Jeff Bezos just threw what's being called the wedding of the century—and unlike two-day destination weddings in Cabo, this one included Murano glass, historic Venetian churches, and a few Kardashians.
According to Page Six, the Amazon founder and Lauren Sánchez celebrated their formal vows during a three-day extravaganza in Venice, Italy. Though they'd already been legally married in the U.S., that didn't stop them from renting out the entire Aman Venice hotel, tapping George and Amal Clooney's wedding planners, and spending an estimated $50 million on the weekend.
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Guests included Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Bill Gates, Barbra Streisand, Orlando Bloom, and several Trumps, Jenners, and Kardashians. Events were hosted across iconic Venetian landmarks—including the San Giorgio Maggiore island and the Madonna dell'Orto church—though one pre-wedding event was cut short by a thunderstorm. Protesters across the city weren't subtle either, with signs reading, "If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax."
The couple reportedly sourced nearly everything from local vendors: pastries from Rosa Salva, custom glassware from Laguna B, and security fit for a royal coronation. Even amid the luxury, Page Six reported that Bezos and Sánchez made charitable donations to local Venetian causes as part of the planning process.
Meanwhile, back in the U.S.—or rather, across the nonprofit landscape—MacKenzie Scott has taken a different approach to post-divorce life. The former Mrs. Bezos, who spent 25 years helping build Amazon and raising their four children, finalized her divorce in 2019 and walked away with 4% of Amazon stock, then worth about $36 billion.
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Instead of yachts and Italian island rentals, she made a public promise:
"I won't wait. And I will keep at it until the safe is empty."
That line appeared in a personal essay she wrote in 2019 when signing The Giving Pledge, a commitment to donate the majority of her wealth during her lifetime. Since then, she's done just that—with speed. As of early 2024, Scott had already donated more than $16.5 billion. By the end of that year, the total had grown to nearly $19.3 billion.
Her platform, Yield Giving, distributes massive unrestricted grants to causes including education, public health, climate action, and racial equity. Unlike many high-net-worth philanthropists, Scott has embraced a no-strings-attached approach—and rarely gives interviews. What she does give: money, and lots of it.
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She's also addressed her privilege head-on, writing that she holds a "disproportionate amount of money," and has no intention of hoarding it.
While her ex was toasting with Hollywood royalty in Venice, Scott was quietly continuing her mission to give away every last dollar of her fortune. One billionaire celebrated center stage. The other is turning her back on the spotlight—chipping away at her fortune one check at a time.
Both are making headlines. Only one seems intent on slipping out of them.
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