Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's wedding slammed as 'obscene' while protests break out in Venice
Jeff Bezos, 61, and Lauren Sánchez, 55, tied the knot this weekend, with the billionaire pair heading to the Italian city of Venice for their lavish celebrations.
The wedding took place on the secluded Venetian island of San Giorgio, while the reception was held behind the fortified walls of the Arsenale, all while protests were breaking out elsewhere in the city.
Though unconfirmed, the entire event was expected to have cost between £34m and £41m, a drop in the ocean of the Amazon CEO's $231 billion net worth.
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Lady Gaga and Elton John were rumoured to perform, while Bill Gates, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian, Tom Brady, and Sydney Sweeney were among attendees.
US senator Bernie Sanders was quick to share his thoughts on the opulent event, slamming it as "obscene".
Taking to X, he wrote: "This is oligarchy. This is obscene.
"While 60% live paycheck to paycheck & kids go hungry, Jeff Bezos, worth $230 billion, goes to Venice on his $500 million yacht for a $20 million wedding & spends $5 million on a ring while his real tax rate is just 1.1%.
"End this oligarchy."
He wasn't the only one railing against this weekend's festivities, as hundreds of people took to the streets of Venice to protest the wedding.
On Saturday, protests were seen, waving signs on the city's famous Rialto Bridge, with one reading: "No space for Bezos".
Elsewhere in the city, other signs read: "Kisses yes, Bezos no", "No Bezos, no war", and "118,000 Italian shops killed by Amazon".
Ahead of the wedding, Bezos donated £850,000 to three environmental research organisations dedicated to preserving Venice.
But Venetian activist Flavio Cogo said: "We want a free Venice, which is finally dedicated to its citizens.
"Those donations are just misery and only aimed at clearing Bezos's conscience."
Another protester, Martin Vergnano, said: "We are here to continue ruining the plans of these rich people, who accumulate money by exploiting many other people… while the conditions of this city remain precarious."
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