Joan Valls // Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Oprah’s Gulfstream G700: How the queen of all media perfected the long-haul office
Oprah Winfrey, the “queen of all media,” and the first black woman billionaire, has a uniquely inspiring story. She literally went from wearing dresses made of potato sacks as a child to being one of the 1%.
Even after quitting her long-running TV show, she remains one of the most influential and recognizable figures in the world. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know who Oprah Winfrey is, regardless of your geographic location.
While we could spend hours talking about her incredible life, today, we’ll focus on a lesser-known fact: her preference for private planes. Over the years, Oprah has owned several private jets and is currently flying in a lavish Gulfstream G700, the epitome of luxury aviation.
In this article, Jettly looks at what made Oprah become a private jet owner and the perks she enjoys the most.
Jettly
Oprah as an Airplane Owner
Her journey as an airplane owner started in 1991, when she purchased her first jet, a Gulfstream IV (G-IV). She reportedly decided to buy it after a fan encounter during a four-hour delay at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport convinced her that commercial travel was no longer compatible with her privacy.
Since then, Oprah owned four other aircraft:
- Bombardier Global Express XRS, purchased in the mid-2000s
- Gulfstream G550, acquired around 2013
- Gulfstream G650 / G650ER, purchased in 2016
- Gulfstream G700, as of early 2024
As a fun tidbit of information, Oprah’s jets consistently use the tail number N540W. The 54 refers to 1954 (her birth year), and the “W” stands for Winfrey.
Based on the Celebrity Private Jet Tracker site, Oprah’s jets mostly fly across the US, but she also takes international trips to events or for leisure. The media mogul is famous for preferring to use her personal plane, but this is not always possible. Even private jets need maintenance or emergency repairs from time to time.
Still, engagements don’t tend to wait for your plane to be ready, so Oprah has occasionally had to use charter services. This is where private jet rental companies usually step in.
If the personal G700 isn’t available, a private jet rental company can offer a wide range of fully equipped jets (like a G600, G650, or even a Global Express XRS ) as a temporary replacement.
Private jet rental companies often have celebrities as clients, since most don’t want to deal with the long-term financial and operational burden of owning a plane. Even frequent flyers, who benefit from the stability of having an aircraft at their beck and call, still prefer fractional ownership over full ownership.
The Long-Haul Office
Owning a private jet comes with a wide range of perks, such as privacy, comfort, speed, and the luxury of skipping security and boarding lines. Oprah fully understands all of this and has famously called her private jet “one of the best investments” she ever made.
During her peak “queen of all media” career, every second was precious, and a private plane allowed her to work, sleep, and maintain a demanding schedule without the inconveniences associated with commercial international travel.
This is why all the customizations she made focus on functional luxury, sound suppression, and productivity. You won’t find any unnecessary bling in her planes. Oprah’s jets are configured to act as a home and office in the sky.
For instance, her G650ER was divided into four separate areas:
- Entertainment zone configured for 14-16 passengers
- Conference room, the mid-cabin area with four club seats and a large table
- Dining area, a high-end kitchen equipped for gourmet meal service
- Her sanctuary, a private stateroom or lounge area for sleeping
The G700 is an upgrade in both size and comfort, due to its ultra-large, whisper-quiet cabin (even for the ultra-long-range business jet class) and five interior zones. The zones can be converted, as needed, into a dining area (galley), club seating, a conference room, a grand en-suite bathroom, and more.
We don’t yet know what customizations Oprah chose for her G700, but it’s clear why she opted for this jet model: It is the perfect long-haul office in the sky.
The Productivity of Flying in Comfort
Oprah isn’t the only (or the first) celebrity to buy a private jet for the comfort and convenience it offers. Warren Buffett famously named his plane The Indispensable, a nod to the value it brought to his business travel.
Having a home and an office in the sky makes perfect sense from a business standpoint.
This story was produced by Jettly and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
