yacht broker naics code

How to Use NAICS Codes to Classify Businesses on the Broker Platform

Discover the easy way to determine your client’s industry on our Cyber application

Table of contents

When in doubt, do not default to ‘other services’, what is naics, how does at-bay utilize naics codes, how do i find the naics code for my client’s business , which business types belong in the ‘other services’ category.

If you’re looking to get a Cyber quote on the Broker Platform, you must select the industry that best suits your client’s business. At-Bay uses this industry classification to properly assess your client’s risk and provide the best available coverage.

Our application includes 20 distinct industry classifications, as well as “Other Services” for businesses that don’t quite fit in with the rest. Most industry classifications are intuitive and obvious, but occasionally it can be difficult to make the right choice.

If you’re ever unsure of how to classify your client’s business, you may be inclined to default to “Other Services.” However, misclassifying a business can result in a quote that does not suit your client’s business needs.

Brokers who incorrectly select “Other Services” often see terms changed or revoked, which creates extra work and needless hassle in the long run. 

So to save you time and effort, we’re here to help show you how to use NAICS codes to classify businesses on the Broker Platform.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is a standardized numerical categorization of businesses. Every type of business has a unique six-digit NAICS code that corresponds to its sector and primary activity.

We use the first two numbers in every NAICS code to classify businesses on the Broker Platform. If you’re ever unsure of how to classify your client’s business, download our Industry Classification Reference Guide a nd follow the steps below:

First, open up the NAICS Identification Tool in a new browser window.

In the top search bar on the page that says “Keyword(s) or NAICS code,” type basic keywords to describe your client’s business. Keep keywords simple. For example, if your client is a law firm, the best keywords would be “law firm,” “legal,” or “attorney.”

After you enter keywords, click Search . The NAICS Identification Tool will display a table containing all industries and codes that match those keywords.

Find the NAICS Title that describes your client’s business. If you do not see an option that matches your client’s business, try searching different keywords. The NAICS code for your client’s business will be to the left of the NAICS Title.

Use the At-Bay Industry Classification Reference Guide and match the industry to the first two digits of your client’s NAICS code. 

Return to your Cyber application on the Broker Platform, select the identified industry, and proceed with the application.

“Other Services” is the proper choice for businesses that do not fit into the rest of the industry classifications. Importantly, Public Administration DOES NOT fall under “Other Services.”

Common examples of businesses that are classified as “Other Services” include:

• Equipment and machinery repairing
• Dry cleaners and laundry services
• Funeral homes
• Parking services

Ready to get a Cyber quote with At-Bay?

Log in to the Broker Platform now

About At-Bay

At-Bay is the InsurSec provider for the digital age. By combining world-class technology with industry-leading insurance and security expertise, At-Bay was designed from the ground up to empower businesses of every size to meet cyber risk head on. Our InsurSec approach provides end-to-end protection for modern businesses. It’s a force multiplier that includes security, threat intelligence, and human experts to close the SMB cybersecurity gap — all as part of their insurance policy.

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CPYB Code of Ethics

It is incumbent upon all Certified Professional Yacht Brokers to fully comply with these CPYB Code of Ethics, as well as any such codes that may be required by any other yacht broker association of which the broker may be a member. Violations may result in disciplinary action, arbitration and/or forfeiture of CPYB certification.  

PART I: RELATIONS WITH THE PUBLIC   Article 1 It is the duty of the Broker to be well informed on current market conditions in order to be in a position to advise his clients as to the fair market value. Article 2 It is the duty of the Broker to protect, to the best of his ability, the public against fraud, misrepresentation and unethical practices in the yacht brokerage field. Article 3 The Broker should endeavor to ascertain all pertinent facts concerning all vessels for which he accepts listings, so that he may present a fair description of the vessel. Article 4 The Broker should not be a part to the naming of a false consideration in any document. Article 5 The Broker should keep in a special bank account, separated from his own funds, monies coming into his possession in trust for other persons, such as escrows, trust funds, clients’ monies and other like items. Article 6 The Broker in his advertising should be especially careful to present a true picture and should neither advertise without disclosing his name, nor permit his salesman to use individual names or telephone numbers, unless the salesman’s connection with the Broker is obvious in the advertisement. Article 7 The Broker, for the protection of all parties with whom he deals, should see that financial obligations and commitments regarding yacht transactions are in writing, expressing the exact agreement of the parties; and, that copies of such agreements, at the time they are executed, are placed in the hands of all parties involved. Back to Top

PART II: RELATIONS WITH CLIENTS   Article 1 In accepting employment as an agent, the Broker pledges himself to protect and promote the interests of the clients. The obligations of absolute fidelity to the clients’ interest is primary, but does not relieve the Broker from the obligation of dealing fairly with all parties in the transaction. Article 2 The Broker should not acquire an interest in, or buy for himself, any member of his immediate family, his firm or any member thereof, or any entity in which he has a substantial ownership interest, vessels listed with him, or his firm, without making the true position known to the listing owner. When selling vessels owned by him, or in which he has such interest, the facts should be revealed to the purchaser. Article 3 The Broker should not submit or advertise vessels without authority and in any offering, the price quoted should not be other than that agreed upon with the owners as the offering price. Article 4 In the event that more than one offer on a specific vessel is made before the Seller has accepted an offer, all additional offers presented to the Broker, whether by a prospective purchaser or another Broker, should be transmitted to the Seller for his consideration. In the event that a Broker, Brokerage house or central agent has received more than one offer prior to acceptance of any offer, all offers should be presented to the Seller. The Broker shall act on the instructions of the Seller as to which offer shall be accepted and/or negotiated. If an offer is made after owner has previously accepted an offer, the owner should be made aware of its existence. This outline is a recommendation for a fair procedure for Brokers to follow when several offers are presented at approximately the same time. The procedure for handling any multiple offersituation should be discussed with the boat’s owner. Ultimately, it is a Broker’s obligation to act as the owner desires and by whatever guidelines he decides. Whatever solution is decided by the owner, all those making offers should be apprised of it. Back to Top

PART III: RELATIONS WITH FELLOW BROKERS   Article 1 The Broker should not voluntarily disparage the business practice of a competitor, nor volunteer an opinion of a competitor’s transaction. If his opinion is sought, it should be rendered with strict professional integrity and courtesy. Article 2 The Broker and/or Brokerage firm who holds a Central Listing should be respected. A Brokerage firm in receipt of another Central Listing shall not solicit a direct listing from the owner during the term of the listing agreement. A Broker cooperating with a listing Broker should not invite the cooperation of a third Broker without the consent of the listing Broker. The Broker should cooperate with other Brokers on vessels listed by him on a Central Listing basis whenever it is in the interest of the client, sharing commissions on a previously agreed basis. Negotiations concerning vessels listed on a Central Listing basis should be carried on with the listing Broker, not with the owner, except with the consent of the listing Broker. In the event a Broker obtains a Central Listing, he will endeavor to distribute the listing to all his corresponding Brokers as quickly and as reasonably as possible. Central Listings and shared Open Listings are generally shared on a commission basis, agreed to beforehand as a matter of policy, or agreed upon by the cooperating parties, negotiated on a particular sale. Should the central or loaning Broker show the boat or perform work above and beyond the customary providing of the listing and negotiating with the owner, the commission arrangements should be reconsidered by the parties involved. The selling Broker is the Broker who obtains a Purchase and Sale Agreement signed by both buyer and seller along with accompanying deposit. Article 3 Binding Arbitration Procedure: When a dispute arises between two Certified Brokers, the Brokers may choose to submit their case to Binding Arbitration as follows:

(a) Each Broker shall select one member at large from the body of CPYB Certified Brokers; these two members shall together agree on one other member. These shall comprise the CPYB Binding Arbitration Committee for the dispute. (b) Each Broker shall submit a written statement of the case to the members of the CPYB Binding Arbitration Committee. (c) Each Broker shall then appear in person for a hearing before the CPYB Binding Arbitration Committee. (d) The CPYB Binding Arbitration Committee shall render its decision which shall be binding on both parties. A written report of their decisions shall be sent to the CPYB office and to both parties.

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PART IV: RELATIONS WITH YACHT YARDS Article 1 Maintenance of good relations between Brokers and yacht yards is mandatory. Accordingly, the following procedures are recommended:

(a) When a listing is received by a Broker, the owner should be asked by the Broker to inform the yard that the Broker has permission to show the yacht. (b) Inform the owner that any agreement he may have with the yard regarding commission is his responsibility and will not affect the Brokerage commission. (c) When showing the yacht, the Broker should check in at the yard office, show the boat without assistance unless it is essential, in which case the assistance should be paid for. The yacht should be left as it was found. (d) If the Broker is unable to show the yacht, it may be possible to make arrangements with the yard to have them show it. The yard should be advised of the Broker’s willingness to pay for the service and payment should be made promptly for such service, whether the yacht is sold or not. (e) The Broker should keep the yard informed with respect to a sale being negotiated. (f) If estimates or other services are required, the Broker or the client, as appropriate, should be prepared to pay for them and do so promptly. In summary, the Broker should do his job, not ask the yard to do it. Necessary services should be paid for promptly.

PART V: RECOMMENDED BROKER PRACTICES   Article 1 - Selling Broker’s Responsibilities

(a) Present the boat to your prospects as offered by the listing Broker and in the best possible light. Never quote other than the listed price, unless otherwise instructed by seller. (b) Be prepared to show the boat to your client and make the appointment through the listing Broker, following his or her instructions. (c) Always leave the boat as you found it. Do not run equipment when aboard boat. (d) If you are unable to accompany your client for showing, make arrangements with listing Broker. Be sure the commission splits under the agreed showing circumstances are understood. This should include the possibility of your client being shown boats other than the one arranged for him to see. (e) Should you obtain an offer, be sure to have all the buyer’s conditions and to submit complete details of offer to the listing Broker including status of deposit. (f) If negations become a deal, get agreements executed promptly and delivered to listing Broker or seller, as directed. Be sure deposit is banked. (g) In coordination with listing Broker, arrange for survey and trial run, if required. (h) Assist purchaser in evaluating survey and reviewing contracted obligations. (i) If survey is accepted, deliver to listing Broker a written acceptance and provide them with necessary information for preparation of closing documents. (j) Obtain certified funds from purchaser for delivery to seller or selling Broker in a timely fashion. (k) Contact seller only with specific authorization from listing Broker.

Article 2 - Listing Broker’s Responsibilities to Fellow Brokers

(a) Obtain a signed listing agreement signed by all owners listed on ownership document. (b) Make up a detailed, accurate listing and have owner review and approve. (c) Transmit the listing to corresponding Brokers immediately. Any delay in circulating listing details is in violation of CPYB’s Code of Ethics. Gross commission and proposed split should be mutually acknowledged in writing between listing Broker and prospective selling Broker. (d) The listing Broker should regularly stay in touch with his sellers so that any changes in the boat’s status are relayed to co-Brokers in a timely manner. Seller should be made aware that it is critical a boat be made easy to show. If a boat is difficult to show or there is a possibility it may have moved, let the other Broker know as soon as possible. Be sure showing instructions are accurate with combinations, key locations, who should be checked with at the boatyard, etc. (e) Make appointments for co-Brokers to show boat. (f) All offers received by listing Broker should be transmitted to owner in a timely fashion and with timely response to the co-Broker. Remember that as a listing Broker, you are obligated to present all information at hand to a seller promptly and without prejudice. (g) If negotiations become an agreement, provide the necessary information to have proper agreement and see that it is executed in a timely fashion. (h) Make certain that boat and inventory are complete and delivered for survey. (i) Provide properly executed papers to effect a closing. (j) Assist seller in evaluating survey and reviewing contracted obligations.

Article 3 - Recommendations for Handling Simultaneous Negotiations In the event of multiple offers all being refused by an owner, the listing Broker shall follow the instructions of the owner regarding the manner of continuing negotiations with multiple prospective buyers. These instructions should not only address the method of determining which offer will be accepted, but whether the owner wishes the existence of other current negotiations to be revealed to other Brokers and prospects. If the owner seeks the listing Broker’s advice for handling simultaneous negotiations, the existence of other negotiations should be revealed, mitigating the likelihood that other prospects and Brokers will feel abused if they later learn that the listing Broker was not forthcoming with the information that other negotiations were in progress. Furthermore, it is usually in the owner’s best interest that each prospect know that others also wish to buy the yacht in question. The following procedures are endorsed as fair and reasonable, although not necessarily the only fair and reasonable procedures which could be followed.

(a) The owner can instruct the listing Broker to present a counter offer to each prospective buyer via, the Broker who obtained the original offers, in the order that the original offers were presented with the understanding that he will accept the offer of the first prospect to meet this price (and acceptable terms). The counter should be transmitted to all parties as quickly as possible. Should a Broker and/or prospect not be immediately reachable, the process of transmitting the counter to the other Brokers and/or prospects should continue without delay. This procedure has the advantage of motivating all prospects to be the first to meet the counter without fear that they might pay more than the lowest price at which the yacht can be purchased. (b) The owner may instruct the listing Broker to request, by a specified deadline, one final, best offer from all prospects who have made offers. If the owner wishes to do so he may also convey the minimum price that he is willing to accept. The owner will, at the specified time, select whichever offer he considers most acceptable, if any, and will respond either by simply accepting that offer or by requesting more information upon which to base his decision. If more than one offer is “most acceptable” and equally acceptable, the acceptance will be given to the party whose deposit was first placed in escrow by the Broker who received the offer. The advantages of this procedure are that it re-assures the prospective buyers that they are not in a “bidding war” against unseen competitors. They can submit sealed, final bids, and experience shows that this procedure lessens the likelihood that all, or most, of the prospects will simply withdraw from negotiations when they discover they are bidding against someone else. It also gives the seller some chance that the final selling price will be higher than his counter.

Article 4 - Appropriate Response When a Customer Elects to Switch Brokers After Attempting a Purchase Proper respect for one’s fellow Broker requires that a Broker recommend to a prospective buyer that he finalize negotiations with the Broker with whom negotiations were initiated; however, it is not necessary to insist that the prospect do so. A listing Broker is not responsible for ensuring that a prospect negotiates on a yacht only through the Broker who first obtained an offer from that customer on the yacht in question. A listing Broker should not permit such a prospect to switch negotiations to any member of the listing Broker’s firm unless he is prepared to pay the Broker who first initiated the negotiations the full commission that he would have received if the sale had been completed in a normal manner by that Broker. Should a prospect attempt to continue negotiation with a member of the listing firm, and should he insist that he is unwilling to work with a Broker to whom he submitted a previous offer, the appropriate response is to advise the prospect that he may choose any firm other than the listing firm to continue negotiations. If he wishes, the Broker may provide a list of CPYB members from which to choose another Broker. For the purposes of this ommendation, “negotiations” are defined as when an offer is made, and an “offer” is defined as the transmittal of purchase agreement (signed by the prospective buyer) and a deposit (whether or not cashed by the receiving Broker) to a Broker who in turn forwards the offer to the listing Broker (even if only forwarded orally).

Partner Associations

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©2024 CPYB Certified Professional Yacht Brokers All images and content ©2024 CPYB All rights reserved | Legal Disclaimer

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By Dhruv Mehrotra and Dell Cameron

Jeffrey Epstein’s Island Visitors Exposed by Data Broker

Nearly 200 mobile devices of people who visited Jeffrey Epstein ’s notorious “pedophile island” in the years prior to his death left an invisible trail of data pointing back to their own homes and offices. Maps of these visitations generated by a troubled international data broker with defense industry ties, discovered last week by WIRED, document the numerous trips of wealthy and influential individuals seemingly undeterred by Epstein’s status as a convicted sex offender .

The data amassed by Near Intelligence, a location data broker roiled by allegations of mismanagement and fraud, reveals with high precision the residences of many guests of Little Saint James, a United States Virgin Islands property where Epstein is accused of having groomed, assaulted, and trafficked countless women and girls.

Some girls, prosecutors say, were as young as 14. The former attorney general of the US Virgin Islands alleged that girls as young as 12 were trafficked to Epstein by those within his elite social circle.

The coordinates that Near Intelligence collected and left exposed online pinpoint locations to within a few centimeters of space. Visitors were tracked as they moved from the Ritz-Carlton on neighboring St. Thomas Island, for instance, to a specific dock at the American Yacht Harbor—a marina once co-owned by Epstein that hosts an “ impressive array ” of pleasure boats and mega-yachts. The data pinpointed their movements as they were transported to Epstein’s dock on Little St. James, revealing the exact routes taken to the island.

The tracking continued after they arrived. From inside Epstein's enigmatic waterfront temple to the pristine beaches, pools, and cabanas scattered across his 71-acres of prime archipelagic real estate, the data compiled by Near captures the movements of scores of people who sojourned at Little St. James as early as July 2016. The recorded surveillance concludes on July 6, 2019—the day of Epstein’s final arrest.

If you have information about Jeffrey Epstein's island, its visitors, or the data broker industry, contact Dhruv Mehrotra at [email protected] or via Signal at dmehro.89; contact Dell Cameron at [email protected] or via Signal at dell.3030.

Eleven years earlier, the disgraced financier was sentenced to 18 months in jail after a guilty plea in 2008 for soliciting and procuring a minor engaged in prostitution, securing a secret “ sweetheart ” deal to avoid any federal charges. Renewed interest in the case, notably prompted by a Miami Herald investigation , spawned new charges against Epstein, who was apprehended at New Jersey’s Teterboro Airport in July 2019. A raid of Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse by federal agents yielded a cache of child sexual abuse material, nearly 50 individually cut diamonds, and a fraudulent Saudia Arabian passport, which had expired. He reportedly died by suicide a month later while incarcerated at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, a federal detention facility that closed shortly after Epstein’s death.

Ghislaine Maxwell, former British socialite and an Epstein accomplice, was convicted in 2021 on five counts including sexual trafficking of children by force. Maxwell was arrested in New Hampshire, tracked to a million-dollar home by federal agents using location data pulled from her cell phone .

Little is known publicly about Epstein’s activities in the decade prior to his 2019 arrest. The majority of women who came forward that year to accuse the convicted pedophile in court say they were assaulted in the ’90s and early 2000s.

Adrienne So

Now, however, 11,279 coordinates obtained by WIRED show not only a flood of traffic to Epstein’s island property—nearly a decade after his conviction as a sex offender—but also point to as many as 166 locations throughout the US where Near Intelligence infers that visitors to Little St. James likely lived and worked. The cache also points to cities in Ukraine, the Cayman Islands, and Australia, among others.

Near Intelligence, for example, tracked devices visiting Little St. James from locations in 80 cities crisscrossing 26 US states and territories, with Florida, Massachusetts, Texas, Michigan, and New York topping the list. The coordinates point to mansions in gated communities in Michigan and Florida; homes in Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket in Massachusetts; a nightclub in Miami; and the sidewalk across the street from Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in New York City.

The coordinates also point to various Epstein properties beyond Little St. James, including his 8,000-acre New Mexico ranch and a waterfront mansion on El Brillo Way in Palm Beach, where prosecutors said in an indictment that Epstein trafficked numerous “minor girls” for the purposes of molesting and abusing them. Near’s data is notably missing any locations in Europe, where citizens are safeguarded by comprehensive privacy laws.

Near Intelligence’s maps of Epstein’s island reveal in stark detail the precision surveillance that data brokers can achieve with the aid of loose privacy restrictions under US law. The firm, which has roots in Singapore and Bengaluru, India, sources its location data from advertising exchanges—companies that quietly interact with billions of devices as users browse the web and move about the world.

Before a targeted advertisement appears on an app or website, phones and other devices send information about their owners to real-time bidding platforms and ad exchanges, frequently including users’ location data. While advertisers can use this data to inform their bidding decisions, companies like Near Intelligence will siphon, repackage, analyze, and sell it.

Several ad exchanges, according to The Wall Street Journal , have reportedly terminated arrangements with Near, claiming that its use of their data violated the exchanges’ terms of service.

Officially, this data is intended to be used by companies hoping to determine where potential customers work and reside. But in October 2023, the Journal revealed that Near had once provided data to the US military via a maze of obscure marketing companies, cutouts, and conduits to defense contractors. Bankruptcy records reviewed by WIRED show that in April 2023, Near Intelligence signed a yearlong contract with another firm called nContext, a subsidiary of the defense contractor Sierra Nevada.

nContext secured six federal contracts to provide data in support of the National Security Agency and the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, according to reporting by Byron Tau , author of Means of Control , an exposé of the data-broker industry and its ties to the US surveillance state. According to information released during a $100 million funding round in 2019, Near claims to have information on roughly 1.6 billion people in 44 countries.

“The pervasive surveillance machine that has been developed for digital advertising now enables other uses completely unrelated to marketing, including government mass surveillance,” says Wolfie Christl, a Vienna-based researcher at Cracked Labs who investigates the data industry.

The data on Epstein’s guests was produced using an intelligence platform formerly known as Vista, which has now been folded into a product called Pinnacle. WIRED discovered several so-called Vista reports while examining Pinnacle’s publicly accessible code. While the specific URLs for the reports are difficult to find, Google’s web crawlers were able to locate at least two other publicly accessible Vista reports: one geofencing the Westfield Mall of the Netherlands and another targeting Saipan-Ledo Park in El Paso, Texas.

The Little St. James report features five maps, one of which reveals locations of devices observed on the island over more than three years prior to Epstein’s arrest. Two of the maps indicate the inferred “Common Evening Locations” and “Common Daytime Locations” for each device that had visited the island. According to the Vista report, these metrics are meant to show visitors’ “most frequented location on weekdays” as well as weeknights and weekends.

A fourth map shows the “general geographic areas from which a location generates the majority of its visits.” The fifth details visitors’ locations 30 minutes before and after they arrived on Epstein’s island, producing a trail of signals that show phones and other devices carried over by helicopter and boat from the main island.

WIRED extracted the location data from the charts and maps to conduct its analysis, which is ongoing. For this story, we reproduced some of the maps created by Near, while excluding any precise location data that could be used to identify properties or individuals, to protect the privacy of anyone uninvolved in Epstein’s crimes.

Crippled by debt, Near Intelligence filed for bankruptcy protection in December, reporting liabilities of approximately $100 million, less than a year after being listed by Nasdaq. An independent investigation commissioned by the company's board alleged multiple executives engaged in a years-long “concealed scheme” to cheat the company out of tens of millions of dollars. (One of those former executives has filed a claim against the company alleging defamation.)

Near Intelligence has since quietly resumed operations, under the same leadership that initiated the bankruptcy proceedings, rebranding itself as a newly incorporated entity called Azira.

US senator Ron Wyden in early February urged federal regulators to launch investigations into Near Intelligence, citing reporting by The Wall Street Journal that found its platform had been used by a third party to geofence “sensitive locations,” including roughly 600 reproductive health clinics at the behest of a conservative group that waged a multiyear antiabortion campaign. US regulators have begun to designate certain types of locations “sensitive,” including health clinics, domestic abuse shelters, and places of religious worship, in an attempt to shield Americans from predatory data brokers amid the US Congress’s years-long failure to pass a comprehensive privacy law .

In an email to WIRED, Kathleen Wailes, speaking on behalf of Azira, acknowledged that Near Intelligence had deliberately collected the data on Epstein’s island for its own purposes. Wailes declined multiple invitations to discuss how the data was collected, which prospective client may have created the report of Epstein’s island, and what purpose it served.

“Azira is committed to data privacy and responsible access to and use of location data,” Wailes said. “To this end, Azira works to track and respond to legal developments under emerging new state laws, FTC guidance and prior enforcement examples, and best practices. Azira is developing procedures to protect consumers' sensitive location data. This includes working to disable all sample offering accounts created by Near.”

Although the discovery of the Epstein island data involved many additional steps, WIRED also found it could be easily retrieved with a simple Google search.

A Department of Justice spokesperson for the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, where Epstein was prosecuted in 2019, declined to comment on whether its investigators ever did business with Near.

While many of the coordinates captured by Near point to multimillion-dollar homes in numerous US states, others point to lower-income areas where Epstein victims are known to have lived and attended school, including areas of West Palm Beach, Florida, where police and a private investigator say they located around 40 of Epstein’s victims.

"Most of the clients who come to me, their number one concern is privacy and safety,” says attorney Lisa Bloom, who represented 11 of Epstein's alleged victims. “It's deeply concerning to think that any sexual abuse victims’ location will be tracked and then stored and then sold to someone, who can presumably do whatever they want with it.”

Legislation introduced during multiple sessions of Congress have aimed to restrict the sale of location data, chiefly to prevent US law enforcement and intelligence agencies from tracking Americans without a warrant. So far, those efforts have failed. Separately, US president Joe Biden issued an executive order in February instructing the Justice Department to establish new rules preventing US companies from selling data to rival nations, which might include Iran, China, Russia, and North Korea. This order is unlikely to impact Azira’s business in the United States.

“The fact that they have this data in the first place and are allowing people to share it is certainly disturbing,” says Eva Galperin, the director of cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital-rights nonprofit. “I just don’t know how many more of these stories we need to have in order to get strong privacy regulations.”

Updated 3/29/2024, 10:03 pm ET: In an email following publication, Kathleen Wailes, Azira's third-party spokesperson, says that WIRED's description of the Epstein island data as "deliberately collected" was "incorrect and misleading." Instead, she says, "[t]he data referenced in the story was compiled by someone using a free trial, not an employee of Near. The parameters of that report were determined by the user and not Near Intelligence."

Wailes further says that Azira, as a new company, "is not accountable for the actions and business practices of Near Intelligence referenced in the article."

"While some parties have used geolocation data in the past for purposes that are inappropriate, Azira’s management team is committed to doing everything possible to protect consumer data, adhere to known laws and regulations, and safeguard the proper use of consumers’ data," Wailes says. "Our policies are clearly stated on our website."

Also following publication, Azira temporarily made the Epstein island data public after having removed it prior to WIRED's publication. The data was again removed after WIRED alerted the company to the public availability of the report.

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Billionaires are getting ready for summer with wildly spectacular superyachts

• Superyachts, the most expensive asset  a billionaire can own, are pushing the boundaries of luxury.
• The boats, which cost eight or nine figures, are getting larger and include more features than ever.
• From massage rooms to basketball courts, here's what the world's richest want on board.

For many wealthy boat owners, a private spa is a must-have on board. A sauna is a nice touch. A Jet Ski or two makes days at sea way more fun. And if you don't have someone on board who can whip up a Michelin-star-worthy meal , you might as well stay on land.

In the world of massive yachts , there's no such thing as too much. After all, if someone spends eight or nine figures to design the vessel of their dreams — or at least $500,000 a week to charter one — more is more.

"Yachting. It's not rational; it's emotional," Ralph Dazert, the head of intelligence at SuperYacht Times, told Business Insider at the Palm Beach International Boat Show, where dozens of superyachts — often defined as vessels over 30 meters in length — were on display.

And while there are certain classic features, such as jacuzzis and bars, what superyacht owners want is evolving, insiders at the show said. That might mean more crew members, more space for helicopters, or more water toys, but might also include manicure salons and putting greens.

"The bar of what is the baseline expectation has increased exponentially just over the last four or five years," Anders Kurtén, the CEO of brokerage Fraser Yachts, said. Clients are "spending more time on the boat and really wanting to extend the lifestyle they lead on the shore."

A lot of this can be chalked up to the pandemic. Superyacht purchases and charters spiked as life and luxury travel on land screeched to a halt. While the market has moderated slightly, the number of superyachts on order — 1,166 as of September, according to Boat International's Global Order Book — is still above pre-pandemic norms.

"What the pandemic really showed is that the appetite for being out there at sea, sort of living the marine lifestyle, is still as valid as ever," Kurtén said.

That means there's a lot of money on the water. The total value of the 203 superyachts over 30 meters delivered last year was $6.4 billion, according to data from SuperYacht Times. New custom builds from the world's most prestigious shipyards — Lurssen, Feadship, Oceanco , Benetti — can run into the hundreds of millions. Even used superyachts at the Palm Beach show cost as much as $75 million.

And it's not just traditional buyers like retired wealthy couples looking for a place to relax or celebrities looking for a place to party away from the paparazzi. New clients are often younger and have families, so want areas to work and watch movies . They also want pricey water toys, access to fitness equipment, or even pizza ovens for picky eaters.

"This would've never happened in the nineties," said Giovanna Vitelli, the vice president of the Azimut Benetti Group, the world's biggest producer of superyachts. "You would go with your beautiful woman, Champagne — the idea of yachting was much more showing off with your jacuzzi and things like that."

Pure opulence has made room for function.

When Benetti's Nabila set sail in 1980, its 50-person crew, gold-and-diamond-encrusted interiors, and lavish parties captured headlines and even inspired the Queen song "Kashoggi's Ship."(Seven years later, Donald Trump bought Nabila for $30 million , renaming her the Trump Princess.)

"Life on board was considered very formal — big formal dining rooms, boats were high on the water, you would be segregated from the rest of the world," Vitelli said, remembering another client who insisted on a replica of the Sistine Chapel above the dining table.

But the ostentatious, palatial-like interiors that used to be highlighted in yacht brochures have made way for lists of more functional features .

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Rather than esoteric novelties like an extra-large safe for rifles that one builder had to construct per a Russian yacht owner's request , the superyachts on display at the Palm Beach show featured basketball courts, saunas, and ice baths.

Owners want elevators and luxury gyms. Pampering options, be it a massage room, manicure station, or a professional-grade facial machine, are a dime a dozen. Some bathrooms have fancy Toto toilets, which can cost around $20,000.

Sterns (that's the back of the boat) used to be built high to guard guests' privacy. Now, they're built as "beach clubs" — an open swim platform.

And what good is a massage room if no one on board can give one? Many superyachts can hold twice as many crew members as guests, if not more. One broker, representing a boat that didn't have a masseuse, said it could be quite a "tricky" issue because if a charter wants one, they have to find someone who can massage guests and "pull their weight with the crew."

"It's not uncommon to look for a deckhand who can also mix a martini, play an instrument, maybe entertain the guests with singing, and ideally even give a massage," Kurtén said.

Of course, a crew comes at a cost . Most are considered full-time employees, requiring salaries and benefits like health insurance. Captains, first mates, and chief engineers often make six figures a year. That's without tips; a charter guest will typically spend six figures on gratuities for the crew who worked during a weeklong vacation.

For the superrich, there must be room for toys.

It's not just the onboard amenities that count. What's known as "toys" in the industry — water slides, eFoils, Jet Skis, and underwater scuba diving jets — are popular, and costs range from merely hundreds of dollars (banana boats) to millions ( submersibles , which are still popular despite the recent tragedy).

" Tenders and toys, the sky seems to be the limit," Kurtén said. "More is more."

Of course, if you can't fit all those toys in the yacht's storage space, you can just use another boat. Jeff Bezos' support yacht is a superyacht in itself, measuring 75 meters and costing tens of millions of dollars. (His main yacht, Koru , cost a reported $500 million.)

Support yachts are also faster, meaning the crew can get to a destination first and set up the Jet Skis, seapools, and the like, Dazert said. "By the time the owner arrives on the main yacht, everything's set up, and he can go and have fun."

Even tenders, the smaller vessel that brings guests from the ship to the shore, are getting glow-ups. The Nero, a 90-meter beauty available to charter for about $500,000 a week and modeled after J.P. Morgan's 1930s ship, has custom-built tenders to match the design. The most expensive ones often cost seven figures. Nero has three.

"It used to be a tender was a tender," Jeffrey Beneville, who handles yacht insurance at NFP, told BI. "Now they're called limousine tenders. Think of an incredibly luxurious gondola that's got a hard top so nobody's hair gets mussed when they're being dropped off at the Monaco Yacht Club ."

One thing that clearly hasn't changed in superyachting: showing off. If the boat next door at the marina has an indoor-outdoor cinema, it's natural to want one too. Ditto a wine cellar or helipad.

"It's a bit of a celebration of your success in life, of wealth," Vitelli, whose company is behind the Lana yacht Bill Gates chartered for a birthday party three years ago, said. "You push it a little more."

And that's a boon for yacht makers and brokers catering to the superrich.

"Our job is to make clients' dreams come true," Kurtén said.

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