the environment where a comfortable and enjoyable start to the next new year was expected.

One Reddit user, who has been coming to St Barts for 12 years, said that in recent years it had become ‘more Instagram-like’ and filled with ‘tacky designer crowds’.

Another shared a photo of the breathtaking ocean and said they found a better place to hang out so ‘big boats won’t block the view!’ he commented.

“So much floating plastic in one spot,” one user commented on an Instagram Threads post showing a map of all the boats in St Barts for New Year’s Eve.

‘We live in a different reality,’ someone said in X.

Bezos’ support ship, the 246-foot Abeona, is seen in Portofino, Italy, on June 13, 2023.

US tech billionaire Jeff Bezos’ yacht Koru (pictured above) spotted in St Barths

US tech billionaire Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez are seen above in Aspen, Colorado, on December 23, 2025.

British inventor and businessman Sir James Dyson’s classic luxury motor yacht ‘Nahlin’ docked off the Cornish Coast in Falmouth, England, on April 21, 2021

Sir James Dyson is among hundreds of tech leaders, fashion designers, actors and billionaires enjoying New Year’s Eve in the Caribbean. The image above was taken in New York in May 2025.

Among the ships is Sir Philip Green’s Lionheart. The superyacht is pictured here in Valletta, Malta.

Sir Philip Green joined his daughter on the party island, evidenced by the presence of the 295ft ship Lionheart. The above image was taken in Monaco in September 2024

According to Business Insider, the yacht Bravo Eugenia owned by 83-year-old Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, has been in St. Barts waters since December 26.

The ships are so large that they practically serve as a home away from home — or homes — for the wealthy bunch, as many have multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, spas, gyms, and even helipads.

Dmitry Bukhman, Russian co-founder of online game developer Playtrix, was also spotted in St Barts with his 178 meter long yacht named Ahpo.

Other celebrities, including Heidi Klum and her husband Tom Kaulitz, as well as Kris Jenner, are on the Caribbean Island for vacation.

Disney’s CEO Bob Iger also parked his yacht Aquarius II in the water.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin, MD. Phil and Sir Philip Green, former owner of the British fashion chain Topshop, are also bringing in the new year here.

Michael Jordan’s $115 million superyacht M Brace is seen in Saint-Tropez on July 29, 2023

Sports icon Michael Jordan, shot in Ohio in 2024. He is among the celebrities who came to St Barths to celebrate New Year’s Eve

Jan Koum’s Moonrise: 328 ft yacht for 16 guests and 32 crew

Jan Koum, co-founder and chief executive officer of WhatsApp Inc., speaks during the WSJDLive Global Technology Conference in Laguna Beach, California

Rising Sun is owned by American film producer and record executive David Geffen

David Geffen (right) attends the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves game at Crypto.com Arena on October 24, 2025

Mayan Queen – high yacht owned by the family of Mexican billionaire Alberto Baillères. Picture in the Port of Trieste, Italy

Alberto Baillères passed away in 2022 at the age of 90, with an estimated net worth of $10.1 billion. Above is a photo of him taken in Mexico City in 2015.

Other celebs spotted on the island include actor Leonardo DiCaprio, 50, who was seen in several cheeky snaps with his 27-year-old Italian supermodel girlfriend Vittoria Ceretti.

The celebrities were spotted just days after Bezos and Sánchez were spotted partying with bikini-clad bottle service women in St Barts ahead of New Year’s Eve.

The couple, who recently spent their first Christmas together as husband and wife, looked quite cheerful while having fun with their friends at Nikki Beach.

The couple was spotted celebrating a friend’s birthday with friends at the oceanside beach club.

In the video, which has attracted great attention since then, Sánchez, wearing a denim miniskirt and a tight brown top, recorded her moments of joy on her phone while standing on her couch and dancing.

Meanwhile, her husband Bezos applauded with excitement as he sat next to her. He was wearing a blue shirt and protecting his eyes from the sun with sunglasses.

The 289ft yacht Fountainhead, owned by hedge fund magnate Edward Lampert

Self-made billionaire John Caudwell pictured with his partner, former Olympian Modesta Vžesniauskaitė

Aviva, luxury yacht owned by billionaire Tottenham Hotspur owner Joe Lewis

ENIC International Limited Owner Joe Lewis (pictured) in the stands with Tottenham Hotspur Chairman Daniel Levy

The 378ft yacht Ahpo is owned by online gaming billionaire Dmitri Bukhman

Igor (left) and Dmitri Bukhman, founders of Playrix Holding Ltd., pose for a photo at Sarona Market in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Friday, March 29, 2019.

Superyacht Bravo Eugenia, owned by US billionaire Jerry Jones

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones looks on from the broadcast set before the NFL football game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on November 3, 2025 in Arlington, Texas.

Social media users were quick to slam the couple online, branding them ‘tacky’ and ’embarrassing’.

Referring to X, one user said: ‘Unpopular opinion but there comes a point when you’re too old for this.’

‘One of the richest men in the world is partying with his young 56-year-old wife like he’s a University of Miami fraternity brother,’ wrote another. ‘Exhausting and embarrassing.’