How Self-Dealing Made Houston Rockets Owner Tilman Fertitta Billions Richer During The Pandemic

How Self-Dealing Made Houston Rockets Owner Tilman Fertitta Billions Richer During The Pandemic

e 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. The shoe policy is understandable. 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. There are cabins to sleep 22 crew and 14 guests, who often arrive via a de rigueur helipad. Fertitta's favorite spot is the top deck, 74 feet above the sea and overlooking the hot tub. His fifth yacht, Boardwalk dwarfs the other ships docked at the Atlantis resort at Paradise Island, Bahamas. He still owns No. 4, a 164-footer anchored in his hometown of Galveston, Texas. Asked if he ever rents out his yachts to defray costs, he summarily dismisses the question. "If you need to charter, you shouldn't own it." You can describe the 64-year-old yacht, restaurant, casino and hotel owner in many ways: as a showman, risk taker, college dropout, detail guy, NBA owner (the Houston Rockets), reality show star (three seasons of Billion Dollar