Latest news with #Venetians
International Business Times
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- International Business Times
Venice Protests Jeff Bezos' Wedding Amid Buzz Over Bizarre Mannequins
As Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez prepare for their extravagant wedding, Venice has unexpectedly become the backdrop for both celebration and controversy. Tourists are crowding around realistic mannequins of the couple placed across the city. One bizarre statue of Bezos, wrapped in fake dollar bills, has become a viral sensation. A towering sculpture of Bezos, over six feet tall and larger than life, now stands among the Venetian crowds. The statue, comically draped in counterfeit bills with his face printed on them, has sparked curiosity and laughter. Created by sculptors dressed as Amazon staff, the installation mixes art and satire, drawing attention from amused onlookers—and even curious pigeons, as TMZ noted. But these installations are more than quirky photo ops. Many of them, eerily lifelike, are seen as protest symbols. Critics argue the wedding, with its celebrity guest list, could intensify space issues in a city already overcrowded during peak tourist season. Luxury and excess appear central to the festivities, with reports suggesting Sanchez may wear over $30 million worth of jewelry. Meanwhile, celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Tom Brady, and Leonardo DiCaprio are expected to attend, raising concerns among Venetians who say the city is being turned into a private playground for the wealthy. Local activists insist their issue is not with the marriage itself, but with what it represents. They say Venice is slowly being turned into a playground for billionaires, displacing locals and limiting access to public areas. They describe this trend as a form of exploitation and loss of civic space. Activist Alice Bazzoli, from the group "No Space for Bezos," told Sky News that the Amazon founder is treating the entire city like a private event hall. The group is a coalition of local campaigners, environmentalists, and housing advocates. They argue that high-profile events worsen issues like overcrowding, environmental harm, and public exclusion. Their efforts may already be influencing change, with reports that Bezos shifted his wedding venue following public outcry. The group, carrying inflatable crocodiles as symbols of protest, claims this as a small victory in their campaign to preserve Venice's identity.
The Age
6 hours ago
- Business
- The Age
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez marry in lavish Venice ceremony
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 ($5.3 million). Protest movement Businesses have welcomed the glitz and glamour, but the event 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. 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% ruins the world'. Police intervened, forcibly removing the protesters. The anti-Bezos front was 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.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Wedding Planners Promise They Won't Take Over Venice
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's wedding planners have insisted they have no plans to take over the city of Venice in the face of mounting protests from locals. The Amazon billionaire plans to wed fiancée Sanchez at a lavish three-day ceremony in Venice this week, sparking furious protest from Venetians who have vowed to blockade the city's canals and ports, and picket the as-of-yet unannounced wedding venue. 'Bezos will never get to the Misericordia,' protest organizer Federica Toninello told a crowd last week, referring to a historic 14th-century armory hotly tipped to be the ceremony location, CNN reported. 'We will block the canals, line the streets with our bodies, block the canals with inflatables, dinghies, boats.' Another protester promised the event will be remembered for the backlash rather than its opulent attendees, adding, 'We can't miss a chance to disrupt a $10-million wedding.' Among the precautions city officials have taken in the run-up to the event: block-booking the city's nine yacht ports, reserving a large number of Venice's iconic water taxis, closing off a variety of iconic venues and event spaces from the public in an effort to keep protesters out, and banning drones in Venetian airspace, CNN reported. Bezos has also drafted former United States Marines to provide security for the event, further heightening tensions. But wedding organizer Lanza & Baucina Limited, founded by Prince Antonio Licata di Baucina and Count Riccardo Lanza, has hit back at claims the Bezos wedding party is 'taking over' the city, claiming their goal has been to minimize disruption to the city throughout the three-day event. 'From the outset, instructions from our client and our own guiding principles were abundantly clear: the minimising of any disruption to the city, the respect for its residents and institutions, and the overwhelming employment of locals in the crafting of the events,' di Baucina and Lanza company said in a statement, according to Page Six. The minor royals, who boast of 'always knowing someone who can open the secret doors in Italy,' said they had been working for months to avoid negatively impacting the city. 'We have always acknowledged the wider debate and critical issues surrounding the city's future, and from the outset our client has been honoured to support the city and its all-important lagoon through non-profit organisations and associated projects,' a company spokesman said. 'Rumors of 'taking over' the city are entirely false and diametrically opposed to our goals and to reality,' they added. 'No exaggerated quantity of water taxis or gondolas have ever been booked, the number of taxis reserved being proportionate for the number of guests.' Bezos has also reportedly curried favor with city officials by making substantial donations to a number of local charities and sourcing around 80 percent of the wedding's provisions from local vendors, CNN reports. A pro-Bezos campaign group named 'Yes, Bezos can' has also sprung up, thanking the billionaire for pumping funds into the local economy. Around 200 A-list guests are expected to attend, with celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Mick Jagger, and Kim Kardashian all rumored to be on the guest list. A local official also let slip that President Donald Trump is hotly tipped to make an appearance, although his priorities may have changed following the weekend's geopolitical escalation with Iran.
AsiaOne
8 hours 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.
The Advertiser
10 hours ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
Jeff Bezos weds Lauren Sanchez in grand Venice ceremony
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez have married in a lavish Venice wedding, after multiple days of star-studded nuptial events. Sánchez, 55, 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. 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. Friday night's ceremony had 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 about $US50 million ($A77 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 three million euros ($A5.4 million). 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, 61, 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. 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 one 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," mayor Luigi Brugnaro said. Bezos, Amazon's executive chair, got engaged to Sanchez in 2023, four years after the collapse of his 25-year marriage to MacKenzie Scott. with AP Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez have married in a lavish Venice wedding, after multiple days of star-studded nuptial events. Sánchez, 55, 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. 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. Friday night's ceremony had 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 about $US50 million ($A77 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 three million euros ($A5.4 million). 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, 61, 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. 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 one 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," mayor Luigi Brugnaro said. Bezos, Amazon's executive chair, got engaged to Sanchez in 2023, four years after the collapse of his 25-year marriage to MacKenzie Scott. with AP Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez have married in a lavish Venice wedding, after multiple days of star-studded nuptial events. Sánchez, 55, 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. 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. Friday night's ceremony had 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 about $US50 million ($A77 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 three million euros ($A5.4 million). 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, 61, 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. 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 one 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," mayor Luigi Brugnaro said. Bezos, Amazon's executive chair, got engaged to Sanchez in 2023, four years after the collapse of his 25-year marriage to MacKenzie Scott. with AP Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez have married in a lavish Venice wedding, after multiple days of star-studded nuptial events. Sánchez, 55, 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. 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. Friday night's ceremony had 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 about $US50 million ($A77 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 three million euros ($A5.4 million). 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, 61, 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. 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 one 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," mayor Luigi Brugnaro said. Bezos, Amazon's executive chair, got engaged to Sanchez in 2023, four years after the collapse of his 25-year marriage to MacKenzie Scott. with AP
