You must have heard from the grapevines that Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen was vacationing on Hvar, in the Adriatic sea, off the Dalmatian coast, Croatia, in his super-yacht The Octopus.

The Octopus, at 126.18 meters length, has secured its position in 2003 as world's largest. Built at the cost of $200 million, she definitely stands out as the priciest ever. It has two helipads, a movie theatre, and a studio capable of professional level recording production. Because of her enormous size, Octopus cannot dock at most ports, but she has a 60 foot tender to service her, another seven smaller boats within it, and a fuel-cell-powered 10-person submarine capable of staying submerged for two weeks.

Octopus requires a crew of 60 to operate her. First launched in 2003, she has been seen in Portugal, St. Martin, and New Orleans. She was designed by Espen Øino Naval Architects and was constructed in Germany.

Allen also owns the Tatoosh, his second, the 12th largest in the world. The Tatoosh stays mainly in the Pacific, touring Galapagos, Palau and New Zealand.

Paul Allen, who in 1975 established himself by co-founding Microsoft Corporation with Gates, definitely lives in style. He also owns two Boeing 757s, and a third yacht slightly smaller than Tatoosh, named The Méduse, the 65th largest in the world. There is also some speculation that he had bought Le Grand Bleu, the world's 6th largest. This ship is now owned by a wealthy friend of Vladimir Putin's.