The headline-grabbing Venice wedding of Amazon multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos to longtime partner Lauren Sánchez has been causing quite the storm.
Amid protests – the latest of which is a floating Bezos dummy in the canal (see below) – the couple are expected to tie the knot today on San Giorgio island, which is home to a monumental complex designed by 16th architect Andrea Palladio, and which features an iconic belltower that is a ficture of the Venetian skyline.
The stars have descended on the historic lagoon city and security has been bolstered for the event.
Bezos and Sánchez’s nuptials have drawn protests by groups, who view it as a sign of the growing disparity between the haves and have-nots.
Here are some numbers and pictures of the Venice arrivals and protests:
231
231 billion dollars. That's the net worth of Jeff Bezos, according to recent data from Forbes, making him the fourth-wealthiest person in the world behind Elon Musk ($407.4 billion), Larry Ellison ($251.9 billion) and Mark Zuckerberg ($236.5 billion).
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 and his rocket company, Blue Origin – which caused celebrity controversy earlier this year.
Bezos still has broad influence over Amazon as executive chair and the company’s biggest shareholder.
7-10
Estimates suggest that the couple is said to be spending between $7million - $10 million for the three days in Venice.
200
That’s number of guests for their wedding – a figure which includes A-listers like Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian and Orlando Bloom (who is rumoured to have split with Katy Perry after a 9-year relationship). Queen Rania of Jordan, American football legend Tom Brady, Ivanka Trump and her family and Bill Gates are also in attendance.
Speaking of which...
90
That's the number of wedding-related private jets that are expected to land at Treviso and Venice airports.
2
This is the second time that both Bezos and Sánchez will be walking down the aisle.
Bezos, 61, was married to MacKenzie Bezos for 25 years until their divorce in April 2019. 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.
TV anchor Sánchez, 55, also divorced her first husband of 14 years, talent agent Patrick Whitesell, in 2019.
2,456
According to travel website Kayak, that's the euro price 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.
27
The bride will reportedly sport 27 different dresses over the three days. Her stylist team includes Anna Wintour, and designers involved include the likes of Oscar de la Renta and Dolce & Gabbana. The bridesmaids will have dedicated attendants to steam and fix their dresses before each public outing.
0
That's how much we know about the menu, which is being kept top secret. The catering will be taken care of by a team of starred chefs with menus costing around €1,000 per person. Among the names in circulation: Massimo Bottura, Massimiliano Alajmo, the Cerea of 'Da Vittorio' and Enrico Bartolini, although confidentiality agreements prevent official confirmations.
48,000
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.
Many of them are far from thrilled by the arrival of Bezos and his guests. 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 also referring to the bride’s recent (and much mocked) space flight.
Protesters have staged small-scale protests, unfurling anti-Bezos banners on iconic Venetian sites. They were joined on Monday by Greenpeace and the British group “Everyone Hates Elon,” which has smashed Teslas to protest Elon Musk, to unfurl a giant banner in St. Mark’s Square protesting purported tax breaks for billionaires.
The banner read: “IF YOU CAN RENT VENICE FOR YOUR WEDDING YOU CAN PAY MORE TAX.”
Critics cite Amazon’s labour practices, ongoing tax disputes with European governments and Bezos’ political associations as reasons for concern.
Oliviero Cassarà, a lead organizer and activist, said in a statement that “No Space For Bezos” has zero issue with Americans or people getting married in Venice. However, Cassarà said: “Bezos supported Trump economically and politically and is consequently co- responsible for this drift against us Italian and European citizens.”
Activists also argue that the Bezos wedding exemplifies broader failures in municipal governance, while residents complain it exemplifies the way their needs are disregarded in the era of mass tourism.
Earlier this week, protesters claimed an "enormous victory" after Bezos and his A-list wedding guests were forced to change the wedding location. Indeed, their actions have pressured organisers to change the lavish wedding venue from the Scuola Grande della Misericordia to the Arsenale - the famous complex of shipyards beyond Venice's congested centre, which is surrounded by fortified walls.
According to local press reports, the venue switch has been described as a necessary change because of security concerns, after the US joined the war between Israel and Iran – and with Ivanka Trump being on the guest list.
