By IndoUS Tribune Staff

Amazon founder and the world’s third-richest man, Jeff Bezos, is tying the knot with former journalist Lauren Sanchez today in Venice, Italy. The lavish celebration is reported to cost around ₹430 crore (approx. $51 million), as revealed by Veneto region President Luca Zaia.

The wedding, which spans three days (June 26–28), has turned Venice into a high-security zone to protect the privacy of the couple and their high-profile guests. Despite assurances from organizers about respecting local life and infrastructure, environmentalists and residents have raised concerns over the event’s scale and its impact on a city already strained by over-tourism.

An estimated 200 to 250 VIP guests are attending the wedding, making it one of the most high-profile celebrity events of the year. Notable guests already spotted include Bill Gates, Orlando Bloom, Queen Rania of Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, and Hollywood stars Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner. Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner were also seen enjoying the pre-wedding festivities.

The couple, who got engaged in 2023, has been dating since Bezos’s split from his former wife MacKenzie Scott. While their romance has captured global headlines, their wedding invitation has also gone viral—but not for the right reasons. A leaked image of the invite drew criticism online, with many calling it “tacky” and “a design disaster.”

Although Venice has hosted many elite weddings in the past, including George Clooney’s, the Bezos-Sanchez affair is in a league of its own—both for its glitz and the backlash it has provoked.

As the celebrations continue, Venice remains a city at the crossroads of glamour, public dissent, and global attention.