Jeff Bezos Criticized for ‘Buying Venice’ Amid Wedding Backlash

The opulent wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez in Venice incites global outrage and protests.

The wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez has captured headlines worldwide, leading to protests and significant debate on the streets of Venice, Italy, where the extravagant ceremony is taking place.

Guests expected to grace the event include A-list celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian, Mick Jagger, Orlando Bloom, and Ivanka Trump, along with several notable business leaders. To ensure a luxurious stay for their guests, Bezos and Sanchez reportedly booked lavish accommodations in the finest hotels in the city.

Recently revealed by ABC News, their wedding invitation states simply, “Please, no gifts.”

Wedding festivities will include extravagant elements like a luxury boat and the arrival of 95 private jets.

Venice is set to transform into an open-air stage for three days, featuring some of the most distinguished figures in media, politics, and the arts.

The highly confidential ceremony is rumored to be held at renowned locations like the Church of Mercy or the historic Arsenal building, with top-notch security measures in place to ensure guest safety.

As many as 95 private aircraft are expected to land at Marco Polo Airport in preparation for the event, with Bezos’s mega-yacht, “Koru,” docking near St. Mark’s Square on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore. Some have referred to this luxurious celebration as a “class invasion” of Venice.

Activists from an international environmental group (Photo by Stefano Rellandini / AFP)

The launch of the “No Room for Bezos” campaign.

The increasing discontent among the public in Venice is palpable. Various civil society groups have criticized what they perceive as a display of wealth, calling it a commercialization of a historic city struggling to accommodate its residents, while others believe the wedding could potentially invigorate the local economy.

The “No Room for Bezos” campaign emerged as a vocal opponent, with protesters chanting, “If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more taxes.” This pointed statement draws attention to the financial inequities tied to large corporations like Amazon.

Environmental organizations, including Greenpeace, have also criticized the wedding’s potential carbon footprint, given Venice’s pressing environmental challenges, such as rising water levels.

Moreover, Sanchez’s recent participation in a Blue Origin space mission has added fuel to the criticism, as many perceive a contradiction between her environmental advocacy and her actions.

In light of the backlash, Italy’s Deputy Minister of Tourism, Simone Venturini, attempted to ease tensions by highlighting that Bezos contributes to the local economy through charitable donations and purchasing locally-made goods, such as traditional pastries and Murano glass.