Founder of the doomed 'never-ending' cruise speaks out: 'I'm the villain in the story, but I'm doing everything I can'

Villa Vie Residences Executive Chairman Mikael Petterson (right) posed for a photo with a passenger before the Odyssey cruise ship set sail in 2024. Liam McBurney/PA Images via Getty Images

After a stormy two years at sea, the founder behind the doomed "never-ending" cruise had a plan last week to keep the ship's finances afloat.

With his company, Villa Vie Residences, Mikael Petterson had promised a new way of life: People could spend six figures to purchase one of 509 cabins on a luxury cruise ship called the Odyssey, and sail around the world for the rest of their lives.

Reality was different. Unexpected mechanical problems delayed the ship's launch for months. Some passengers were unhappy with their cabins. Then the war in Iran sent fuel prices soaring. Residents began to jump ship.

That began a financial whirlpool that sucked the ship under.…