Tributes are being paid to jewellery tycoon and yacht owner Sir Michael Hill, who died peacefully at his home in Arrowtown, New Zealand, late last month (29 July). He was 86 years old.
Hill was born in Whangarei, New Zealand, on 23 December 1938. He attended Whangarei Boys’ High School from 1949 to 1954, leaving school at 16 with the ambition to become a concert violinist. Dissuaded from this career path by his family, he instead began working at his uncle’s jewellery store, which led to the establishment of his own store, Michael Hill Jeweller, in 1979. He quickly achieved his goal of seven shops in seven years, then came the next target – 70 shops in seven more years.
Thirty years later, Michael Hill was an international household name with over 240 venues established worldwide. His daughter, Emma Hill, succeeded him as business chairman in 2015.
Enjoying downtime on the water has always been an important part of Hill’s life. His first foray into superyacht ownership was with the award-winning 34.2 metre VvS1 (now Akiko), designed by Gregory C. Marshall and delivered by Alloy Yachts in 2007. Having previously owned a 17-metre sport fisher, Hill’s decision to upgrade to a bigger boat, never having set foot on a superyacht before, was "a bit crazy", as he told BOAT International in a 2019 interview.
But he is best known for The Beast, a volume-packed fishing catamaran that holds the record for the smallest superyacht with the largest tender. The 39-metre was built by Profab Central Engineering (chosen specifically for its commercial background) and is an eye-catcher on the water with her military exterior and unconventional, zig-zag paint job.
Hill may have loved fishing – but his approach to the ocean was one guided by appreciation, rather than conquest.
"I don’t kill fish unless we are going to eat them," he once told BOAT International. "I think it is dreadful to kill a beautiful marlin, hang it for a photo opportunity and collect a prize. If we are not careful, our children will not see fish anymore."
"To every endeavour he pursued, Michael brought a deep sense of purpose, an enduring curiosity, open-mindedness and creativity that challenged all of us to embrace ever more lofty goals and be unconstrained in our thinking," said Rob Fyfe, chairman of Michael Hill. "His is a legacy that will continue to inspire us."
He will be sorely missed.