Late hedge fund billionaire and philanthropist had a 222-foot yacht called Archimedes

The billionaire, who founded the extremely successful hedge fund Renaissance Technologies, built up a personal fortune worth $31.4 billion over the course of his lifetime and used billions of that money for charity, according to Forbes. His charitable organization, the Simons Foundation that he co-founded with wife Marilyn, provides funding for science, education, autism and other areas.

Marilyn Simons and Jim Simons attend the CSHL Double Helix Medals Dinner at the American Museum of Natural History on Nov. 15, 2023, in New York. (Patrick McMullan via / Getty Images)

At one point in the 2000s, Simons reportedly used some of his wealth to acquire a yacht for himself. Outlets like the BBC and CNN have identified him over the years as the owner of the Feadship-built Archimedes.

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The yacht, built in 2008, is about 222 feet long and can sail at speeds of up to 16 knots, per BOAT International. In 2018, it received a refit. 

The Plymouth Marine Laboratory said in mid-February that Simons and his wife were "support[ing] marine research in some of the most remote and least studied parts of the ocean" with the Archimedes. Scientists affixed a light-measuring instrument to the vessel to help with their research, according to the organization. 

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The yacht Archimedes sails in the Hudson River as storm clouds pass over midtown Manhattan in New York City on May 28, 2019. (Gary Hershorn / Getty Images)

In March, the yacht received a Science & Discovery award at the YCM Explorer Awards in Monaco for its contributions to ocean exploration and research, a Feadship press release said.

FOX Business reached out to the Simons Foundation for comment regarding the yacht.

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Simons and his wife together have dolled out charitable contributions totaling around $6 billion, Forbes reported. 

He left his role as chairman of Renaissance Technologies, which operates the Medallion Fund, back in 2021, over a decade after his retirement as the hedge fund's CEO.