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Rhyl Journal
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
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.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Oprah Winfrey shows off CINCHED waist amid Ozempic journey at Bezos wedding
Oprah Winfrey flaunted her toned curves at the wedding of the year on Friday. The media mogul, 71, was one of the many A-list guests at the wedding of billionaire Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez in Venice, Italy. The former talk show host, who has been open about using Ozempic to help her lose and maintain her shapely form, was a vision in a fitted dusty pink gown, which featured her cinched waist. Structural draping helped accentuate Winfrey's hour glass shape, while the frothy chiffon sleeves and skirt added a soft touch to the designer frock. The Emmy winner wore her shoulder length dark hair in a half-ponytail, and accessorized with dangling diamond earrings. She was seen waving to fans as she prepared to board a gondola to take her and other guests from the Gritti Palace hotel to the ceremony at the San Giorgio Maggiore Basilica. Winfrey seemed to be the plus-one of her best friend Gayle King, 70. The CBS Morning anchor got to know both Sanchez and Bezos when she was part of the all-female Blue Origin crew, which blasted into space in April. King looked elegant in a flowing one-shoulder reddish-orange gown with a flowing A-line skirt. Other guests included: Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom, Kim Kardashian, Tom Brady, Bill Gates, Diane von Furstenberg, Usher, President Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, and her husband, Jared Kushner. When Winfrey kicked off her new podcast in December 2024, one of the first topics she tackled was her use of Ozempic and why she felt it was such an important tool in weight loss. The Oprah Winfrey Show star has publicly battled her weight for years. The drugs mimic the hormone GLP-1, which the body releases after eating, helping people feel full and slowing stomach emptying. 'One of the things that I realized the very first time I took a GLP-1 was that all these years I thought that thin people just had more willpower, they ate better foods, they were able to stick to it longer, they never had a potato chip,' she told the audience. Structural draping helped accentuate Winfrey's hour glass shape, while the frothy chiffon sleeves and skirt added a soft touch to the designer frock 'Then I realized the very first time I took the GLP-1 that, "Oh, they're not even thinking about it. They're only eating when they're hungry, and they're stopping when they're full."' Although hesitant to 'take the easy way out,' she finally began taking the drug in 2023, and lost 50 pounds. The 1619 Project producer said she came to realize that obesity is a disease, like alcoholism. Winfrey said she has come to realize that taking the medication for the disease of obesity is not the easy way out and that weight gain 'is a symptom of' obesity.
Irish Daily Star
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Star
Jeff Bezos' wedding guest list included celebrities like Kardashians and Ivanka Trump
One of the most highly anticipated weddings of the year has kicked off. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is marrying journalist Lauren Sanchez in a star-studded wedding ceremony in Venice, Italy, on June 27. Leading up to the ceremony, protestors lined the streets of the Italian city in defiance of the billionaire's celebration. Protestors slammed the high-profile wedding for overrunning the tourist industry, creating a higher security presence, and more. Posters proclaiming, "No Space for Bezos" were held up, a play on his Blue Origin space venture. A fake dummy of Bezos was also floating in the Venice canal with money in its hands as it floated on taped together Amazon boxes. But one of the more shocking details to emerge is that Jeff and Lauren possibly got married weeks ago. Read More Related Articles Jeff Bezos' 'appalling' take on fans to Lauren Sanchez exposed by lip reader Read More Related Articles Ivanka Trump flaunts tiny waist in pretty red gown after being upstaged by son A source revealed, "They have been married for at least a month, more than a month. When they were planning the wedding, they were clear about the fact that they were already secretly married." This live blog has ended. 19:37 Tatiana Krisztina It's official! Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are officially married. According to Page Six, the ceremony is over and sealed with a kiss. Share 19:20 Tatiana Krisztina Whitney Houston song helps ring in marriage From outside the wedding venue, people could hear loud cheers erupt along with Whitney Houston's hit song, Higher Love. The song was later remixed in 2019 by Kygo - and it's unclear if it was her original song or the remix playing. But there appeared to be high hopes as Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez tied the knot. Share 19:16 Tatiana Krisztina Jeff Bezos is all smiles amid protests The groom looked happy as he waved at onlookers as he headed to his nuptials. He wore a tuxedo and black bow-tie along with circular blackout sunglasses. (Image: AFP via Getty Images) Share 19:11 Tatiana Krisztina Leonardo DiCaprio goes incognito The Titanic star Leonardo DiCaprio tried to hide himself from the cameras as he boarded a water taxi. Leo donned a black baseball cap that covered his face. He also wore a traditional black and white suit. (Image: AP) Share 19:05 Tatiana Krisztina Oprah looks pretty in pink Oprah Winfrey was seen smiling and posing as she boarded a water taxi to attend Bezos' wedding. The star's best friend, Gayle King, was one of the women who went up into space with Lauren Sanchez and her all-female crew. (Image: AFP via Getty Images) Share 18:49 Tatiana Krisztina The Kardashian family arrives in style Kim Kardashian and her sister Khloe Kardashian arrived donning black and pink respectively. (Image: AFP via Getty Images) The two sisters took a water taxi together while their mom Kris Jenner left onlookers gobsmacked with her youthful glow as she rode alongside her partner, Corey Gamble, in an earlier water taxi. (Image: AFP via Getty Images) Read the full story here . Share 18:41 Tatiana Krisztina Celebrities begin to arrive, including Ivanka Trump Ivanka Trump was spotted donning a pink dress alongside her husband, Jared Kushner, as they got into a water taxi to jet off to the wedding. Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are attending Jeff Bezos' and Lauren Sanchez's wedding She posted about the upcoming nuptials on social media, praising the "love story" between Jeff and Lauren. Read the full story here . Share
Herald Sun
4 hours ago
- Business
- Herald Sun
How did Jeff Bezos become a billionaire?
It's incredible to think that Jeff Bezos started Amazon as an online bookstore from his Seattle garage in 1994. Fast forward three decades later, and the 61-year-old multi-billionaire is the third richest person in the world with a staggering $340 billion in the bank, multiple business interests, philanthropic endeavours and his very own space company, Blue Origin. But how did he become one of the world's most influential people? We take a look at the business of being Mr Jeff Bezos. According to Forbes, as of May 2025, Bezos's estimated net worth stood at $340 billion, making him the third richest person in the world behind Elon Musk ($650 billion) and Mark Zuckerberg ($370 billion). He was the wealthiest person from 2017 to 2021, according to Forbes and the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. AMAZON In 1994, a then 30-year-old Bezos and then wife MacKenzie Scott ditched their Wall Street jobs and moved to Seattle to start an online book business out of their garage. (They devised the company's business plan during the cross country drive from New York to Seattle.) Bezos' fascination with the internet's potential led him to start the company, which he and Scott called Amazon. In just a few years, the company had expanded beyond books and, In the three decades since it began, has changed the face of online shopping, becoming the largest retailer online and became the model for internet sales globally. Bezos stepped down as CEO in 2021, transitioning into the Executive Chairman of Amazon's board, a position he still holds. Bezos reflected on Amazon's success and why he took the risk and left Wall Street for a start-up working out of his garage. 'I wanted to project myself forward to age 80 and say, 'OK, now I'm looking back on my life. I want to have minimised the number of regrets I have,'' he said in an interview. 'I knew that when I was 80, I was not going to regret having tried this. I was not going to regret trying to participate in this thing called the internet, that I thought was going to be a really big deal. I knew that if I failed, I wouldn't regret that. But I knew the one thing I might regret is not ever having tried.' REAL ESTATE Bezos loves his very lavish homes, building up a diverse property portfolio with properties across the US. (Incredibly, a recent report listed him as the 23rd largest landowner in America, owning a staggering 420,000 acres.) As for those homes, Bezos owns a luxurious estate in Beverly Hills. He purchased the 10-acre property from David Geffen for $250 million in 2020, setting a record for the most expensive residential real estate transaction in Los Angeles at the time. The estate, built in the 1930s, is a symbol of Hollywood's Golden Age and was originally owned by Jack L. Warner, co-founder of Warner Bros. When he's in New York, he can take his pick of three apartment penthouses (totalling $123 million). Then there's a compound of three properties totalling $365 million on Indian Creek Island off Miami, also known as 'Billionaire Bunker', and no wonder, given Bezos' neighbours include David and Victoria Beckham (when they're in Miami) Ivanka and Jared Kushner, former NFL star, Tom Brady, and Spanish singing star, Julio Iglesias. And if that's not enough, he's got an estate in Seattle and two mansions in Washington DC. There's also the $120 million 14-acre property on Maui and his crowning joy, a 400,000-acre Texas ranch, known as Corn Ranch or Launch Site One. This vast property, located in Hudspeth and Culberson Counties in West Texas, serves as the launch site for his space company, Blue Origin. FURTHER BUSINESS INTERESTS The multi-billionaire's business interests are still centred around Amazon, which he founded and where he remains the executive chairman. He also founded and leads the aerospace company Blue Origin. Bezos, through his investment firm Bezos Expeditions, has invested in a wide range of companies across various sectors. Some notable investments include Airbnb, Uber, Blue Origin, The Washington Post (he bought the revered masthead in 2013), and Perplexity. Bezos Expeditions also manages his personal wealth and investments. PHILANTHROPY His philanthropic focus areas include climate change, homelessness, and education, particularly early childhood education. He has pledged $15 billion to the Bezos Earth Fund to address climate change and nature-related issues. Additionally, his Bezos Day One Fund is dedicated to supporting organisations that address homelessness and creating new preschools in low-income areas. Bezos has stated his intention to give away the bulk of his wealth during his lifetime. BLUE ORIGIN Bezos founded Blue Origin in 2000 after a childhood obsession with space. His goal is to enable a future where millions of people live and work in space, primarily to preserve and sustain earth. He has put billions into the endeavour. But there have been a few snags along the way. The ill-fated 12-second Blue Origin flight – manned by now-wife Sanchez, Katy Perry and Gayle King among others – was a major PR disaster for the brand, with critics slamming the trip as tone-deaf and expensive. FAMILY Bezos married MacKenzie Scott in 1993 after meeting a year earlier at D.E. Shaw, an investment management firm in New York. They are the parents of four children: three sons, and a daughter adopted from China. Only their eldest son's name – Preston Bezos – has been made public. The couple split in 2019 after 25 years together amid rumours of Bezos' alleged affair with American media personality, Lauren Sanchez. In the split, Bezos kept 75 per cent of the couple's Amazon stock with Scott getting the remaining 25 per cent ($54 billion). Bezos also kept the couple's voting rights at Amazon. Scott has since given away a reported $29 billion to charity and philanthropic causes through her organisation, Yield Giving. Bezos married Sanchez on Friday at a lavish wedding in Venice. Originally published as Billionaire Bezos and how he built his mega empire
Buzz Feed
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Why Katy Perry's Not Attending Jeff Bezos' Wedding
Katy Perry will not be attending the star-studded wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez in Venice, Italy. Earlier this week, the news broke that Katy and her fiancé Orlando Bloom have split. Katy and Orlando announced their engagement in 2019, three years after they started dating. Together, they share a 4-year-old daughter, Daisy Dove Bloom. For a few weeks, amid rumors of their relationship status, sources have reported several factors that seemingly contributed to their split. Sources claimed "tension" arose following the negative reception of Katy's seventh studio album, 143. A source also claimed to Entertainment Tonight that Orlando was at his "breaking point." Another source claimed that they "don't really see them being able to turn things around," and Katy's directing her focus on The Lifetimes Tour. The source added, "It's been breaking down the last couple of months and isn't looking good." And this leads to why Katy won't be at the Bezos-Sánchez wedding this weekend. When People confirmed that Katy and Orlando had officially called it quits, and The Lord of the Rings actor arrived in Italy on June 26 alone, speculation arose that the "Firework" singer's absence was due to their relationship. A source confirmed to People that "She was never going to the wedding." Katy will be performing back-to-back shows in Adelaide, Australia, on June 26, 27, 29, and 30, which is the time for the nuptials. Katy did join Lauren for her bachelorette party in Paris in May alongside celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, and Eva Longoria. According to the publication, they had dinner at Lafayette's and a river cruise around the city the next day. If you remember, Katy was also part of the six-person all-female crew with Lauren on Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin space flight back in April. So, it's reasonable to expect that Katy would definitely be at Lauren's wedding, but that's not the case. As noted in a previous story, BuzzFeed has contacted Katy's reps for comment, and we'll let you know if we learn more.
