A US billionaire who made his fortune selling popular digital video games has discovered the real thing in South Africa — diving with pyjama sharks and sardines.
And he is doing so from a $45m (R843m) superyacht offering the “ultimate exploration experience”, complete with an Airbus helicopter, mini-submarine and fully fledged dive centre to help him get a closer look.
Gabe Newell, 62, is known in maritime circles for owning a fleet of luxury yachts, collectively worth about $1bn.
He confirmed being aboard the 72m Game Changer, spotted this week cruising the Cape Town coast, prompting sea-facing residents to reach for their binoculars.
Maritime authorities were tight-lipped about the vessel's owner. The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront declined to answer queries about the yacht when it arrived after several stop-offs in False Bay and along the Atlantic seaboard.
Newell told the Sunday Times via e-mail: “Yes, we are here for the sardine run.” The entrepreneur is a passionate supporter of marine conservation via his oceanic exploration and research company Inkfish.
“We’ve been diving around Cape Town before proceeding to the run, and it’s amazing. The pyjama shark is my new favourite shark, with the leopard catshark a close second,” he said.
It is unclear whether Newell owns Game Changer, or is chartering her for the trip. The charter rate is R9m a week, a relatively minor sum for a man worth $4.3bn, according to the Forbes wealth list. Bloomberg ranked his net worth at more than $7bn.
Game Changer was previously linked to Hong Kong billionaire Karen Lo, heiress to the Vitasoy beverage fortune.
The superyacht is relatively understated compared to some of Newell’s others, such as the $100m Rocinante, equipped with a beauty salon, sauna, gym and deck jacuzzi. Included in Newell’s fleet is a fully-equipped hospital ship, Dapple Yacht, reportedly acquired during the height of the Covid pandemic.
According to maritime website luxurylaunches.com, the 220ft Dapple Yacht “could provide medical assistance wherever the billionaire sailed.”
Local sources said Newell was particularly concerned about Covid and staff were placed in quarantine before boarding. He is also famously generous, providing five-star quarantine accommodation and first-class air travel.
Two years ago he purchased the world’s most advanced private deep-sea exploration platform, comprising a research ship and an ultra-deep diving submersible, which now forms part of Inkfish along with Dapple Yacht, Rocinante and Game Changer.
According to Forbes, Newell cofounded Valve Corporation in 1998 with former Microsoft colleague Mike Harrington. He has been credited with creating several genre-defining games including Half-Life, Portal 2, Left 4 Dead and Counter-Strike. Valve Corporation has since been likened to “the iTunes of video games”, according to Forbes.
Newell dropped out of Harvard University to pursue his career.
Game Changer's appearance in local waters prompted a wave of social media interest, including photographs and lighthearted banter about the improbability of joining the VIP passenger list. “Who do we contact for a weekend hire,” inquired Facebook commentator Chris Bingham, tongue firmly in cheek. “Your bank manager,” quipped somebody in reply.
Cape Town has seen a recent increase in superyacht visits due partly to the deteriorating security situation in the Red Sea where Houthi rebels are attacking vessels travelling to and from the Suez Canal. As a result vessel owners are using the alternative route around the Cape.
Cape Town is also positioning itself as a preferred destination for superyacht maintenance and repairs, and as a launching pad for superyachts setting off on expeditions — such as to witness the world-famous sardine run.
A local Cape Town diver this week confirmed being involved with the Game Changer visit.
Superyacht Cape Town director Veda Pretorius said the city was increasingly popular with the superyacht community. “Many superyacht captains I’ve spoken to are very excited to hear that we are developing Cape Town as a superyacht hub,” Pretorius said.
The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront plans to develop a dedicated superyacht quay opposite the Table Bay Hotel. Earlier this month the marina confirmed being fully booked for the upcoming summer season due to rising demand for cruising yacht berths.
The city also has a superyacht builder, Southern Wind Shipyards, considered one of the best in the industry.
The local dive charter industry was boosted by the recent success of South African filmmaker Craig Foster who won an Oscar for his documentary about underwater adventures, notably his encounters with an octopus and its pyjama shark enemies.
The annual sardine run, which typically takes place between May and July in KwaZulu-Natal’s warmer waters, also regularly attracts foreign visitors and filmmakers. The sardine shoals can stretch for 7km and involve billions of fish, which attract a large cast of predators including whales, sharks and dolphins.
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