Colin Jost is still laughing about the moment he told his wife, Scarlett Johansson, that he had just made one of the most unexpected purchases of his life – a ferry.
Appearing on the upcoming episode of the SmartLess podcast, hosted by Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes, the Saturday Night Live star opened up about how his family reacted after he teamed up with Pete Davidson to purchase a decommissioned Staten Island ferry in 2022.
Jost recalled casually breaking the news over text. Jost shared that he first texted his dad, a Staten Island teacher. “He literally was like, ‘Did you do your homework?’ Which is such a teacher thing to say,” he said. “I was like, ‘Dad, I’m just sort of texting you as a formality. I already bought the boat.'”
Jost then texted Johansson, with whom he shares two children. “I wrote to her, ‘Guess what? We own a ferry now,’” he shared. Johansson’s response was immediate and perfectly to the point: “We?”
The ferry, a retired vessel once used for New York City transport, was purchased for $280,000 and quickly became one of the most talked-about celebrity investments.
While the purchase may have seemed impulsive, Jost insisted there was some logic behind it. He explained that he viewed the ferry as a unique real estate opportunity – essentially a massive waterfront space that could be transformed into something profitable.
Since buying the ferry with Pete Davidson and business partner Paul Italia, the group has already hosted events onboard, including a high-profile fashion show.