interview
7000 euros per day
On the yacht with Elon Musk: His captain tells what the billionaire experienced in Greece
Two days Mykonos: Elon Musk spent one of his rare vacations on the Greek island – also on board the “Zeus” of Captain Konstantinos Fakinos.
© Konstantinos Fakinos / MykonosBoatTrips.com
Even a jack-of-all-trades like Elon Musk needs to recover – if only for two days. In mid-July, the billionaire spontaneously traveled to Mykonos and spent his time on the yacht “Zeus”. star spoke to Captain Konstantinos Fakinos about the ship and the time on board with the richest man in the world.
On July 16, 2022, Elon Musk’s personal private jet stalker Jack Sweeney reported via Twitterthat the jet of the richest man in the world landed on Mykonos. What he was up to there was learned a little later from media such as the “Daily Mail”, because a paparazzi had caught the Tesla boss as he and his entourage were sunbathing on board a yacht, jumping into the sea and showering each other. Topic of conversation number one: The unusually white skin of the billionaire, who is otherwise only seen dressed.
+++ Also read: “Zeus” yacht: Elon Musk spent his vacation in Greece on this ship +++
What do you experience for 7000 euros a day?
Especially in comparison with his companion, the fashion designer Sarah Staudinger and his friend, the American businessman Ari Emanuel, the father of ten made a carefree but very strange impression. But what exactly did Musk experience on Mykonos? What does a yacht that the richest man in the world rents on vacation look like? star spoke to captain and landlord Konstantinos Fakinos, who sails his guests through the waters of Greece on the “Zeus” for 7,000 euros a day.
Kostas, please introduce yourself.
My name is Konstantinos Fakinos, Kostas for short, and I am the owner and founder of the company Mykonos Boat Trips. Before I started chartering yachts and organizing excursions in 2013, I served with the Greek Special Forces and trained with the Fire Brigade for Special Operations. I am a certified rescue diver with a particular focus on night dives and scuba diving. I’m also a skydiver and first responder. I like to kite surf, climb mountains, teach all kinds of scuba diving courses and teach people how to spear fish.
That’s not a little! Please describe your professional activity in more detail.
With Mykonos Boat Trips we offer our guests the opportunity to experience the island and the waters around with exclusive boats. We offer day trips, multi-day trips, diving courses and speedboat trips. For this we work on our fleet every year, renovate the ships regularly and expand continuously.
For example with the “Zeus”, correct?
That’s the way it is. The “Zeus” is our newest ship in the fleet and one of the largest yachts available for charter in Mykonos. The ship is ultra modern, has a beautiful coloration in my eyes and a really cozy interior.
First ex-Vice President, then Elon Musk
How come you were able to welcome Elon Musk aboard the “Zeus”?
In the past four years in particular, we have had the honor of welcoming many important personalities on board our fleet. Recently, Dan Quayle, former Vice President of the United States, spent time on one of our ships. There are also many musicians, celebrities from showbiz and athletes. That’s how we arguably made our name in the yachting world, and Elon Musk’s staff – and himself – decided to take a trip on the Zeus.
What did you do with Elon? Where were you traveling?
Basically, we focus on the wishes of our guests. Elon had very specific ideas about what he wanted to do. First we have them archaeological site on the island of Delos visited. He was guided through the ancient city and came back on board clearly impressed. Then we went on to the beautiful beach of the uninhabited island of Rinia. There he and his friends swam through the turquoise water and had a great time on the deck of the “Zeus”. That Delos package is one of our absolute highlights.
Were there safety precautions on board?
Of course, that’s the case with every VIP guest.
“Elon was first on ‘Zeus’ before he sets foot on Mars”
Can you remember a special or funny situation?
I won’t reveal too much of what happened on board, of course, but probably the funniest thing that was said on board was ‘Elon was on ‘Zeus’ first before he sets foot on Mars’. (Zeus is the Greek name for the god Jupiter, editor’s note.)
What else can you experience on board the “Zeus”?
That is very different. We are fully booked for almost the entire summer and the “Zeus” in particular can be adapted very well to the wishes of the guests. In addition to the classics such as water sports, diving and excursions to secret bays around Mykonos, there are also bachelor and bachelorette parties on board, exclusive parties with a DJ set on board, countless marriage proposals in front of a dream backdrop and simply nice evenings with good food.
Dear Kostas, thank you very much for these great insights!
With pleasure.
48 hours holiday – then back to work
After the excursion with the “Zeus”, Elon did not stay in Greece for a long time. After just two days, on July 18, 2022, the Twitter bot “Elonjet” reported that his private jet had left the island again. After almost 13 hours, the Gulfstream G650 landed back in Austin, Texas.
Musk commented humorously on Twitter about the pictures that then made the rounds on the Internet. On a topless photo with a drink in hand he answered: “Haha damn, maybe I should take off my shirt more often. Freedom for the nipples! (again at the factory by the way)”.