The Bezos-Sanchez nuptials are almost enough to turn me into a socialist
I do not wish to be a party pooper but isn't there something uniquely grotesque about Jeff Bezos's wedding? And I'm not just referring to his bride Lauren Sanchez's cosmetically-enhanced face.
The multi billionaire couple have taken over Venice for their seemingly never ending nuptials, which are being attended by 200 guests, including Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey and Leonardo DiCaprio.
The fest was supposed to be the epitome of refinement, oozing the sort of continental sophistication that moneyed Yanks yearn for.
Yet so far it has proved to be a triumph of tackiness over taste. We've had a pyjama party and the couple cavorting around on their $500 million yacht covered in foam.
This reminded me of a budget holiday I took to Faliraki in 1996. My school mates and I paid about £250 for that week away in Rhodes. The new Mr and Mrs Bezos are rumoured to have dropped at least $20 million (£14 million) on this similarly classless cringefest.
Naturally the anti-capitalists have been out in force, protesting against 'what the wedding represents'.
The crusties claim they are responsible for creating a 'climate emergency'; the socialists claim they are making people poorer; angry locals claim tourism is forcing them out of their homes.
I don't agree with any of this. Bezos's business model isn't the problem here. Amazon employs 1.5 million people. It is arguably the most consumer-friendly company in the world.
No, what I object to is the idea that a high net worth wedding now seems to necessitate this sort of festival of narcissism. One day of ostentation might be just about bearable but six?
Far from affirming the Bezos's affluence, it smacks of imposter syndrome in the vein of Harry Enfield's Loadsamoney: 'shut yer mouth and look at my wad'.
We know you're one of the richest men on planet earth, Jeff, you really don't need to spend the national debt of Tuvalu to prove it.
Never has Oscar Wilde's famous quote about people knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing been more apt.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Ivanka Trump sparks security fears at Jeff Bezos wedding with intimate photo 'revealing location'
Ivanka Trump has sparked security fears after she potentially revealed the new location of the star-studded wedding between Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez. The three-day party, $48 million affair in Venice had a last minute venue change due to protests from angry locals and global tensions arising from the US strike on Iran over this past weekend. Ivanka has ignited concerns after she posted a photo of her hotel room number alongside several pictures of herself and husband Jared Kushner in their formal attire. 'Ready to celebrate the love story of our friends, Lauren Sanchez and @JeffBezos,' she posted on X on Thursday afternoon. The image set contained a photograph of a white door with the couple's room number and the word 'Dolce Vita' written on the front. It immediately sparked concerned replies from eagle-eyed social media users. 'Did you dox location by posting the photo of that door?' one person replied to her post, which has now been seen by more than 235,000 people. The pre-wedding festivities began Thursday with what was believed to be the rehearsal dinner, an event attended by a long list of celebrities. They include Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Kendall Jenner, Kylie Jenner, Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom and Tom Brady, all of whom were dressed to the nines. Ivanka and Kushner were seen arriving in Venice ahead of the event in a gondola. The couple previously jetted in with their children Arabella Rose, 13, Joseph Frederick, 10, and Theodore James, eight. The first daughter shared snaps of her and husband Jared Kushner, but included one image which may have given away the location of the exclusive event One person replied with concern to her post, which has now been seen by more than 235,000 people Ivanka is one of the most insulated guests at the wedding, since she has a Secret Service detail that is no doubt causing a headache for other partygoers. A heavy police presence has been spotted in the city ahead of the nuptials, while divers were seen conducting sweeps of the canals. On Thursday, the bride was seen sporting terrifyingly tight corset for the party, while her Amazon billionaire groom was dressed in a white shirt, black suit and sunglasses. Bezos held out his hand as he and Sanchez stepped aboard a water taxi, before the the couple shared a quick kiss in front of adoring fans. Ivanka and her family jetted off to Venice on Tuesday to make the wedding. The family has been seeing enjoying the sites, spotted getting into a water taxi to explore the city on Wednesday. Ivanka has been sharing their trip to social media, posting some snaps from the family vacation later on in the day. 'Da Venezia, con amore,' she captioned a series of photos, which translates to 'From Venice, with love.' The upcoming wedding seems to be a family affair for Ivanka, as other members of the Trump family are rumored to be among the 200 guests. The original plan was for a huge party at the Scuola Grande della Misericordia on Saturday night, but it has now been moved to another venue in the Arsenale area of the city, according to local media. A source revealed to Daily Mail that around 60 of Venice's water taxis are reserved for the week, with some of the 400 gondolas on the island out of commission as well. Bezos' superyacht, Koru, which includes a bronze goddess statue that shares similarities with his lover Sanchez, is also in the area, moored off the coast of Croatia, which is located across from Italy in the Mediterranean. However, not all are happy about Bezos taking over the city for days. On Monday, Greenpeace activists unfurled a huge banner in St Mark's Square, the iconic heart of Venice protesting against the wedding. It showed an image of Bezos face and the slogan: 'If you can rent Venice for your wedding then you can pay more tax.' Activists from British group 'Everyone Hates Elon' were also involved and said they had carried it out to highlight the, 'environmental and social injustice of the wedding'. One said: 'Bezos encapsulates an economic and social model which is steering us towards collapse. 'All to often now social injustice travels on an equal par with the climate, on one side the arrogance of a few billionaires who have a lifestyle that devastates the planet, the other people who suffer daily from the environment crisis.' These demonstrations are part of the reason why Bezos chose to move part of the wedding elsewhere. He's also hired a team of former US marines to provide security for the event. The actual wedding ceremony is set to kick off on Friday.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Tyson Fury's true feelings on retirement revealed following conversations with WBC president
Tyson Fury insists he's retired... but that doesn't mean he's at peace. The Gypsy King has kept up regular contact with WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman since hanging up his gloves for the fourth time following his second defeat by Oleksandr Usyk in December last year. And while Fury is adamant he's done with boxing, it's clear the decision in that rematch — when all three judges called the fight 116-112 to Usyk — still stings. Sulaiman told Sky Sports this week: 'I call him regularly and he said: "Oh I'm so happy, retired, I'm here with my wife." 'He didn't hint whatsoever that he was planning on coming back. 'He told me he was not happy with the decision in the second fight with Usyk. He's still very bitter about the judges' scoring and he was very upset but he was retired, that's what he said.' It's a glimpse into the mindset of a fighter who has danced with retirement almost as often as he has with his rivals in the ring. Fury may claim he is content to be out of the sport, but the frustration of that unanimous points loss is a reminder that the fire still burns. Even Sulaiman can't rule out a comeback, adding: 'Maybe like in The Godfather, the movie, maybe we'll hear him say: "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!" We don't know…' Despite Fury's insistence that he is retired, the heavyweight division continues to buzz with speculation about another comeback. In April, Fury linked back up with trainer SugarHill Steward in the gym, filming himself and teasing: 'You know what's coming.' He has also revealed he's been enjoying twice-daily training sessions and sharing his love of working out on social media. With Anthony Joshua still waiting for that long-awaited 'Battle of Britain' clash, promoter Eddie Hearn recently admitted the ball was firmly in Fury's court. 'The way that fight gets made is probably Tyson reaches out to AJ and says, "Mate, do you fancy it?" And he'll go, "100 per cent, let's f***ing do it," Hearn said.
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Orlando Bloom 'accused of having wandering eye' to Kim Kardashian months ago
Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry are said to have split after nine years together - as he flies solo and reunites with Kim Kardashian at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's wedding Orlando Bloom appeared to have been eyeing-up Kim Kardashian months before his shock split from Katy Perry was announced. The couple's break up was revealed earlier this week after nine years together. They were first linked in 2016 before splitting and getting back together in 2018. A year later Orlando popped the question and they welcomed their daughter Daisy Dove, who will turn five in August, in 2020. But I Kissed A Girl Singer Katy's touring has reportedly caused tension within their relationship and her and Orlando are said to have been 'living separate lives' more recently - despite the last time they were pictured together being the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in March this year. Though neither have publicly commented on the claims, it's said the couple's relationship is 'already over' and they are waiting until her world tour ends in December to officially break up. Tellingly, Orlando has since been spotted at events solo, including at Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos' wedding to Lauren Sanchez in Venice earlier this week, where the Kardashians - including Kim - were also guests. Now a photo taken last year when Katy, Orlando and Katy were pictured at a gala in New York has resurfaced - showing Orlando appearing to sneak a peek at Kim's famous derriere while wife-to-be Katy is stood right next to him. The snap, which was taken at the Kering Foundation's Caring for Women Dinner last September - shows Orlando with one hand on Katy's waist as he appears to look down towards Kim in a figure-hugging white dress. Whether it's just an amusing picture or there's more to it, fans were quick to spot Orlando's 'wandering eyes' with one asking: "Would you be angry if you were Katy Perry?" Leaping to Katy's defence another said: "Katy doesn't have to worry about Kim." A third mused: "Maybe he is disgusted, or turned off by it, or just curious to see it, doesn't necessarily mean he is mad with lust for it." A fourth stated: "I think most men and women will check out good looking people, very normal." The Mirror has reached out to reps for Orlando and Katy for further comment on this story. In another telling sign Orlando, 48, has indeed split with 40-year-old Katy, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor was reportedly seen cosying up to a mysterious woman in a water taxi at the Bezos wedding. He was also seen having a 'cosy chat' with Kim Kardashian at the wedding. She flashed a beaming smile as she stepped towards the Lord of the Rings icon while wearing dramatic sunglasses. She continued to grin as they stepped to the side together, seemingly to engage in an animated conversation. His solo appearance comes following reports he is "now a single man". It's thought Katy didn't attend the wedding, even though she is a close friend of the couple and even jetted to space with Lauren earlier this year. She is currently on her Lifetimes World Tour with dates in Canada this weekend. A source told Us Weekly: "Katy and Orlando have split but are amicable. It's not contentious at the moment. Katy is of course upset, but is relieved to not have to go through another divorce, as that was the worst time in her life." The source described the alleged split as "a long time coming" and claimed their relations "have been tense for months".
