Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez Celebrate $50 Million Wedding in Venice Amid Glamour and Protests
Amazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos, and journalist Lauren Sanchez are gearing up to tie the knot in a picturesque ceremony in Venice this Friday. This event is part of a lavish three-day wedding celebration that’s drawing in a host of celebrity guests, but it’s also sparked some protests from local activists.
At 61, Bezos and 55-year-old Sanchez will be exchanging their vows on the charming island of San Giorgio, right across from St Mark’s Square. They’ll be serenaded by Matteo Bocelli, the son of the renowned Italian pop-opera singer, Andrea Bocelli.
It’s worth noting that the ceremony won’t hold any legal weight under Italian law, as a senior city hall official shared with Reuters. This hints that the couple might have already tied the knot legally back in the United States, sidestepping the red tape that often comes with getting married in Italy.
The celebrations, which are expected to cost about $50 million (Ksh.6.4 billion), will wrap up on Saturday with a grand party at a historic shipyard where Lady Gaga and Elton John are rumored to take the stage.
Among the 200-250 guests are notable figures like Bill Gates, Orlando Bloom, Tom Brady, the queen of Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Kris Jenner, and the Kardashian sisters, Kim and Khloe, along with Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and Domenico Dolce from Dolce & Gabbana.
With tight security in place, there have been sightings of the stars making their way around the city, the women elegantly dressed in summer outfits and high heels, carefully stepping off boats that are shuttling them through the picturesque canals.
Celebrations began on Thursday evening in the cloisters of Madonna dell’Orto, a medieval church in the central district of Cannaregio that hosts masterpieces by 16th-century painter Tintoretto.
“This magical place has gifted us unforgettable memories,” the bride and groom said on their wedding invitation, in which they asked for “no gifts” and pledged charity donations for three Venetian institutions.
Their donations amount to a whopping 3 million euros (Ksh. 454.2 million).
‘GIFT-WRAPPED’ VENICE
While businesses are embracing the sparkle and shine, a local protest movement is pushing back, feeling that Venice is being dressed up for the ultra-wealthy. Bezos ranks No. 4 on Forbes’ billionaires list.
Giulia Cacopardo, a 28-year-old spokesperson for the “No Space for Bezos” movement, voiced her concerns that the everyday needs of locals are being overlooked in a city that attracts tourists but is rapidly losing its residents, largely due to the skyrocketing cost of living. The city center of Venice now has fewer than 50,000 residents, a stark contrast to nearly 100,000 back in the late 1970s.
“When you empty a city of its inhabitants, you can turn it into a stage for big events,” Cacopardo told Reuters. “(But) the money that Bezos spends on this wedding does not end up in the pockets of Venetians. The owners of luxury hotels are not Venetians.”
Cacopardo was one of 30-40 activists who staged a protest in St Mark’s Square on Thursday, chanting “We are the 99%” as a masked couple posed as bride and groom and one man climbed a pole to unfurl a banner reading “The 1% ruins the world”.
The police stepped in, forcefully clearing out the protesters. Meanwhile, the anti-Bezos group is gearing up for a march this Saturday, prompting authorities to ramp up security and relocate the party to a more hidden spot in Venice, specifically the old Arsenale shipyard.
However, local politicians, hoteliers, and residents of Venice are quite pleased about the wedding, arguing that events like this do more to boost the local economy than the usual influx of day-trippers who typically flood the city.
“We are happy and honoured to welcome Jeff Bezos and his consort Lauren Sanchez,” said Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, who sent white roses to the bride and a maxi-bottle of Amarone luxury red wine to the groom.
Italy’s Tourism Ministry recently conducted a study that estimates the wedding’s overall economic impact at a whopping 957 million euros (about Ksh.144.6 billion). This figure includes an impressive 896 million euros attributed to “media visibility,” with the remainder coming from both direct and indirect spending linked to the event.
In 2023, Bezos, who serves as Amazon’s executive chair, got engaged to Sanchez, marking a new chapter four years after his 25-year marriage to MacKenzie Scott came to an end.
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez Celebrate $50 Million Wedding in Venice Amid Glamour and Protests
