Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and the world’s new richest man, is about to get married. The world’s richest man will celebrate his multimillion-dollar wedding to former TV presenter and licensed pilot Lauren Sánchez on the Venetian islands this Saturday. Originally planned to take place at the historic Scuola Grande della Misericordia, the couple has faced significant backlash from local residents regarding the wedding’s impact on the iconic city.
Its dramatic architecture and charming canals of Venice provided the ideal setting for the grand affair—especially considering the celebratory nature of the occasion. The residents expressed their discontent for being chosen to host such a high-profile event. They were wary too of the big billionaire behind it, wealth that never lacks for critics.
Tommaso Cacciari, an organizer with No Space for Bezos, expressed worries about the wedding’s potential disruption.
“We are very proud of this!” – Tommaso Cacciari, No Space for Bezos’s spokesperson
The wedding, which is scheduled to take place later this year, is expected to attract some 200 guests. Oprah Winfrey, the Kardashian family, Ivanka Trump…you never know who you’ll see at this event! As Bezos prepares for a wedding celebration of his own, he’s doing so with a net worth of $223 billion. This immense wealth has the effect of overshadowing local feelings about the event.
Bezos has transformed in an overall sense, moving from tech entrepreneur to fitness crusader and now space mogul. He makes as many headlines for his pioneering business ventures as he does his own mysterious, controversial personal life. Sánchez, 55, has carved out an influential space for herself at the intersection of culture and aviation. Her joint venture with Bezos has certainly piqued the public’s interest.
The wedding has moved from the original location. This decision is a direct response to increasing pressure from Venice residents who have clearly made their anger known. The local opposition has grown increasingly organized, in part, because residents worry the wedding will do even more to commercialize, commodify, and exploit Charleston’s historical charm.
According to Cacciari, the mood while planning the wedding has been marred by anxiety. He said that the prospect of upset locals beaching pool floats on Bezos’s yacht contributed to a sense of nervousness within the organizing.
“This is a city that treasures its heritage,” Cacciari emphasized. “People are concerned that this kind of event prioritizes spectacle over preserving our culture.”
Residents of all backgrounds and interests have come together to oppose Bezos’s lavish wedding. To many of them, it’s a lavish wealth hoarding celebration that ignores community values. Today Venice is still facing issues of mass tourism and commercialism. Prospect’s wedding serves as an intro to deeper conversations about how wealthy people should engage with historic sites.
With the wedding date fast approaching, speculation still rages on about how the couple will respond to this sticky issue. The event is poised to be a high-profile affair reflective of both opulence and the challenges posed by wealth in public spaces.