In the less frequented of Indonesia’s 18,000 tropical islands, Rascal Voyages is outfitting its 30-meter boats—newly built renditions of traditional wooden phinisi, minus the sails, with supercushy above-deck cabins—with researchers from Conservation International, whose projects involve everything from counting turtles to tagging hammerhead sharks with spear guns in the Banda Strait. Meanwhile, off the East African coast, Explorations Co.’s lovely catamaran hosts scientists tracking whales and dolphins. They use the data they collect to protect ocean wildlife.
“You’re gonna have great cocktails,” says Rascal founder Stephen Ebsworth, “but you’re gonna have a positive impact.” There’s even a chance researchers may discover new species of marine creatures, like the “walking sharks” they found in 2013. Who knows? With the right amount of charm (read: foundation money), your billionaire may even get a sea creature named after them.
Cost: Rascal Voyages charters run $12,000 a night for the whole five-cabin ship, with typical voyages lasting 5 to 10 nights (price includes full board and all activities but, sadly, not alcohol); Explorations Co.’s 75-foot catamaran is €79,000 ($89,600) per week for up to six guests, plus a €5,000 donation to the marine biologist’s employer (price includes activities but not meals)
A Rosebud by Any Other Name
Adulting can be difficult, even for those who endure life’s ups and downs ensconced in the climate-controlled comfort of a Rolls-Royce Cullinan. In Orson Welles’s 1941 masterpiece Citizen Kane, dying newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane’s final word is that of a childhood toy, not the fortune he amassed. So consider something to coax out that inner child before it’s too late.
This signed, original 1961 Ludwig Bemelmans illustration for Madeline in London, the final book in the charming series featuring Miss Clavel and her charges, is set for auction on Dec. 6 at Swann Galleries. Or if intergalactic heroism is more their oeuvre (they didn’t get to be a billionaire by thinking small, after all), the force will be strong with the giver whose highest bid nabs illustrator John Mollo’s custom-bound volume containing original working sketches, costume designs, and production diary entries for 1977’s Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. Bonhams is auctioning it off on Dec. 11. And if your current Wall Street wonder was more into comic books, MyComicShop.com has a rare DC Action Comics No. 252 from 1959 up for grabs featuring Superman and the first appearance of Supergirl.
Cost: Estimates at $130,000 to $190,000 for Mollo’s Star Wars archive; $30,000 to $40,000 for Bemelmans’s Madeline art; list price for Action Comics No. 252 is $28,800
A Hamptons Haven With a Quarter Mile of Beach
Billionaire to billionaire, there’s one way to stop the incessant one-upmanship of the Hamptons: Cede the title to them with the gift of a 42-plus-acre estate that includes Southampton’s largest ocean frontage. At the very least you’re securing eternal summer-guest invitation status. (Then again, if your budget stretches to this getaway originally built for industry and business magnate Henry Ford, it’s highly likely you already own a beachfront getaway nearby.)
Offered through Bespoke Real Estate, the estate now dubbed Jule Pond is currently the most expensive listing in the Hamptons (and second-most expensive in the nation), featuring 20,000 square feet of space that includes 12 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, a library, and a 48-foot living room, as well as a tennis court, basketball court, and greenhouse.
And that uninterrupted ocean view? The property spans nearly a quarter mile (1,286 linear feet) of open Atlantic Ocean. Bordered by three ponds, it also affords unobstructed views of Mecox Bay and preserved land to the southeast, essentially adding another quarter mile of ocean frontage.
The only downside of gifting on this scale is figuring out how to wrap it and place it under the tree.