How Howard Schultz paid for PI and where she is now

Howard Schultz owns PI, a 77.25-metre luxury yacht built by Feadship in 2019. He registered it in the Cayman Islands to stay out of the public eye. AIS tracks show she has been stationary near Fiji and Australia since late 2026.

How did Howard Schultz build his fortune?

Who built PI and why does she have such a short name?

Howard Schultz is an American businessman born in 1953. He began working at Starbucks in 1982. He later left to open Il Giornale, which merged with Starbucks.

The name PI sits on the transom of a 77.25-metre superyacht.

Under Schultz, Starbucks became the largest coffee-house chain. He took the company public in 1992. The initial valuation was $271 million. This flotation created his wealth.

Feadship focuses on steel and aluminium construction. The yard stopped building wood yachts in the mid-1950s. Henry Ford and Malcolm Forbes were early American clients.

Forbes listed his net worth at $4.3 billion in 2020. Current estimates place it at $4.2 billion. He used this capital to buy assets like PI.

The yard operates four locations across the Netherlands. Hoofddorp houses the headquarters. Makkum has a deep-water shed for larger projects. Kaag manages the Royal Van Lent operations.

Schultz also owned the Seattle SuperSonics basketball team. He held that franchise from 2001 to 2006. He co-founded the venture capital firm Maveron with Dan Levitan.

Howard Schultz chose this two-letter name for his vessel. It acts as a holding designation rather than a personal signature. This choice helps him avoid unwanted attention.

Maveron invests in start-up companies. It holds assets like eBay and Zulily. As of 2014, the firm managed $1.3 billion in assets.

AIS broadcasts track her current position. She is anchored east of Australia. She has not moved since October 2026.

Schultz started the Schultz Family Foundation in 1996. It supports Onward Youth and Onward Veterans. These charities help young people and military veterans.

Where did the money for PI come from?

Why is PI registered in the Cayman Islands?

PI flies the flag of the Cayman Islands. George Town is her home port. This registry is common for large superyachts owned by non-residents.

Schultz took Starbucks public in 1992. The company valuation reached $271 million at that time. This event created the fortune that funded PI.

Cayman registration offers legal flexibility. It keeps the owner's name off public maritime records in many jurisdictions. This aligns with Schultz's preference for discretion.

He served as CEO from 1986 to 2000. He returned to lead the company again from 2008 to 2017. Forbes listed his net worth at $4.3 billion in 2020.

The IMO number 9798258 identifies PI globally. Her MMSI is 319176700. These codes allow authorities to track her regardless of flag changes.

Current estimates place his wealth at $4.2 billion. The yacht cost $120 million to build. Its value is now estimated at $350 million.

Gross tonnage measures the internal volume of PI. It stands at 1,592 tons. This size places her in the upper tier of custom motor yachts.

Beam and length define her footprint on the water. She is 77.25 metres long and 11.4 metres wide. These dimensions allow for spacious decks while fitting standard marinas.

What makes Feadship different from other yards?

Feadship is a cooperative of Dutch shipyards. The name stands for First Export Association of Dutch Shipbuilders. Naval architect Henri de Voogt founded the group in 1949.

The cooperative links Royal Van Lent and Koninklijke De Vries. Both families have built boats since the nineteenth century. They share a design centre called De Voogt Naval Architects.

Royal Van Lent opened a new dock in Amsterdam in early 2019. This facility can handle vessels up to 160 metres. PI was launched that same year.

LVMH acquired Royal Van Lent in 2008. This purchase integrated a luxury goods giant into traditional shipbuilding. Feadship remains one of the most respected custom builders.

Where has PI been since July 2026?

AIS data tracks PI's movements through the South Pacific. The hull registered several short trips around Lautoka, Fiji, in late 2026. These loops suggest local anchoring rather than long voyages.

In July, PI made a thirty-nautical-mile loop. She returned to the same spot within three hours. This pattern repeated in August with similar short distances.

By September, the loops became more frequent. One passage covered only seven nautical miles. Another lasted just three hours. The speed rarely exceeded fifteen knots.

The last recorded movement was in October. PI sailed from Nadi to Port Vila in Vanuatu. The trip took two days and covered 481.9 nautical miles.

After that voyage, PI stopped moving. Her last known position is east of Australia. She has remained there since the broadcast ended in March 2026.