Jeff Bezos marries blushing bride Lauren Sanchez in £48milion Venice wedding
The couple exchanged vows in a ceremony lasting about 25 minutes, with family and friends gathered at the event. They were heard cheering, clapping and whistling for the pair after they said 'I do'.
While the couple have celebrated their wedding today in Venice, it was reported that the pair had actually tied the knot weeks ago. According to a well-placed insider involved in the event planning, they said: 'They have been married for at least a month, more than a month. The marriage is fully legal and took place in America under American law.'
Though this week's festivities have been widely billed as their wedding, the source revealed it's purely ceremonial. 'When they were planning the wedding, they were clear about the fact that they were already secretly married,' the insider said.
Because the legal marriage has already occurred, there was no need for a license in Italy. 'There is no application for a wedding licence from the couple because it was not required. Whatever happens at the wedding on Friday, it will not be a wedding.
"Under Italian law, it will not be a wedding celebration, any vows said or rings exchanged will have no legal meaning," they told Mail Online.
The same source added that Bezos himself confirmed the legal union and noted the pair had arranged a prenuptial agreement to safeguard his $244 billion fortune. Bezos and Sánchez reportedly married privately in the U.S., well before the high-profile Venetian celebration began.
The couple arrived in Venice this week ahead of their lavish wedding celebrations, which will take place over the next few days. A helicopter picked Bezos and his bride-to-be up from his superyacht Koru's support ship, the Albeona.
They were docked just off the coast of Croatia, with the yacht taking 61-year-old Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, 55, to the city of Venice. It landed in the Venice Lido, which is where the annual Venice Film Festival takes place.
To kicked proceedings off on Thursday night, a casual welcome dinner will be held at the 14th Century Madonna dell'Orto church. Local sources claimed security is ultra-tight, turning the stunning city into a "fortress-like operation".
The ceremony was expected to take place at the Scuola Grande della Misericordia, an historic 16th-century building in the city centre. But the No Space for Bezos campaign group claim the couple scrambled to change their plans, after activists threatened to block the canals with inflatable crocodiles to stop their guests from attending.
Instead, it's been moved to Arsenale, a shipyard complex which will be near-impossible for protestors to get to. Lauren Sanchez and her new husband arrived, with Lauren wearing oversized black sunglasses and a simple black halterneck dress.
Meanwhile, their high-profile guests started to descend on the city earlier this week. Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka arrived with her husband Jared Kushner. She wore a green dress and canvas sunhat as she arrived by boat after a day of sightseeing. The couple's three children, Arabella Rose, Joseph Frederick and Theodore James, joined them.
Other guests to arrive early include Jeff's adoptive father Miguel Bezos, as well as Orlando Bloom, Katy Perry, Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian. Just 11 people live on the island and its only dwelling is a modest five-bedroom home, previously the guesthouse to a convent which was part of a long-destroyed monastery complex.
.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
MAGGIE PAGANO: We are all paying the price for Labour
Eating cake rather than bread is not an option. Blame my Viking-cum-Italian genes. But there are two household staples that we are never without: tealights and olive oil. My addiction is such that I'm eagle-eyed about hunting down the best prices. But here's the rub. It doesn't seem to matter whether you are shopping for candles at Homebase or B&M, or Waitrose or Tesco for liquid gold – prices are soaring again having fallen back after inflation peaked nearly three years ago. As any regular shopper will tell you, so are the prices of most foods and household products. June's annual food inflation rate was up at 4.5 per cent, the third month in a row that prices rose, and the highest since the beginning of last year. Inflation figures for July out next Wednesday are expected to show further jumps. So it's hardly surprising that 85 per cent of adults surveyed by the Office for National Statistics say that the cost-of-living crisis is the most important issue facing the UK today – ahead even of the NHS. About six in ten adults also report that costs have risen in the last month – that's more people citing price rises than in July last year when Labour took office. This time around, rising prices can't be blamed on either the after-effects of the pandemic, which crippled supply chains around the world, or indeed Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which saw the price of wheat and sunflower oils, as well as energy, rocket into the stratosphere. Today's price rises, however, are mainly home-grown, the direct result of Labour's tax hikes. Prices have further to climb because of the Budget tax rises, as even the Bank of England has admitted. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has also warned that the full impact of the last Budget has yet to fully filter through to prices. Labour's policies will add £7billion to retailer costs this year, ranging from higher employment costs to the new packaging tax. The BRC also says that if this autumn's Budget attacks retailers again, with its planned higher business rates threshold on 4,000 larger stores, then it will be poorer families which will be hit hardest. At the same time, the UK's farming industry is being whacked on all fronts, threatening the country's food security. The latest smack in the face is Labour's decision not to give any financial aid to the bioethanol industry after President Donald Trump's tariff hike. Smaller farm owners are being devastated by the new inheritance tax rules and are shutting down. Dairy farmers are closing because of higher costs and worker shortages, opening the door to more imports and less competition. Even the price of bread is now in question. The planned merger between ABF's Kingsmill and Hovis is going to be an interesting test for Labour to chew on. Both Kingsmill and Hovis lose money. Together they would lead the market in sliced bread, putting them ahead of sector leader Warburtons. What's Labour to do? On the one hand the Government will want to show its support for business, giving a nod to the Competition and Markets Authority to pass the takeover. But that means big job losses and a potential monopoly position for its breads, the price of which they may be mindful of has so often led historically to riots. Telling people to eat cake is not an option.
Rhyl Journal
7 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
Bioethanol plant deems lack of Government support an ‘act of economic self-harm'
Vivergo Fuels, near Hull, warned earlier this year that it was in imminent danger of closure as crisis talks continued with the Government. This followed the end of the 19% tariff on American bioethanol imports as part of the recent UK-US trade deal. On Friday, the Government said: 'This Government will always take decisions in the national interest. 'That's why we negotiated a landmark deal with the US which protected hundreds of thousands of jobs in sectors like auto and aerospace. 'We have worked closely with the companies since June to understand the financial challenges they have faced over the past decade, and have taken the difficult decision not to offer direct funding as it would not provide value for the taxpayer or solve the long-term problems the industry faces. 'We recognise this is a difficult time for the workers and their families and we will work with trade unions, local partners and the companies to support them through this process. 'We also continue to work up proposals that ensure the resilience of our CO2 supply in the long-term in consultation with the sector.' Ben Hackett, managing director of Vivergo Fuels, said: 'The Government's failure to back Vivergo has forced us to cease operations and move to closure immediately. 'This is a flagrant act of economic self-harm that will have far-reaching consequences. 'This is a massive blow to Hull and the Humber. 'We have fought from day one to support our workers and we are truly sorry that this is not the outcome any of us wanted. 'This decision by ministers will have a huge impact on our region and the thousands of livelihoods in the supply chain that rely on Vivergo, from farmers to hauliers and engineers.' Mr Hackett said the industry has faced 'unfair regulations' for years that favoured overseas producers, and the recent US-UK trade deal pushed the sector 'to the point of collapse'. He said: 'We did everything we possibly could to avoid closure, but in the end it was the Government that decided the British bioethanol sector was something that could be traded away with little regard for the impact it would have on ordinary hard-working people. 'We did not go down without a fight and I hope that the noise we generated over the past three months will make the Government think twice before it decides to sign away whole industries as part of future trade negotiations.' A spokesman for Associated British Foods, which owns Vivergo, said: 'It is deeply regrettable that the Government has chosen not to support a key national asset. 'We have been left with no choice but to announce the closure of Vivergo and we have informed our people. 'We have been fighting for months to keep this plant open. 'We initiated and led talks with Government in good faith. We presented a clear plan to restore Vivergo to profitability within two years under policy levers already aligned with the Government's own green industrial strategy.' The spokesman said the Government had 'thrown away billions in potential growth in the Humber and a sovereign capability in clean fuels that had the chance to lead the world'. The bioethanol industry, which also includes the Ensus plant on Teesside, has argued the trade deal, coupled with regulatory constraints, has made it impossible to compete with heavily subsidised American products. Vivergo said the Hull plant, which employs about 160 people, can produce up to 420 million litres of bioethanol from wheat sourced from thousands of UK farms. It has described bioethanol production as 'a key national strategic asset' which helps reduce emissions from petrol and is expected to be a key component in sustainable aircraft fuel in the future. The firm recently signed a £1.25 billion memorandum of understanding with Meld Energy to anchor a 'world-class' sustainable aviation fuel facility at the site. But Meld Energy said earlier this month uncertainly over the bioethanol industry was putting this plan in jeopardy. The Vivergo plant is also the UK's largest single production site for animal feed, and the company says it indirectly supports about 4,000 jobs in the Humber and Lincolnshire region. Vivergo has said it buys more than a million tonnes of British wheat each year from more than 4,000 farms, and has purchased from 12,000 individual farms over the past decade. But it took its last wheat shipment earlier this month. The farmers' union described the imminent closure of the Vivergo plant as a 'huge blow'. NFU combinable crops board chairman Jamie Burrows said: 'Not only is it terrible news for those hundreds of workers who will lose their jobs but also for the thousands of people whose livelihoods depend on this supply chain – that includes local farmers who have lost a vital market for their product.' The Ensus plant in Teesside differs from the Vivergo operation because it also produces CO2 as part of the process. Ensus, which is owned by CropEnergies, part of the German firm Sudzucker, is the UK's only large scale manufacturer of CO2, which is used in a wide range of sectors, including in drinks and the nuclear industry. Grant Pearson, chairman of Ensus UK, said on Friday: 'I met with Sarah Jones, the minister for business, today, to receive the Government's response to our request for financial support and the policy changes required to ensure that the Ensus facilities can continue to operate. 'The minister confirmed that they value both our contribution to the UK economy, the jobs we provide and support in the north east of England and in particular our production of biogenic CO2 which is a product of critical national importance. 'They are therefore looking at options to secure an ongoing supply of CO2 from the Ensus facility. 'This is positive news, however it is likely to take time to agree upon and finalise and therefore urgent discussions will be taking place to provide a level of assurance to the Sudzucker and CropEnergies' boards that there is a very high level of confidence that an acceptable long-term arrangement can be reached.'
North Wales Chronicle
8 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Bioethanol plant deems lack of Government support an ‘act of economic self-harm'
Vivergo Fuels, near Hull, warned earlier this year that it was in imminent danger of closure as crisis talks continued with the Government. This followed the end of the 19% tariff on American bioethanol imports as part of the recent UK-US trade deal. On Friday, the Government said: 'This Government will always take decisions in the national interest. 'That's why we negotiated a landmark deal with the US which protected hundreds of thousands of jobs in sectors like auto and aerospace. 'We have worked closely with the companies since June to understand the financial challenges they have faced over the past decade, and have taken the difficult decision not to offer direct funding as it would not provide value for the taxpayer or solve the long-term problems the industry faces. 'We recognise this is a difficult time for the workers and their families and we will work with trade unions, local partners and the companies to support them through this process. 'We also continue to work up proposals that ensure the resilience of our CO2 supply in the long-term in consultation with the sector.' Ben Hackett, managing director of Vivergo Fuels, said: 'The Government's failure to back Vivergo has forced us to cease operations and move to closure immediately. 'This is a flagrant act of economic self-harm that will have far-reaching consequences. 'This is a massive blow to Hull and the Humber. 'We have fought from day one to support our workers and we are truly sorry that this is not the outcome any of us wanted. 'This decision by ministers will have a huge impact on our region and the thousands of livelihoods in the supply chain that rely on Vivergo, from farmers to hauliers and engineers.' Mr Hackett said the industry has faced 'unfair regulations' for years that favoured overseas producers, and the recent US-UK trade deal pushed the sector 'to the point of collapse'. He said: 'We did everything we possibly could to avoid closure, but in the end it was the Government that decided the British bioethanol sector was something that could be traded away with little regard for the impact it would have on ordinary hard-working people. 'We did not go down without a fight and I hope that the noise we generated over the past three months will make the Government think twice before it decides to sign away whole industries as part of future trade negotiations.' A spokesman for Associated British Foods, which owns Vivergo, said: 'It is deeply regrettable that the Government has chosen not to support a key national asset. 'We have been left with no choice but to announce the closure of Vivergo and we have informed our people. 'We have been fighting for months to keep this plant open. 'We initiated and led talks with Government in good faith. We presented a clear plan to restore Vivergo to profitability within two years under policy levers already aligned with the Government's own green industrial strategy.' The spokesman said the Government had 'thrown away billions in potential growth in the Humber and a sovereign capability in clean fuels that had the chance to lead the world'. The bioethanol industry, which also includes the Ensus plant on Teesside, has argued the trade deal, coupled with regulatory constraints, has made it impossible to compete with heavily subsidised American products. Vivergo said the Hull plant, which employs about 160 people, can produce up to 420 million litres of bioethanol from wheat sourced from thousands of UK farms. It has described bioethanol production as 'a key national strategic asset' which helps reduce emissions from petrol and is expected to be a key component in sustainable aircraft fuel in the future. The firm recently signed a £1.25 billion memorandum of understanding with Meld Energy to anchor a 'world-class' sustainable aviation fuel facility at the site. But Meld Energy said earlier this month uncertainly over the bioethanol industry was putting this plan in jeopardy. The Vivergo plant is also the UK's largest single production site for animal feed, and the company says it indirectly supports about 4,000 jobs in the Humber and Lincolnshire region. Vivergo has said it buys more than a million tonnes of British wheat each year from more than 4,000 farms, and has purchased from 12,000 individual farms over the past decade. But it took its last wheat shipment earlier this month. The farmers' union described the imminent closure of the Vivergo plant as a 'huge blow'. NFU combinable crops board chairman Jamie Burrows said: 'Not only is it terrible news for those hundreds of workers who will lose their jobs but also for the thousands of people whose livelihoods depend on this supply chain – that includes local farmers who have lost a vital market for their product.' The Ensus plant in Teesside differs from the Vivergo operation because it also produces CO2 as part of the process. Ensus, which is owned by CropEnergies, part of the German firm Sudzucker, is the UK's only large scale manufacturer of CO2, which is used in a wide range of sectors, including in drinks and the nuclear industry. Grant Pearson, chairman of Ensus UK, said on Friday: 'I met with Sarah Jones, the minister for business, today, to receive the Government's response to our request for financial support and the policy changes required to ensure that the Ensus facilities can continue to operate. 'The minister confirmed that they value both our contribution to the UK economy, the jobs we provide and support in the north east of England and in particular our production of biogenic CO2 which is a product of critical national importance. 'They are therefore looking at options to secure an ongoing supply of CO2 from the Ensus facility. 'This is positive news, however it is likely to take time to agree upon and finalise and therefore urgent discussions will be taking place to provide a level of assurance to the Sudzucker and CropEnergies' boards that there is a very high level of confidence that an acceptable long-term arrangement can be reached.'
