“If you need to charter, you shouldn’t own it.” Asked if he ever rents out his yachts to defray costs, he summarily dismisses the question. 4, a 164-footer anchored in his hometown of Galveston, Texas. His fifth yacht, Boardwalk dwarfs the other ships docked at the Atlantis resort at Paradise Island, Bahamas. Fertitta’s favorite spot is the top deck, 74 feet above the sea and overlooking the hot tub. There are cabins to sleep 22 crew and 14 guests, who often arrive via a de rigueur helipad. Fertitta lavished $150 million and nearly five years on this vessel, spending days with Dutch shipbuilder Feadship imposing his obsessive vision for six decks of plush carpets, marble surfaces, chromed fixtures and automatic sliding doors. “We are expecting you-may I take your shoes?” says the uniformed crew member stationed at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the main deck of Tilman Fertitta’s new 252-foot yacht, Boardwalk.

But now, the Golden Nugget casino owner is richer than ever thanks to seismic market shifts and his own ambitious SPAC strategy. When Covid lockdowns hit, Tilman Fertitta’s restaurants and casinos took a serious hit, and he had to lay off 40,000 workers.