Tiger Woods’ $20M Superyacht “Privacy” Is Still One of the Most Secretive Luxury Toys

Earlier this year, Forbes confirmed that Tiger Woods is a billionaire. One of the only three known billionaire athletes, alongside LeBron James and Michael Jordan, Woods is also the world’s highest-paid golfer. Despite the ups and downs, at 46, he is seen by many as a living legend and one of the most famous golf players in history. Like many other sports stars, his life so far has been filled with both luxury and controversy.

In a world where the rich and famous go from one luxury toy to the next with no hesitation, it’s a rare thing to see a celebrity holding on to a yacht after almost 20 years. Some celebrities are always hunting for new, shinier toys, while others share their incredible vessels with those who can afford to pay exorbitant charter rates. But Tiger Woods did none of that. His infamous luxury yacht is just as mysterious as it was decades ago.

The Privacy yacht started its journey with a bang – a privacy-related scandal, to be more precise. In 2004, the golf champion was not a happy customer. Instead of enjoying his brand-new luxury vessel, Woods had filed a lawsuit against the yacht’s builder for allegedly using his name and photos of him in promotional materials without being authorized to do so.

In 2006, ESPN reported that the privacy-rights lawsuit over Privacy was finally settled “for an undisclosed amount” (rumored to add up to $1.6 million). The builder in question was Christensen, a reputable U.S.-based shipyard. Most likely because of this lawsuit, Christensen never revealed any more details about the design of the infamous yacht.

The world got the chance to admire its silhouette on three main occasions - the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, and the 2019 PGA Championship. And it caused a stir every time. In 2019, sports anchor Justin Walters shared a photo of the rarely-seen beauty, saying, “So this is what $20 million looks like on water.”

It’s not one of the largest or most expensive celebrity-owned superyachts, and photos of it docked in various marinas showed that it was dwarfed by many others. But at the time of its launch, the 155-footer (47 meters) with three decks and a reported price of $20 million was turning heads. Nobody outside of Wood’s private circle knew exactly what this beast looked like on the inside, and that’s still the case today.

Designed by Carol Williamson & Associates, Privacy has a total of five staterooms for up to ten guests, plus four cabins for a nine-people crew. Most of the action is apparently concentrated on the main deck, while the top deck doubles as an observation room. As you would expect, those on board get to enjoy luxurious amenities such as a cinema, a generous bar on the deck, a jacuzzi that’s big enough for eight people, and a gym with all the latest equipment.

Of course, this elegant yacht wasn’t just meant to act as Woods’ floating home during sports events. Like most family yachts, it was equipped with a great selection of water toys, including several kayaks, scooters, jet skis, and there seems to be even a decompression chamber on board for scuba diving.

Privacy’s interior décor remains mostly a mystery, although it seems to lean towards a classic style, with cherry woodwork throughout, allegedly including a staircase with transparent steps and a cherry handrail. In addition to that, there’s also a large elevator connecting the decks.

Running costs for this 155-footer would seem to go as high as $2 million per year. This is a yacht that can hold more than 12,000 gallons (45,425 liters) of fuel for a range of over 4,000 nautical miles (4,600 miles/7,408 km). That’s more than enough for its famous owner’s typical trips, which seem to not stray too far from the U.S. Powered by two MTU engines, Privacy also boasts a pretty impressive speed for its size, comfortably cruising at 16 knots (18.4 mph/29.6 kph).

Since the pandemic broke out, Privacy didn’t get the chance to make waves at sports events like it used to. Last year, it was even rumored that Tiger Woods was hoping for a sale that would be just as discrete as the yacht’s entire 20-year life. Officially, the infamous Privacy is not up for grabs. But only a potential sale in the future could finally give us a closer look at one of the most secretive superyachts ever owned by a famous billionaire.