Billionaire US envoy faces Venice protests amid yacht tour

Billionaire US envoy faces Venice protests amid yacht tour July 18, 2026The US ambassador to Italy, Tilman Fertitta, was greeted by several hundred demonstrators as he arrived in Venice on Friday aboard his luxury superyacht. Fertitta's yacht, which is 117 meters long (384 feet) and worth an estimated $450 million (€393 million), loomed over historic buildings lining the lagoon. Police boats patrolled the surrounding waters, while riot police guarded waterfront access points. Around 300 protesters joined the rally in the city's historic center, carrying signs reading "Fertitta must go," "Make America Go Away," "Venice must not be used" and "No space for billionaires." Police prevented the protesters from approaching the yacht, and tensions briefly escalated. Demonstrators proceeded to yell "Shame!" at the ambassador, the city's mayor and police officers. An ambassadorial yacht tour across Italy Fertitta's visit to Venice is part of the so-called Freedom 250 Coastal Diplomacy tour, a journey across multiple Italian coastal regions aboard his superyacht. Fertitta, who has Sicilian heritage, has described the initiative as a celebration of "our shared history, our economic partnership, and the cultural bonds that make the US-Italy relationship so special." While details of his meetings in Venice have not been made public, he is expected to attend the city's century-old Festa del Redentore on Saturday. The festival attracts thousands of visitors for religious ceremonies and its fireworks displays. Who is US Ambassador Tilman Fertitta? According to the US Embassy in Italy, Fertitta is personally funding the trip. Fertitta is among America's 100 wealthiest individuals with a net worth totaling $11.3 billion. He built his fortune managing restaurants, hotels and casinos, and currently also owns Houston's basketball team. Although he has little in terms of political experience, Fertitta has long supported Republican causes and donated to President Donald Trump's Save America PAC. His appointment as envoy to Italy was part of a pattern of Trump selecting donors and allies for ambassadorial posts in Europe. Anger over wealth, politics and security On Friday, activists protested both the ambassador's blatant display of wealth, as well as the Trump administration's policies, including the war in Iran. "It's arrogant to think he can do what he wants in a city that is ever more sold to the single culture of tourism,” organizer Stella Morion told the AP. "It is the umpteenth slap in the face of a city and all of the people in Venice who struggle to reach the end of the month due to an increase in prices caused by Trump's war.” Last year, many of the groups had protested the wedding of Amazon head Jeff Bezos to Lauren Sanchez. During Fertitta's visit, criticism also focused on the extensive security measures deployed by Italian authorities. Luana Zanella, leader of Left Alliance in the Italian parliament, and Green Party co-spokesperson Angelo Bonelli criticized the use of police resources, calling it "sheer madness." "Hundreds of officers across the country — from Palermo to Ravenna, from Catania to Ancona — have been turned into his bodyguards, diverted from their duties to serve as a free escort for the U.S. ambassador's private vessel," the deputies said in a joint statement. Edited by Sean Sinico