Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and one of the world’s richest men, is marrying Lauren Sánchez in a lavish three-day celebration in Venice, but the Jeff Bezos wedding has ignited controversy amid its opulence and disruption.
The ceremony is set to take place at the historic Arsenale complex, while guests will be treated to luxury events aboard Bezos’ sprawling superyacht. The estimated cost of the wedding and its related festivities is between €40 and €48 million, according to Luca Zaia, President of the Veneto region.
Among the approximately 250 guests are celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Katy Perry, and Mick Jagger. Five of Venice’s most luxurious hotels, including the famous Cipriani- where George and Amal Clooney tied the knot in 2014- have been booked exclusively for the event. At least 30 private water taxis have been arranged to ferry guests between the city’s islands.
However, not everyone is celebrating. The Jeff Bezos wedding in Venice has prompted strong reactions from local activist groups including No Space for Bezos, Greenpeace, and Everyone Hates Elon. Critics accuse the billionaire of contributing to the “privatisation” of Venice, ignoring the environmental impact of such events, and being indifferent to the city’s deep-rooted housing and social issues.
Protest banners were hung across central Venice earlier this week, and initial plans were floated to blockade the wedding yacht using small boats. Those plans were abandoned after the venue was shifted inland. Still, activists highlight Venice’s ongoing struggles with overtourism, gentrification, and unaffordable housing- all worsened, they argue, by high-profile spectacles like this.
The city has already introduced an entry fee system for day-trippers and limitations on tour group numbers. Yet tensions between tourism-based revenue and the wellbeing of local residents remain high, not just in Venice but also in other cities facing similar challenges, such as Barcelona and Palma.
Bezos, meanwhile, has attempted to temper criticism by making charitable donations. Reports suggest he has pledged €1 million to Corila, a Venetian research centre focused on preserving the lagoon ecosystem. Whether this gesture is enough to offset the backlash is yet to be seen.
For many Venetians, the wedding has become a symbol of the growing divide between global wealth and local realities- a dazzling celebration that casts a long shadow.
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