It was the purchase heard ‘round the harbor: two Saturday Night Live staples, a decommissioned municipal icon, and a price tag that sounded like a punchline. Now, Colin Jost is opening up about the administrative—and matrimonial—fallout of his decision to go “all in” on a 297-foot piece of New York history.
In a forthcoming episode of the SmartLess podcast, slated for release on May 4, Jost, 43, peels back the curtain on the moment he informed his inner circle that he and Pete Davidson were the proud new owners of the John F. Kennedy Staten Island ferry. Speaking with hosts Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes, Jost revealed that his path to ship ownership was paved with equal parts ambition and impulsive texts.
The “Homework” and the “Husband”
The acquisition began with a $280,000 winning bid in 2022, a figure Jost justifies through a pragmatic real estate lens, even if his family viewed it through a lens of bewilderment. His first point of contact was his father, a veteran Staten Island educator, whose reaction was quintessentially academic.
“He literally was like, ‘Did you do your homework?’ Which is such a teacher thing to say,” Jost joked. “I was like, ‘Dad, I’m just sort of texting you as a formality. I already bought the boat.'”
The conversation with his wife, Oscar nominee Scarlett Johansson, took a more existential turn. Jost recalled firing off a text that read, “Guess what? We own a ferry now.” Johansson’s two-word response? “We?”
While the actress was initially skeptical of the 65,000-square-foot floating “fixer-upper,” Jost noted that she has since come around to the vision. “She now obviously sees the value in it,” he previously told PEOPLE, adding that Johansson encouraged him to take the project seriously as a reflection of his professional legacy. “For better or worse, it’s going to reflect on you,” she reportedly warned him. Jost’s retort? “We don’t care because we’re comedians.”
Not Just a “Money Pit”
Defending the vessel against critics who labeled it a “crazy money pit,” Jost argued that the purchase was actually a calculated play on Manhattan’s prohibitive square-footage costs.
“If you put that on a dock in Manhattan, you’ve suddenly got basically a building on the waterfront,” Jost explained on the podcast. He maintains that between various high-profile events—including a star-studded Tommy Hilfiger show during New York Fashion Week—the investment is already beginning to break even.
The vision for the JFK is as expansive as its decks. Jost imagines a dual-purpose future: a premier entertainment hub for high-energy nightlife and a “middle-class Manhattan swim club.”
“A home run for me is a thing that could be used for an event space but also has an every-day purpose,” he said. He envisions a space that eschews the “weird, fancy member’s club” vibe of the city in favor of something accessible to the people who, like him, grew up riding that very boat to high school.
Maritime Law and “High” Hopes
Jost and Davidson, 32, aren’t navigating these waters alone; they co-purchased the boat alongside The Stand comedy club owner Paul Italia. However, the origin story of the partnership remains one of Hollywood’s favorite anecdotes, thanks to Davidson’s candid admission during a July 2025 appearance on Hot Ones.
“To be honest, when I bought it, I was really high,” Davidson confessed, reflecting on his pre-sobriety days. “It was back when I did drugs.”
Despite the hazy beginnings, Davidson shared that the project has turned into an unintentional masterclass in logistics. “It’s been fun,” Davidson added. “We talk to aquatic engineers and we have conversations with the sea port and all these things that we’re learning. Maritime law!”
As the ferry remains docked at Pier 17, awaiting its final transformation, Jost admits that while it might be the “dumbest and least thought-through purchase” of his life, the potential for a 65,000-square-foot “building on its side” in the heart of New York Harbor is a gamble he’s willing to take. For the boy from Staten Island, it’s not just about the real estate—it’s about the ultimate homecoming.