By the numbers: What we know about Bezos' wedding in Venice

Independent

5 hours ago

It's likely the most expensive wedding this year. Though details of the wedding between Amazon multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are sketchy, it's certainly causing a storm, not least in Venice, where they're set to tie the knot this weekend.
Here's a guide by the numbers:
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228
Billion, that is. That's the net worth of Jeff Bezos, according to real-time data from Forbes, making him the third-richest person in the world behind tech bros Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg.
Not bad, considering that he founded Amazon out of his garage in Seattle in 1994, with not much more than a desk, a fax machine and a long orange extension cord that was needed to supply the room with additional power.
From its origins as an online bookstore, Amazon's tentacles are now felt all around the world. If you want anything, it'll likely be for sale there. Amazon also now produces movies, runs the Whole Foods grocery chain and has become the leader in voice-activated speakers.
Bezos stepped down as CEO of Amazon in early 2021, citing the desire to devote more time to philanthropy and other projects, including The Washington Post, the newspaper he bought in 2013 and his rocket company, Blue Origin.
But Bezos still has broad influence over Amazon as executive chair and the company's biggest shareholder, though his stake has diminished over the years to under 10%.
2
This is the second time that Bezos — and Sanchez — will be walking down the aisle.
Bezos, 61, was married to MacKenzie Bezos for 25 years until their divorce in April 2019. TV anchor Sanchez, 55, also divorced her first husband of 14 years, talent agent Patrick Whitesell, in 2019.
The divorce came at a high price for Jeff Bezos. Only the divorce of Bill Gates and Melinda Gates has been more expensive.
As part of the settlement, MacKenzie, who has taken her middle name Scott as her new surname, received 25% of Bezos' stake in Amazon. According to Forbes, she is worth a cool $30 billion, easily placing her in the world's top 100.
2,456
According to travel website Kayak, that's the euro price ($2,850) for the next available room at the Aman Venice, the hotel where the couple are believed to be staying during their three-day wedding extravaganza.
The hotel is a grand spectacle in a city of spectacles. Like Venice itself, the hotel blends mystery and grandeur, opulence and solitude. The rooms are decorated with works by a number of Italy's greatest artists, including 16th-century architect Sansovino and 18th-century painter Tiepolo.
Given his wealth, Bezos would be expected to reside in one of the suites.
The 97 square-meter (1,044 square feet) Grand Canal Suite would surely meet the moment. According to the hotel, it 'beguiles with views of the Grand Canal and an abundance of light.'
Or how about the Alcova Tiepolo Suite? It is slightly bigger at 103 square meters (1108 square feet), which allows guests the opportunity to stay among 18th-century frescoes by Tiepolo.
48,283
Or thereabouts. That's the approximate population of Venice's historic center, which is composed of over 100 islands connected by footbridges and traversed by its famed canals.
And it's clear not everyone is thrilled by the arrival of Bezos, his wife-to-be and their 200 or so guests, which it seems will include Mick Jagger, Ivanka Trump, Oprah Winfrey, Katy Perry and Leonardo DiCaprio, to name just a few.
And it doesn't seem as though the protesters will stay silent. About a dozen Venetian organizations, including housing advocates, anti-cruise ship campaigners and university groups, have united to protest the multi-day event under the banner 'No Space for Bezos,' a play on words that refers to Sanchez's recent space flight.
To many Venetians, the city has lost its charms over the decades, with mass tourism making it an increasingly difficult and expensive place to live, particularly in the summer. To many, Venice has become the ground zero of overtourism, not least when massive cruise liners deposit their cargo of thousands of passengers for a few hours of sightseeing. The locals are often outnumbered by tourists.
90
That's the number of wedding-related private jets that are expected to land at Treviso and Venice airports.
Veneto Gov. Luca Zaia reckons the Bezos wedding is all worth it and will generate around $50 million for the city and a celebrity quotient that would 'bring visibility and promotion' to Venice worth more than five American Super Bowls.