What to know about Jeff Bezos' star-studded wedding in Venice

1News

4 hours ago

Details of the wedding between Amazon multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are sketchy, but 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:
His net worth: US$231
Billion, that is. That's the net worth of Jeff Bezos, according to real-time data from Forbes, making him the fourth-richest person in the world behind tech bros Elon Musk, Larry Ellison 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.
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Kim Kardashian, center, and sister Khloé Kardashian, arrive in Venice, Italy. (Source: Associated Press)
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 chief executive 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%.
Times down the aisle: 2
This is the second time that Bezos — and Sanchez — will be walking down the aisle.
Usher arrives in Venice, Italy. (Source: Associated Press)
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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 US$30 billion (NZ$49 billion), easily placing her in the world's top 100.
US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump, center, waves as she and her husband Jared Kushner, right, arrive in Venice, Italy. (Source: Associated Press)
The hotel room price: €2456
According to travel website Kayak, that's the euro price (NZ$4735) 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.
A gondola sails past the Aman Hotel in Venice, Italy. (Source: Associated Press)
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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.
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, inside boat, pass by the San Giorgio Maggiore Church on their way to their pre wedding reception, in Venice, Italy. (Source: Associated Press)
The 97sq metre 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 103sq metres, which allows guests the opportunity to stay among 18th-century frescoes by Tiepolo.
Venice's population: 48,000
Or thereabouts. That's the approximate population of Venice's historic centre, which is composed of over 100 islands connected by footbridges and traversed by its famed canals.
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And it's clear not everyone is thrilled by the arrival of Bezos, his wife-to-be and their 200 or so guests, which are expected to include Mick Jagger, Ivanka Trump, Oprah Winfrey and Leonardo DiCaprio, to name just a few.
Oprah Winfrey, centre right, arrives in Venice, Italy. (Source: Associated Press)
And it doesn't seem as though the protesters will stay silent. About a dozen Venetian organisations, 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.
Protesters display a sign "No Kings No Bezos" in St. Mark's Square, in Venice, Italy. (Source: Associated Press)
To many Venetians, overtourism has made the city increasingly unliveable, expensive and crowded. The resident population has dwindled over the decades, leading to the corresponding reduction in services. Residents complain nothing is being done to encourage other types of economic activity, creating a culture of monotourism.
This photo released by Greenpeace shows a large banner against Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' planned wedding, in St. Mark Square, in Venice, Italy. (Source: Associated Press)
Number of private jets: 90
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That's the number of wedding-related private jets that are expected to land at Treviso and Venice airports.
Veneto Governor Luca Zaia reckons the Bezos wedding is all worth it and has a price tag of around US$50 million, generating revenue for the city and a celebrity quotient that would "bring visibility and promotion" to Venice worth more than five American Super Bowls.
A gondolier tours tourists along the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. (Source: Associated Press)
Celebrities already spotted in Venice ahead of the nuptials are Kim Kardashian sister Khloé, Domenico Dolce, Usher, Oprah Winfrey, and Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump with her husband Jared Kushner.