What we know so far about Jeff Bezos' $50 million star-studded luxury Venice wedding
The rich and famous have descended on Venice, Italy this weekend to celebrate the wedding of billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and former broadcast journalist Lauren Sanchez in a show of all things money.
The star-stunned event boasts a guestlist of some 200 celebrities and business elite, including President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Usher and a spattering of the Kardashians — to name a but few.
And while the exact details of the three-day affair have been kept confidential amid city-wide protests, it is expected to rack up a bill of around $50 million.
The couple will reportedly exchange their vows Friday at a black-tie ceremony on the private island of San Giorgio, away from public access, according to the Guardian.
The main wedding reception, meanwhile, is set to be held Saturday in the Arsenale, a historic complex surrounded by fortified walls on the eastern side of the city. The venue was changed at the last minute from a 16th-century building in the center of the city due to security concerns.
It follows a pre-wedding reception Thursday, which was held in the cloisters of Madonna dell'Orto, a medieval church in the central area of Cannaregio.
Other side events are reportedly set to include a foam party and a Great Gatsby-themed soiree.
The president of the Veneto regional government which comprises Venice, Luca Zaia, told reporters Tuesday that the wedding and its various accompaniments were set to cost 40 million to 48 million euros ($47-$56 million).
Bezos, one of the world's richest people with an estimated net worth of $230 billion, according to Forbes, is also reportedly set to make a number of charity donations, including 2 million euros for Corila, an academic consortium that studies Venice's lagoon ecosystem.
The expense doesn't stop there, however: many guests arrived early — via private jet, super yacht and helicopter — to enjoy the best designer shopping and high-end hotels the city of water has to offer.
Five of Venice's most luxurious hotels, including the Cipriani and the Aman, have been booked out to host the guests, according to Reuters.
The lavish display of money and excess has provoked backlash from local residents and environmental demonstrators who protest the use of the Unesco world heritage site as a playground for the super-rich.
Venice has already been under pressure from over tourism, with the famed Italian city last year becoming the first in the world to introduce a tourist entry fee in a bid to alleviate the pressure of mass tourism and make it more livable for residents.
Italy has, nevertheless, been experiencing a surge in wealthy arrivals — both to visit and live — as its more hospitable flat-tax regime and booming luxury real estate sector have proved a draw whereas other countries have sought to crack down on the uber-rich.
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