ROME — Tilman Fertitta, the U.S. Ambassador to Italy and San Marino, has increasingly used his personal superyacht, the Boardwalk, as a de facto diplomatic hub for official engagements. The vessel, delivered in early 2026, has hosted American diplomatic events and drawn notice across Italy's political landscape.
Fertitta built his fortune through Landry's, Inc. a Texas-based conglomerate encompassing restaurants, hotels and casinos. His background in leisure and entertainment contrasts sharply with the foreign policy experience typically expected of an ambassador to a G7 nation.
The Senate confirmed Fertitta to his post in April 2025, following a $1 million donation he made to Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign through various entities. Only 14 senators voted against confirmation.
The Boardwalk measures 384 feet and displaces approximately 5,350 tons. Built by Germany's Lürssen, the superyacht reportedly cost around $450 million. It accommodates 14 guests and a crew of 48, making it one of the largest private motor vessels observed in the region.
The yacht is equipped with two pools, a wine cellar, a garage for smaller tender yachts, a cinema and a putting green. It features two helicopter pads, one at each end, both currently occupied. Its arrivals at ports such as Civitavecchia have been met with immediate security cordons.
Fertitta reportedly deemed the ambassador's historic Roman residence, Villa Taverna, uninhabitable. He has taken up residence aboard the Boardwalk in Civitavecchia, commuting to the embassy by helicopter — an arrangement that has drawn attention within Rome's political circles.
The blurring of personal wealth and official duties has fueled criticism of the U.S. practice of awarding diplomatic posts to wealthy campaign donors. A Council on Foreign Relations fellow said that while such appointments are a long-standing Washington tradition, the scale of Fertitta's personal involvement in his own embassy operations has raised specific ethical questions.
Critics say the arrangement reflects a broader pattern in which coveted posts in wealthy countries go to major financial contributors rather than career diplomats with foreign service experience — rewarding, as one critic put it, whoever wrote the biggest check.
In a recent initiative branded "Coastal Diplomacy," Fertitta embarked on a 13-region tour of Italy aboard the Boardwalk, departing Civitavecchia on a Sunday. The tour has extended the yacht's role as a mobile platform for U.S. diplomatic engagement, with its teak decks, twin helipads and spa serving as settings for official functions.
The regular use of the Boardwalk for official functions — including events described as the flashiest of the year — marks a departure from conventional diplomatic protocol, merging the ambassador's private lifestyle with the official representation of the United States. Some observers have called the vessel an ugly and ostentatious gin palace.
