Prenup gymnastics that protect Jeff Bezos' billions from Lauren Sanchez after 'historic' payout to first wife

Daily Mail​

5 hours ago

The world's second-richest man, Jeff Bezos, is set to get married to his glamorous girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez in just days - and many have been left wondering if they have a prenup in place.
The multi-billionaire Amazon founder, 61, and Sanchez, 55, are already in Venice, Italy ahead of their blockbuster wedding on Saturday.
It remains unclear if Bezos and Sanchez have a prenup. He did not have one with his previous wife, philanthropist Mackenzie Scott.
The couple, who were married for 25 years, got divorced in 2019. They didn't have a prenuptial agreement to dictate their division of assets, leaving Scott with a monstrous payout.
Scott, 55, received 25 percent of their shared stake in Amazon - roughly $35 billion - and became one of the wealthiest women in the world. Bezos kept 75 percent of their stock and her voting control in the company.
Despite not knowing if the soon-to-be newly-weds have a prenup, several divorce attorneys said it would be the right move for Bezos, who is worth more than $200 billion, to have one.
'You don't want them to have access to anything that would significantly change their wealth,' Robert Cohen, a New York Attorney who's handled dozens of rich clients, told The Wall Street Journal.
The agreements have grown more common for the wealthy, especially for those who have net worths that are nine figures or higher.
Prenups are there to dictate how assets will be distributed for a divorced couple, and for the elites, it means figuring out who gets to say things on social media about the legal split, who has access to private jets and sports cars and who cares for their expensive animals, among other lavish possessions.
The wealthy, including Bezos, often own several properties across the country and even the world - all of which need to be protected under a prenup, experts told the outlet.
And because some homes are located in multiple states and countries, legal exposure is available in a number of places because a divorce can be filed anywhere, per the outlet.
The best of the best agreements are recommended for the rich as they often come with choice-of-law clauses, which determine which jurisdiction rules apply no matter where a divorce takes place.
Cohen, who has not worked with Bezos or Sanchez, said his team makes sure prenups are properly vetted by legal counsel to avoid any issues.
'We have the agreements vetted by lawyers in those jurisdictions to make sure there's not going to be a problem,' he told WSJ.
'I recently worked on a case where we had to consult lawyers in eight different jurisdictions—all over the world.'
The prenups can get so specific that some even detail that a spouse has to maintain a certain weight, while others set financial penalties if a spouse is unfaithful.
In fact, one attorney told the outlet they had a client seeking a $1 million payout for each affair.
Randall Kessler, another divorce lawyer, said many of the cheating stipulations in prenups are included in agreements with NBA players because they 'are known to have affairs.'
Nancy Chemtob, a divorce attorney based in the Big Apple, said every single prenup is a 'power play.'
'Every prenuptial agreement is a power play. It's exciting for them to have this control,' Chemtob, who has not worked with Bezos or Sanchez, added.
And, according to Kessler, an Atlanta-based divorce lawyer who has no ties to the famous couple, leverage in the agreements almost always goes toward the partner who cares less about the marriage.
'If you're willing to walk away, you hold all the cards,' he noted.
Although prenups are set up to make sure each spouse gets their share of assets in the case of a divorce, Cohen said he often notices a fair trend in the process.
'I find that they're often willing to provide enough in the prenup so it won't be a big negotiation,' he said.
Prenups can also include what's known as 'sunset clauses,' meaning the agreement can expire after 10 or 20 years.
Elite clients have preferred stepped agreements, where a spouse might get $5 million if there is a divorce after five years of marriage and $20 million after 10, attorneys told the publication.
Bezos and Sanchez were spotted arriving in Venice ahead of their wedding on Wednesday.
They were seen stepping off a boat as they arrived at the luxury Aman Hotel.
After being dropped off by water taxi to the hotel's private jetty, the couple were also joined by around 50 other of their closest guests and friends.
The couple began their wedding celebrations with a drinks reception with a playlist of romantic music, blasting More Than A Woman by the Bee Gees. They then continued to play tunes like Nina Simone's I'm Feeling Good, Lovely Day by Bill Withers and Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison.
Jeff and Lauren mixed the hits with a selection of traditional Italian music as they prepared for their big day.
Around 90 private jets are set to land in local airports this week, bringing A-listers from show business, politics and finance to the widely-dubbed 'wedding of the century'.
The celebrations are expected to kick off on Thursday and end on Saturday.
But the historic venue that Bezos and Sanchez chose for part of their $20 million bash is covered in scaffolding, Daily Mail can reveal.
Bezos got engaged to Sanchez in 2023, four years after the collapse of his marriage to Scott.