Betsy DeVos’ $40 million yacht set adrift in Ohio by vandals

The US Secretary of Education is one of the wealthiest members of Donald Trump's Cabinet

Betsy DeVos (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

A $40m boat owned by the family of Betsy DeVos was set adrift by vandals while moored at a dock in Ohio, local reports say.

According to a Huron City Police Department report submitted to The Independent, the captain of the 163-foot yacht, named the Seaquest, called police at approximately 6am local time to report that someone had untied the boat from the dock.

The crew was able to gain control of the Seacrest after it was set adrift, but not before the $40m yacht struck the dock causing “large scratches and scrapes,” the report stated. The captain estimated that damages were between $5,000 to $10,000.

Representatives for the DeVos family have not immediately returned The Independent's request for comment.

The US Secretary of State hails from a wealthy billionaire family – she and her husband, Dick DeVos, have an estimated net worth of just over $1bn, according to Forbes calculations. Ms DeVos’ father founded automobile business Prince Corporation, and her father-in-law co-founded marketing company Amway. The education secretary is one of the wealthiest on members of Donald Trump’s Cabinet.

Ms DeVos, perhaps one of the most divisive of Mr Trump’s cabinet members, has received sharp public backlash since her confirmation. Many across the US have protested her policies, like her efforts to implement budget cuts for the Department of Education in exchange for funding to promote programs, like school choice. School choice allows taxpayer dollars to be diverted from public education to other schools, including charter schools, private religious-based schools and other educational institutions.

The Seaquest is reportedly one of 10 boats owned by the DeVos family. The police report noted that officers were seeking to retrieve surveillance video of the area where the boat was docked. The crew reported to have not seen any suspicious activity the night prior.