Who is Gabe Newell? The Valve co-founder and superyacht owner behind Leviathan and Draak

Why is Gabe Newell so popular – and what superyachts does the Valve co-founder own? From his 111-metre Oceanco yacht Leviathan to the rebuilt 92.8-metre Draak, here's what to know about the video game developer's growing presence in the yachting world...

Video game tycoon Gabe Newell is as famous for rejecting corporate titles as he is for reshaping the gaming industry. But his interests now extend well beyond Valve and its digital gaming platform Steam. The American entrepreneur is also a keen diver, ocean researcher and superyacht enthusiast, with a growing fleet of vessels designed around his passion for life at sea.

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Gabe Newell, also known by his nickname GabeN, is an American video game developer and businessman

Credit: Oceanco

Newell's 111-metre Oceanco superyacht Leviathan was delivered in 2025, and the 92.8-metre Draak has since been rebuilt and redelivered as her companion vessel. He also acquired Dutch shipyard Oceanco in August 2025. BOAT unpacks the man behind the headlines, from Harvard dropout turned Microsoft millionaire to the video game pioneer who has brought his own approach to yacht ownership and design...

1. From coding to cruising

Gabe Newell began his career at Microsoft after dropping out of Harvard University – inspired by CEO of Microsoft Steve Ballmer’s suggestion to "do something useful" when visiting his brother’s office at Microsoft. There, he helped build the first three versions of Windows before eventually leaving and founding Valve.

2. The maverick who built Valve

Newell launched video game company Valve Corporation with programmer Mike Harrington in 1996. From there, Newell made his money by co-developing breakout hit Half-Life (1998) and the later creation of Steam (launched 2003), a prominent digital distribution platform that "redefined PC gaming distribution".

3. Flat culture pioneer

Newell's company, Valve, is famous for its flat, title-free business structure. Employees pick projects they’re passionate about – part of Newell’s belief in giving smart people freedom to create ahead of structure.

4. Gaming’s billionaire pioneer

Newell's fortune is largely tied to his stake in Valve, which he co-founded in 1996. As of 2024, Newell’s net worth is estimated at $9.5 billion, making him the richest person in the gaming industry. He reportedly owns just over 50 per cent of Valve.

5. A genuinely hands-on yacht enthusiast

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Dutch yard Oceanco released the first images of the 111-metre superyacht Leviathan in operation, following her delivery and sea trials off the coast of Stellendam, the Netherlands in May 2026

Credit: Oceanco

Newell is not just a yacht owner – he’s a scuba diver and sea-lover. He lives on board vessels and structures his work to include breaks for diving and relaxation.

His yachts are more than places to spend time on the water. Newell uses them as homes, platforms for exploration and, in the case of Leviathan, a base for scientific research. He has described his interest in yachting as a way to reconnect with the ocean, while his approach to building has put a particular emphasis on the people who work on board.

6. What yachts does Gabe Newell own?

Newell’s wider fleet spans private yachts, support vessels and research ships. Among the most prominent are 111-metre  Leviathan, 92.8-metre Draak and 72-metre Indratus (ex-Game Changer), which was relaunched following an extensive refit in October 2026.

Formerly known as project Y722, Leviathan was delivered in 2025. The 4,970GT diesel-electric superyacht has been designed around Newell's interests in diving, research and crew wellbeing. She accommodates up to 12 guests and 43 crew, with features including a dedicated research laboratory, extensive diving facilities, a large games room and a soundproofed studio. 

A defining feature of the yacht is her approach to life on board, with spaces traditionally reserved for guests reimagined to give crew more opportunities to relax and socialise. BOAT stepped on board in June 2026.

Her companion yacht, Draak (ex Tranquility and Equanimity), was redelivered in June 2026 following a comprehensive rebuild at Oceanco's facilities in the Netherlands. Originally delivered in 2014, the 92.8-metre yacht was transformed into a support vessel for Leviathan, with a dedicated dive centre and decompression chamber, additional accommodation and space for a dive tender. Her former helideck was removed to make way for a tender deck, while a 12.6-tonne crane was added to support operations.

Newell is also rumoured to have owned the 78.4-metre Lürssen yacht Rocinante, which often travelled accompanied by the 67.2-metre Damen Yachting shadow Dapple – now renamed Wingman and believed to be the support to the 118-metre Feadship Launchpad.

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Indratus

Courtesy of Oceanco

The 72-metre Indratus is another recent addition to Newell’s wider operation. Originally delivered by Damen Yachting in 2017 as Game Changer, the Sea Axe 6911 support vessel emerged from an extensive refit at Oceanco’s Zwijndrecht facilities in October 2026, having entered the yard in March. Now part of the Inkfish fleet, she joins Leviathan and Draak as a companion vessel, with the latest works including a full repaint and apparent changes to her main-deck layout.

7. "Owner" of Oceanco? Yet still a visionary, not a tycoon

In August 2025, Newell acquired Oceanco, the prestigious Dutch custom superyacht builder behind yachts, including Kaos, Bravo Eugenia and H3 (which won awards for her transformational rebuild), as well as the world's largest and second-largest sailing yachts, Jeff Bezos’s Koru and Black Pearl. His relationship with the shipyard began as a client, with both Leviathan and Draak projects involving Oceanco before he acquired the business.

In the June 2026 issue of BOAT International, Newell described the working relationship with Oceanco CEO Marcel Onkenhout as a collaboration built around shared goals. “We went on a date, and then we decided to get married,” he joked of the partnership. His approach to the acquisition is less about boardroom control and more about being a “hands-on visionary”, honouring maritime craftsmanship and preserving the shipyard’s culture.

8. Futurist with deep-sea roots

Oceanco says: Newell is drawn to yachting as “a way to reconnect with the ocean, oneself and what really matters”. He wants to ignite innovation through human-focused collaboration – not impose corporate buzzwords.

That philosophy is evident in Leviathan, where Newell challenged some of the conventions of superyacht design. Rather than keeping guest and crew areas strictly separate, the layout gives crew access to recreational spaces usually reserved for owners and guests. The yacht also features a communal dining area designed to accommodate both groups, reflecting Newell's belief that involving crew in the design of their working environment leads to better results.

9. Beyond gaming: ocean research and neural tech

Newell's ventures extend beyond games and yachts. He owns Inkfish, a marine research organisation with ships and submarines and co-founded Starfish Neuroscience, working on brain-computer interfaces and neural chips.

Inkfish supports ocean exploration and scientific research, interests that have also informed the facilities on board Leviathan. The yacht includes a dedicated research laboratory alongside its diving facilities, allowing Newell to combine his time at sea with the work of scientists and researchers.

10. Award-winning, future-shaping pioneer

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BOAT International hosted an exclusive Owners' Club cocktail reception on board Leviathan on the evening of 23 September 2026 during the Monaco Yacht Show

Newell’s cultural and technological contributions have also earned him top honours, including the BAFTA Fellowship (2013) and inclusion in the AIAS Hall of Fame, recognising his long-standing impact on gaming.