Latest news with #Bezos
AsiaOne
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
Bezos and Sanchez head to wedding ceremony in star-studded Venice, World News
VENICE - Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez left their luxury hotel on Venice's Grand Canal on Friday (June 27) to head to their wedding ceremony, the centrepiece of a three-day gala featuring dozens of stars but also protests by local activists. Sanchez, 55, waved and blew kisses to onlookers as she boarded a sleek motor boat outside the Aman hotel wearing short-sleeved, cream, fitted skirt suit, with shades and a head scarf to protect her from the blistering summer sun. Around two hours later Bezos, 61, wearing a black tuxedo and bow tie over a white shirt, made the same short trip across the lagoon to the small island of San Giorgio where the couple will exchange rings, accompanied by singing from Matteo Bocelli, son of Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. The evening ceremony will have no legal status under Italian law, a senior city hall official told Reuters, suggesting the couple may have already legally wed in the United States, avoiding the bureaucracy associated with an Italian marriage. The festivities, estimated to cost around $50 million (S$63 million), culminate on Saturday with a party in a former medieval shipyard where media outlets say Lady Gaga and Elton John are set to perform. Bill Gates, Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom, Tom Brady, the queen of Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Kris Jenner and Kim and Khloe Kardashian as well as Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner and Domenico Dolce from Dolce & Gabbana are among the 200-250 guests. Amid tight security, there have been glimpses of the celebrities moving around town, the women in summer dresses and high heels stepping somewhat gingerly off boats ferrying them around the city's 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 are worth 3 million euros (S$4.4 million). Protest movement Businesses have welcomed the glitz and glamour but it is opposed by a local protest movement whose members resent what they see as Venice being gift-wrapped for ultra-rich outsiders. Bezos is No 4 on Forbes' global billionaires list. Giulia Cacopardo, a 28-year-old representative of the "No Space for Bezos" movement, complained that the needs of ordinary people were being neglected in a city that is a tourist magnet and fast depopulating largely due to the soaring cost of living. [[nid:719535]] Venice's city centre has less than 50,000 residents, compared to almost 100,000 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 per cent" as a masked couple posed as bride and groom and one man climbed a pole to unfurl a banner reading "The 1 per cent ruins the world". Police intervened, forcibly removing the protesters. The anti-Bezos front is planning a march on Saturday, and their activities have already led authorities to step up security and move the location of the closing party to a more secluded part of Venice, the Arsenale former shipyard. Charlotte Perkins, an Australian tourist, said she could understand the locals' resentment at their city being treated as a celebrity playground. "I'd probably feel the same if I lived here," she said. But politicians, hoteliers and some other Venice residents are happy about the wedding, saying such events do more to support the local economy than the multitudes of day-trippers who normally overrun 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. A study by Italy's tourism ministry estimated the overall economic impact of the wedding at 957 million euros, with an 896 million euro boost from "media visibility", and the rest coming from direct or indirect spending related to the event. Bezos, Amazon's executive chair, got engaged to Sanchez in 2023, four years after the collapse of his 25-year marriage to MacKenzie Scott.
DW
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- DW
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez marry in Venice – DW – 06/27/2025
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos married his fiancée Lauren Sanchez in a controversial three-day celebration. Estimated to cost up to $56 million, the guest list included Hollywood stars, athletes and even royalty. Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos married his partner, Lauren Sanchez, in a lavish ceremony on Friday in Venice's San Giorgio Maggiore island. Sanchez first stepped out from the luxury Aman hotel the couple were staying at, wearing a skirt suit, and Jeff Bezos followed some two hours later. Sanchez's wedding dress was still kept under wraps at the time she stepped onto a motor boat from her hotel but she later revealed the dress on her newly branded Instagram page with the name: Lauren Sanchez Bezos. The former journalist reportedly has 27 outfits prepared for festivities, with Dolce & Gabbana having been the fashion house behind her wedding gown. Bezos wore a black tuxedo and a bow tie over a white shirt, as the official photo Sanchez shared on her Instagram photo showed. The interest around the power couple's wedding sent the media into a tizzy, with dozens of photographers having parked themselves in boats outside Aman, and other hotels where guests stayed. Papparazzi took photos of numerous VIP guests including Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom, Jordan's Queen Rania, US football player Tom Brady, singer Usher and Ivanka Trump — the daughter of US President Donald Trump. But the lavish wedding was not without its objectors. Venice is one of the most iconic cities in the world, but it is also among the most vulnerable to rising sea levels caused by climate change. Its popularity has also led to overtourism, with local residents complaining of a lack of affordable housing and poor access to essential services. At least 95 private planes requested permission to land at Venice's Marco Polo airport for the wedding, the Italian daily reported, while several megayachts have also moored off the city. Environmentalists, housing advocates, anti-cruise ship campaigners and university groups have come together to protest the wedding under the banner "No space for Bezos." The slogan is a play on words that references his space exploration company, Blue Origin, as well as the bride's recent space flight. Greenpeace unfurled a banner in St Mark's Square denouncing the billionaire tech mogul for not paying enough in taxes. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Other activists displayed mannequins mocking Bezos around the city, including one that bobbed in the city's canals, clinging to an Amazon parcel to stay afloat. Bezos and Sanchez are donating €3 million ($3.5 million) to the city, according to Veneto's regional president Luca Zaia, and are employing historic Venetian artisans. The celebrations are set to wrap up on Saturday with a party likely at the Arsenale, a vast shipyard complex dating back to when the city was a naval powerhouse and which nowadays serves as a venue for the Venice Biennale. The party bags will reportedly feature glassware from Laguna B as well as traditional Venetian cookies made by the city's oldest pastry maker Rosa Salva. The governor of Veneto told reporters that the most recent price tag for the three-day event was between €40 and €48 million (up to $56 million). That's more than 1,000 times the cost of the average US couple's wedding, which came in at $36,000 in 2025, according to wedding planning site Zola.
Yomiuri Shimbun
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Bespoke Bash for a Billionaire: Jeff Bezos Weds Lauren Sánchez in Lavish Venice Ceremony
VENICE, Italy (AP) — The sky itself is no limit for billionaire Jeff Bezos and fiancée Lauren Sánchez, who have traveled into space — and expectations were about as high ahead of their wedding in Venice on Friday. One of the world's most enchanting cities as backdrop? Check. Star-studded guestlist and tabloid buzz? Of course. Local flavor? You bet. And then, time to tie the knot. The couple held their wedding ceremony Friday night, and Sánchez posted to Instagram a photo of herself beaming in a white gown as she stood alongside a tuxedo-clad Bezos, the world's fourth-richest man. It was the second day of events spread across the Italian lagoon city, which added complexity to what would have been a massive logistical undertaking even on dry land. Dozens of private jets had flocked to Venice's airport, and yachts pulled into the city's famed waterways. Athletes, celebrities, influencers and business leaders converged to revel in extravagance that was as much a testament to the couple's love as to their extraordinary wealth. The heady hoopla recalled the 2014 wedding in Venice of actor George Clooney to human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin, when adoring crowds lined the canals and hundreds of well-wishers gathered outside City Hall. Not so for these nuptials, which became a lightning rod for small, colorful protests. But any desire to dampen the prevailing fever pitch hadn't materialized as of Friday. Instead, the glitterati were partying, and the paparazzi jostling for glimpses of the gilded gala. And the bride wore a classic mermaid-line gown, featuring Dolce & Gabbana's signature Italian lace. A traditional tulle-and-lace veil completed her look. 'Not just a gown, a piece of poetry,' she wrote on Instagram, where her name now appears as Lauren Sánchez Bezos. Logistics and costs Venice is famed for its network of canals, where gondoliers croon for lovestruck couples and even ambulances are aquatic. But water transport of everything from bouquets to guests makes Venice among the world's most challenging cities for a party, according to Jack Ezon, CEO of Embark Beyond, a luxury travel advisory and destination event service. 'It's a very tight-knit community; everyone there knows everyone, and you need to work with the right people,' said Ezon, whose company has put on a dozen high-end events in Venice. 'There's very tight control, especially on movement there with boats.' It at least triples the cost versus staging the same soiree in Rome or Florence, he said. Veneto Gov. Luca Zaia was first to give an estimated tally for the Bezos/Sánchez bash: He told reporters this week the most recent total he saw was between 40 million and 48 million euros (up to $56 million). It's an eye-popping, jaw-dropping figure that's over 1,000 times the $36,000 average cost of American couples' weddings in 2025, according to wedding planning website Zola's annual report. Bezos' team has been tight-lipped about where these millions are going. When the youngest son of Asia's richest man married last July, performances by pop stars Rihanna and Justin Bieber pushed up the price tag. 'How do you spend $40 million on a three- or four-day event?' Ezon said. 'You could bring headliners, A-list performers, great DJs from anywhere in the world. You could spend $2 million on an incredible glass tent that's only there for 10 hours, but it takes a month to build,' or expand the celebration to local landmarks. There's no sign Sánchez and Bezos, the former CEO of Amazon, intend to take over any of Venice's tourist-thronged hotspots. Still, intense hand-wringing about the prospect prompted their wedding coordinator, Lanza & Baucina, to issue a rare statement calling those rumors false. On Friday afternoon, Sánchez emerged from her hotel wearing a silk scarf on her head and blew a kiss to journalists before stepping into her water taxi. It carried her through the canals to San Giorgio island, across the lagoon basin from St. Mark's Square, where the couple held their ceremony Friday night. Bezos followed two hours later. Then, in a string of water taxis, came their illustrious guests — Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian, Ivanka Trump, Tom Brady, Bill Gates, Queen Rania of Jordan, Leonardo DiCaprio, and more. Paparazzi trailed on their own boats, trying to capture them all on camera. Vogue magazine, to which the couple granted exclusive access, reported that the Dolce & Gabbana-designed gown took 900 hours to complete. Inspired by Sophia Loren's wedding dress in the 1958 film Houseboat, it featured high-necked, hand-appliqued lace and 180 silk chiffon-covered priest buttons. 'No Space' There are some who say these two shouldn't have been wed in this city. They characterize the wedding as a decadent display of wealth in a world with growing inequality, and argue it's a shining example of tourism taking precedence over residents' needs, particularly affordable housing and essential services. Venice is also one of the cities most vulnerable to rising sea levels from climate change. 'Venice is not just a pretty picture, a pretty postcard to please the needs and wants of the elite or of mass tourists, but it is an alive city, made of people who want to actually live there,' Stella Faye, a researcher at a university from Venice, said on Friday. About a dozen Venetian organizations — including housing advocates, anti-cruise ship campaigners and university groups — are protesting under the banner 'No Space for Bezos,' a play on words referring to his space exploration company Blue Origin and the bride's recent space flight. Greenpeace unfurled a banner in St. Mark's Square denouncing Bezos for paying insufficient taxes. Activists floated a bald-headed Bezos-inspired mannequin down Venice's Grand Canal atop an Amazon delivery box, its hands clenching fake cash. Authorities — from Venice's mayor to the nation's tourism minister — have dismissed the outcry, saying it ignores the visibility and economic boost the wedding has brought. 'There will be photos everywhere, social media will go wild over the bride's dress, over the ceremony,' Italy's tourism minister, Daniela Santanchè, told the AP. 'All of this translates into a massive free publicity campaign. In fact, because they will spend a lot of money, they will enrich Venice — our shopkeepers, artisans, restaurateurs, hotels. So it's a great opportunity both for spending and for promoting Italy in the world.' Philanthropy As Amazon's CEO, Bezos usually avoided the limelight, frequently delegating announcements and business updates to his executives. Today he has a net worth of $234 billion, according to Forbes. In 2019, he announced he was divorcing his first wife, MacKenzie Scott, just before the National Enquirer published a story about an affair with Sánchez, a former TV news anchor. Sánchez filed for divorce the day after Bezos' divorce was finalized. He stepped down as CEO in 2021, saying he wished to spend more time on side projects, including Blue Origin, The Washington Post, which he owns, and his philanthropic initiatives. Sitting beside Sánchez during an interview with CNN in 2022, he announced plans to give away the majority of his wealth during his lifetime. Last week, a Venetian environmental research association issued a statement saying Bezos' Earth Fund was supporting its work with an 'important donation.' CORILA, which seeks protection of the Venetian lagoon system, said contact began in April, well before any protests. Local media have reported a reception Saturday in the Arsenale, a former navy base best known as a primary venue for the Venice Biennale.
Leader Live
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Billionaire Jeff Bezos marries Lauren Sanchez in lavish Venice ceremony
A post shared by Lauren Sánchez Bezos (@laurensanchezbezos) One of the world's most enchanting cities as a backdrop? Check. Star-studded guest list and tabloid buzz? Of course. Local flavour? You bet. And then, time to tie the knot. The couple held their wedding ceremony Friday night, and Sanchez posted to Instagram a photo of herself beaming in a white gown as she stood alongside a tuxedo-clad Bezos, the world's fourth-richest man. It was the second day of events spread across the Italian lagoon city, which added complexity to what would have been a massive logistical undertaking even on dry land. Dozens of private jets had flocked to Venice's airport, and yachts pulled into the city's famed waterways. Athletes, celebrities, influencers and business leaders converged to revel in extravagance that was as much a testament to the couple's love as to their extraordinary wealth. A post shared by Lauren Sánchez Bezos (@laurensanchezbezos) The heady hoopla recalled the 2014 wedding in Venice of actor George Clooney to human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin, when adoring crowds lined the canals and hundreds of well-wishers gathered outside City Hall. Not so for these nuptials, which became a lightning rod for small, colourful protests. But any desire to dampen the prevailing fever pitch hadn't materialised as of Friday. Instead, the glitterati were partying and the paparazzi were jostling for glimpses of the gilded gala. On Friday afternoon, Sanchez emerged from her hotel wearing a silk scarf on her head and blew a kiss to journalists before stepping into her water taxi. It carried her through the canals to San Giorgio island, across the lagoon basin from St Mark's Square, where the couple held their ceremony on Friday night. Bezos followed two hours later. Then, in a string of water taxis, came their illustrious guests — Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian, Ivanka Trump, Tom Brady, Bill Gates, Queen Rania of Jordan, Leonardo DiCaprio and more. Paparazzi trailed on their own boats, trying to capture them all on camera. There are some who say these two shouldn't have been married in this city. They characterise the wedding as a decadent display of wealth in a world with growing inequality, and argue it's a shining example of tourism taking precedence over residents' needs, particularly affordable housing and essential services. Venice is also one of the cities most vulnerable to rising sea levels from climate change. Stella Faye, a researcher at a university in Venice, said: 'Venice is not just a pretty picture, a pretty postcard to please the needs and wants of the elite or of mass tourists, but it is an alive city, made of people who want to actually live there.' About a dozen Venetian organisations — including housing advocates, anti-cruise ship campaigners and university groups — are protesting under the banner 'No Space for Bezos,' a play on words referring to his space exploration company Blue Origin and the bride's recent space flight. Greenpeace unfurled a banner in St Mark's Square denouncing Bezos for paying insufficient taxes. Activists floated a bald-headed Bezos-inspired mannequin down Venice's Grand Canal atop an Amazon delivery box, its hands clenching fake cash. Authorities — from Venice's mayor to the nation's tourism minister — have dismissed the outcry, saying it ignores the visibility and economic boost the wedding has brought. 'There will be photos everywhere, social media will go wild over the bride's dress, over the ceremony,' Italy's tourism minister, Daniela Santanche, told the AP. 'All of this translates into a massive free publicity campaign. In fact, because they will spend a lot of money, they will enrich Venice — our shopkeepers, artisans, restaurateurs and hotels. So it's a great opportunity both for spending and for promoting Italy in the world.' As Amazon's chief executive, Bezos usually avoided the limelight, frequently delegating announcements and business updates to his executives. Today, he has a net worth of 234 billion dollars, according to Forbes. In 2019, he announced he was divorcing his first wife, MacKenzie Scott, just before the National Enquirer published a story about an affair with Sanchez, a former TV news anchor. Sanchez filed for divorce the day after Bezos's divorce was finalised. He stepped down as chief executive of Amazon in 2021, saying he wished to spend more time on side projects, including Blue Origin; The Washington Post, which he owns; and his philanthropic initiatives. Sitting beside Sanchez during an interview with CNN in 2022, he announced plans to give away the majority of his wealth during his lifetime. Last week, a Venetian environmental research association issued a statement saying Bezos's Earth Fund was supporting its work with an 'important donation'. Corila, which seeks protection of the Venetian lagoon system, said contact began in April, well before any protests.
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
Bezos, Sanchez say 'I do' in a divided Venice
VENICE: Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez tied the knot Friday at a sumptuous ceremony with the rich and famous on an island in Venice's lagoon, out of the sight and sound of protesters. "This city seems impossible! It can't exist and yet, here it is!" an enchanted Bezos told a La Repubblica journalist Thursday, who got close to the magnate as he whizzed around the canals by boat. But protesters had a different view, questioning how long Venice can endure. While the billionaires party, activists argue the fragile city is sinking, overrun by tourists, and suffering from depopulation as locals, unable to pay soaring rents, are forced out. "No Kings, No Bezos," read a sign in green neon projected onto St Mark's Campanile tower on Thursday night. Sanchez, late Friday, posted a photo on Instagram – under a new name, laurensanchezbezos – showing her in a long, flowing white dress and him in black tie. The image did not indicate where it was taken. Bezos and Sanchez, a former news anchor and entertainment reporter, celebrated their nuptials with guests including Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, and Orlando Bloom. The tech magnate, 61, and Sanchez, 55, are staying at the Aman hotel – a luxury 16th-century palazzo on the Grand Canal with a view of the Rialto Bridge. Other A-list guests are reportedly staying at the Gritti Palace and the St. Regis. The couple exchanged vows at a black-tie ceremony on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore Friday afternoon, according to Italian media reports. The wedding is believed to have taken place in a vast open-air amphitheatre on the island, which sits across from Venice's iconic St Mark's Square. The newlyweds were to be serenaded by Matteo Bocelli, son of the famed opera singer Andrea Bocelli, reports said. Michelin-starred chef Fabrizio Mellino prepared the wedding dinner, while the cake was crafted by French pastry chef Cedric Grolet, according to Corriere della Sera. Sanchez is said to have prepared 27 outfits for the festivities. Wedding guests snapped by paparazzi as they hopped into boats included Jordan's Queen Rania, French luxury goods executive Francois-Henri Pinault, American football player Tom Brady, US fashion designer Spencer Antle, singer Usher, and Ivanka Trump – daughter of US President Donald Trump – along with her husband Jared Kushner. Guests reportedly lunched Thursday in the gardens of Villa Baslini, on the islet of San Giovanni Evangelista. The celebrations are set to conclude Saturday, with a party likely to be held at the Arsenale – a vast shipyard complex dating back to the city's naval heyday. Bezos and Sanchez are donating three million euros (US$3.5 million) to the city, according to Veneto's regional president Luca Zaia, and are employing historic Venetian artisans. Venice's oldest pastry maker, Rosa Salva, is baking 19th-century "fishermen's biscuits" for party bags, which will also include items by Laguna B – renowned for its handblown Murano glass. Trump and her family visited a glass-blowing workshop on the small island of Murano on Wednesday, according to the owner. "They were amazed and enchanted by the magic of glass," said Massimiliano Schiavon to Corriere della Sera, adding that the family even had a go at blowing glass themselves. Venice – home to the oldest film festival in the world – is no stranger to VIPs whizzing around in speed boats, and it famously hosted the star-studded nuptials of Hollywood actor George Clooney in 2014. Some say this wedding, too, brings good business. Italy's tourism ministry said Friday it expects the wedding to bring the city nearly one billion euros, with about 895 million of that estimated to come from the "media visibility" generated. But critics argue Bezos – one of the world's richest men and founder of a company regularly scrutinised for its treatment of workers – is a different case. "Tax Billionaires," read protest signs along the canals. "In the time it takes you to read this, Jeff Bezos's wealth has increased by more than your monthly salary," the signs read in English and Italian. Environmental activists have also pointed to the carbon footprint of the mega yachts and the dozens of private jets – at least 95 – that brought the rich and famous to the city. Still, not everyone is complaining. Samuel Silvestri, a 55-year-old salesman, welcomed the extravaganza. "Over-tourism is caused by those people who come with a backpack and their own food, and contribute very little," he said. "Not those who transform Venice into a mini-Monte Carlo. This marriage helps the image of the city." Italy's health ministry has issued a red heat alert for Venice for the weekend, part of a heatwave affecting much of southern Europe.
