At 74, Larry Connor, American real estate magnate, no longer has the delusions of grandeur of youth. Rather that of the depths: for several months, the billionaire has been working hard with a specialized company, Triton Submarines, to build a submarine capable of exploring the carcass of the Titanicnestled at a depth of 3,800 meters off the coast of Canada.
And what does it matter if, a year ago to the day, the tragedy of Titan. Despite numerous warnings, the submersible, which did not meet several safety standards, imploded in the Atlantic Ocean, instantly killing its five crew members. A tragic incident followed at the time by the entire planet and which does not seem to set back the ambitions of the billionaire. Worse, it was perhaps this drama that “inspired” him. It is in fact only a few weeks after the end of the Titan that Larry Connor contacted Triton Submarines, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Take crazy risks? “It’s human nature”
Nothing surprising for Nawel Chaouni, doctor in information and communication sciences and tourism specialist. A few weeks before the Olympic Games, the expert reminds us: “It is human nature to want to always go further, higher, deeper. » The response of mountaineer George Mallory, when asked about his desire to climb the highest mountain in the world, remains famous: “Why do you want to climb Everest? Because he is there. » Everest is now more congested than the Paris metro at rush hour, as Sylvain Bersinger, economist at the Astères firm, points out.
“Today, with technological progress, new tourism possibilities are available to the most fortunate, the most famous example being space and space tourism,” continues Nawel Chaouni. “The great fortunes are both more numerous and richer than ever,” explains Sylvain Bersinger. Mass tourism has also become democratized, so much so that the ultra-rich no longer want to mingle with the crowds in Venice or Paris. » Farewell to dry land, the rich dream of adventure and thrills to distinguish themselves from ordinary mortals.
A question of ego and lack of preparation
Structural trends that the disappearance of five people a year ago cannot stop. Nawel Chaouni: “On the contrary, it adds morbid fascination to the legend of Titanic. Not to mention a question of ego: “I will succeed where others have failed”. Larry Connor has promised: he doesn’t like taking risks and will be extremely careful about the design of the submarine. Laudable intention but this speech, the teams of the Titan already had it.
If risk is part of the “game” and the interest of this type of trip, it still remains terribly present. “It’s a very recent and booming market, therefore with many essential steps skipped,” points out the specialist. The most important phase is the test phase, but it is also the one which presents the least media interest and prestige, therefore the one which risks being overlooked. »
Retreat impossible?
And in case the final product has flaws or raises doubts, it’s hard to back out at that point. “It is not a simple journey, it requires a lot of involvement and investment – in time, in prestige, in economy of course – so much so that it is difficult to know how to say no or stop once the process has been completed. launched,” estimates Nawel Chaouni. In 1986, many years before Titan, the Challenger shuttle – which carried with it the first civilian space tourist, a primary school teacher – exploded. In question, a joint which could not have withstood the cold episode in Florida. It must be said that it had not been tested against this meteorological phenomenon, which is frequent in the region. Several engineers had sounded the alert without the launch being postponed. Final toll: 7 dead.
So we wish Larry Connor good luck. All the while knowing that if he were to fail, other billionaires would throw themselves headlong and lost millions into the depths.