Colin Jost Talks About His $280,000 ‘Dumbest’ Purchase

Colin Jost is reflecting on a 2022 buy he made with former “Saturday Night time Dwell” co-star Pete Davidson, and now admits it was the “dumbest” purchase he’s ever made.

Even along with his historical past of high-profile purchases, together with having owned a handful of multimillion-dollar houses, Jost acknowledges that teaming up with Davidson to co-own a particular mode of transportation may not have been his smartest monetary choice.

Throughout New York Trend Week, Colin Jost mirrored on that 2022 buy that price him $280,000.

Colin Jost’s $280,000 Staten Island Ferry buy in 2022 has raised eyebrows – and he’s not precisely defending it. “The Saturday Night time Dwell” star joined forces with comic Pete Davidson to snag a decommissioned Staten Island Ferry boat, however Jost admits to People Magazine that it wasn’t his brightest choice.

“It’s completely the dumbest and least thought-through buy I’ve ever made in my life,” the comic informed the outlet on the Tommy Hilfiger present throughout New York Trend Week, which, sarcastically, was held on board Jost and Davidson’s ferry.

“The way in which I justified it’s for the amount of cash we had been placing into shopping for it, on only a fundamental square-footage stage, is should you discovered the precise place for it to be, you had been basically shopping for a constructing on its facet that is 65,000 sq. ft,” he added. “So round New York, that could be a excellent worth per sq. foot.”

Pete Davidson and Colin Jost’s decommissioned ferry could be quietly docked in Staten Island in the meanwhile, but it surely’s gearing up for a $34 million makeover. The formidable renovation plans embody a number of bars, eating places, and even a resort on board.

“I feel proper now, we’ve got six bars and two venues operated individually or mixed,” Ron Castellano, an architect and lesser recognized associate on Davidson and Jost’s ferry mission, informed Curbed earlier this yr. “Now we have out of doors occasion house, we’ve got eating places — two eating places. It’s a giant boat, virtually 300 ft lengthy, 65,000 sq. ft.”

The “Saturday Night time Dwell” alum additionally talked about that whereas the ferry might doubtlessly be used as a purposeful boat, it might want a crew to function, and he’s unsure if he’s up for that trouble. Plus, regardless that he may take pleasure in taking the ferry out on the water himself, he truly can’t.

“I am certain our insurance coverage firm would find it irresistible,” he mentioned, joking. “Perhaps they’d find it irresistible as a result of it might get them out of the contract. However it requires lots of people to maneuver it.”

Proper now, the ferry must be docked or towed for the reason that engines aren’t working, however Jost talked about it could possibly be operational “inside weeks” in the event that they determined to place within the effort.

As a substitute, the staff thinks it’s extra sensible to make use of the ferry as a venue, much like how Tommy Hilfiger used it for a trend present.

One in every of Jost and Davidson’s companions within the mission, architect Ron Castellano, shared with Curbed in March that their plan is to remodel the ferry right into a venue that includes resort rooms, eating places, and bars, with Miami being a possible location for it.

How has Scarlett Johansson reacted to Jost’s ferry funding over the previous two years? He shared that he “soft-floated” the concept to her earlier than making the acquisition, and she or he didn’t take him severely.

Nonetheless, after he went forward with the purchase, Jost mentioned she finally got here round and supported the choice.

“She was similar to, ‘Wait, so that you personal this boat now?’ Very reasonable query,” Jost mentioned of his spouse’s response. “She now clearly sees the worth in it, but additionally I feel she’s like, ‘It is now change into one thing that could be a defining factor for you guys and an fascinating factor for you guys. So you need to take it severely and work out the most effective model of it, as a result of for higher or worse, it’ll replicate on you.’ We do not care as a result of we’re comedians.”

The ferry, referred to as the John F. Kennedy, served commuters between Manhattan and Staten Island from 1965 till its retirement in August 2021. By the point it was retired, it was the oldest vessel in its fleet.