WhatsApp founder Jan Koum’s superyacht, Moonrise, has been spotted off Mykonos, drawing attention to the waters around one of Greece’s busiest summer destinations.

The nearly 100-meter (328-ft) vessel belongs to Koum, the Ukrainian-born American billionaire who co-founded WhatsApp. Its presence off Mykonos adds to the island’s long record of attracting large private yachts during the summer season.

Feadship delivered Moonrise superyacht in 2020

Moonrise was built by the Dutch shipyard Feadship and delivered in 2020. The yacht is among the largest vessels produced by the shipbuilder.

At the time of its launch, Feadship said Moonrise was the largest superyacht ever built in the Netherlands by waterline length. The vessel has a gray hull, long horizontal windows, a vertical bow, and a multi-deck exterior design.

WhatsApp founder Jan Koum and the Moonrise superyacht

Koum became one of the most renowned technology entrepreneurs after co-founding WhatsApp. Facebook, now Meta, acquired the messaging app in 2014 in a deal valued at about $19 billion to $22 billion, depending on the calculation.

Koum, now 50, remains among the wealthiest figures in the technology sector, with his fortune estimated at roughly $17 billion. Earlier yacht market estimates placed the value of Moonrise at around $220 million. More recently, Burgess listed the yacht for sale at €325 million ($380 million).

Inside the WhatsApp founder’s superyacht seen off  Mykonos

Moonrise can accommodate up to sixteen guests in eight cabins, while thirty-two crew members handle operations and service on board. The yacht includes a private owner’s deck, movie theater, gym, massage area, hair salon, sundeck, and outdoor guest areas. It also features a beach club, a swimming platform, tenders, water sports equipment, and a helipad.

Feadship designed the superyacht with a focus on reducing noise and vibration. Its engineers worked on the propeller, stabilizers, and anchoring system to limit sound and movement while the yacht operates or remains anchored.

Two MTU engines power the vessel. Moonrise reaches a top speed of 18.5 knots, while specialist yacht listings place its cruising speed at around 16 knots. Moonrise received international recognition in 2021, when it won at the BOAT International World Superyacht Awards in the category Displacement Motor Yachts 3,000GT and Above.

The Church of Saint Nicholas, a magnificent church in Ermoupoli, the capital of Syros, took twenty-two years to build.

Overlooking the Cycladic island, Saint Nicholas’ construction began in 1848, following the designs of a Greek architect named G. Metaxas. They were personally approved by King Otto, the Bavarian prince who ruled Greece from the establishment of the monarchy in 1832. The church was finally completed in 1870.

Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of seafarers, is also the patron saint of Ermoupoli. The cathedral dedicated to him stands out even to this day for its impressive architectural structure. The two-story monumental church has marble bell towers, an imposing marble staircase and marble propylaea, Ionic columns, archaic motifs, arcades, and an array of sculpted decorations.

It has lavish interiors including its icon of Saint Nicholas, which was plated in silver in Moscow. Its marble throne, pulpit, and marble iconostasis are also very unusual in Greek ecclesiastical architecture.

Saint Nicholas Church one of the finest in Greece

St. Nicholas was constructed between 1883 to 1899 by Tinian sculptor G. Vitalis and is considered one of the finest churches of the nineteenth century in Greece.

The church’s icons were created by some of the best hagiographers of the time while many Greeks from abroad, including shipowners, contributed funds toward the construction of the temple.

Internally, arches divide the church into three aisles; places for female congregants run along its three sides.

The imposing church is known as Agios Nikolaos “the rich,” to distinguish it from “Agios Nikolaos of the poor” another church on Syros.

Syros has a long history that began three millennia ago

Syros’ long history explains the many different styles of architecture and the many government buildings in the capital, Ermoupoli. It has also led to the establishment of a wealth of museums and cultural events that take place there in the summer.

On Syros, one will find City Hall, comprised of the remains of the castle in Ano Syros and the Theater Apollon—all buildings atypical of Cycladic architecture.

Syros was never under Ottoman occupation since it was protected by the French, and there is a strong Catholic element on the island due to the Venetian influence there as well.

Nowadays, the island is world-renowned for its rich cultural tradition with events that take place in Ermoupolis, such as the International Classical Music Festival of Cyclades, ANIMASYROS International Animation Festival, Ermoupoleia Cultural Festival etc that offer a range of options for every visitor to experience.

Related: Syros: The Lady of the Aegean Islands