Colin Jost offered a glimpse into how his wife, Scarlett Johansson, reacted when he and Pete Davidson made the unexpected decision to purchase the Staten Island Ferry. Speaking on an episode of the SmartLess podcast, scheduled for release on May 4, Jost recounted how he shared the news with his family after finalizing the purchase.
He described messaging Scarlett Johansson, only to be met with confusion over his phrasing and the implication of shared ownership.
“Guess what? We own a ferry now,” he recalled writing to her. (As per People Magazine report).
He added that her response was simply:
“We?”
As per the celebrity net worth website, American stand-up comedian, actor, and writer Colin Jost has a net worth of $10 million.
Jost went on to explain that his approach to buying the ferry was rooted in practical thinking, viewing it as a real estate opportunity rather than an impulsive purchase. He emphasized that positioning the vessel strategically could transform it into a valuable waterfront space.
“If you put that on a dock in Manhattan, you’ve suddenly got basically a building on the waterfront…A home run for me is its a thing that could be used for an event space but also has an every-day purpose,” he said.
He also pushed back against suggestions that the project was a “sort of crazy money pit.” Jost then shared how his father reacted to the news and recalled:
“He literally was like, ‘Did you do your homework?’ Which is such a teacher thing to say,” Jost said, adding, “I was like, ‘Dad, I’m just sort of texting you as a formality. I already bought the boat.’”
According to The New York Times, Jost acquired the decommissioned vessel in 2022 for $280,000. He and Davidson co-purchased the John F. Kennedy Staten Island ferry alongside comedy club owner Paul Italia. Since then, the group has hosted several high-profile events aboard the ferry, including a Tommy Hilfiger show during New York Fashion Week while it was docked at Pier 17.
Colin Jost shares Scarlett Johansson’s take on his Staten Island ferry purchase, says she “obviously” saw “the value in it”
Back in 2024, Colin Jost opened up about his decision to purchase a Staten Island Ferry in 2022 and how his wife, Scarlett Johansson, initially reacted to the unexpected investment.
Speaking during an interview with People magazine at the New York Fashion Week, held aboard the ferry he co-owns with Pete Davidson, Jost reflected on the journey from doubt to acceptance over the past two years.
Jost explained that he had cautiously introduced the idea of buying the ferry to Johansson before going through with the purchase, though she initially struggled to take it seriously.
Recalling Scarlett Johansson’s reaction after the deal was finalized, Colin Jost shared how she expressed surprise and confusion at the situation.
“She was just like, ‘Wait, so you own this boat now?’ Very fair question,” Jost said, highlighting Scarlett Johansson’s disbelief at the unusual acquisition (as per September 13, 2024, People Magazine report)
He went on to describe how Scarlett Johansson’s perspective evolved, noting that she eventually recognized both the value and the significance of the purchase. Jost explained that she came to see the ferry as something that would come to define him and his collaborator, and emphasized the importance of handling it thoughtfully since it would inevitably reflect on them.
“She now obviously sees the value in it, but also I think she’s like, ‘It’s now become something that is a defining thing for you guys and an interesting thing for you guys. So you should take it seriously and figure out the best version of it, because for better or worse, it’s going to reflect on you.’ We don’t care because we’re comedians,” Colin Jost said.
At the time, Jost also admitted that, by his own standards, the purchase was far from practical. He described it as an impulsive decision that didn’t align with his typically cautious approach to spending, though he attempted to rationalize it through its potential value
“The way I justified it is for the amount of money we were putting into buying it, on just a basic square-footage level, is if you found the right place for it to be, you were essentially buying a building on its side that’s 65,000 square feet. So around New York, that is a very good price per square foot,” Colin Jost said.
Looking ahead, Jost also discussed the future of the ferry, acknowledging that while relocating it to Miami remained a possibility, his preference was to keep it in New York.
He expressed a personal attachment to the city and the unique experience of being on the water there, emphasizing that any transformation of the ferry would retain its original spirit.
He noted that being on the water in New York held a special charm and shared his hope that the ferry would continue to remain connected to the city in some form, describing it as something that would be “re-imagined” while staying true to what made it unique.
Colin Jost continues as a Saturday Night Live writer and “Weekend Update” co-anchor. He is also actively renovating a decommissioned Staten Island Ferry.
Scarlett Johansson’s upcoming film, a crime thriller titled Paper Tiger, will premiere at Cannes in May 2026.
Edited by Shayari Roy
