Jeff Bezos: Had to move his wedding party after reactions in Venice

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, one of the wealthiest individuals globally, was compelled to relocate his wedding party to Venice after locals threatened to clog the city’s canals with inflatable crocodiles to impede guest arrivals.

Bezos and his fiancée, Lauren Sanchez, initially planned to host the party in a 16th-century hall in the city center as part of their three-day wedding festivities this week. However, amid protest threats from locals accusing him of effectively “paralysing” Venice, the couple decided to shift the event to a safer location.

Over 90 private jets are anticipated to arrive at Venice’s Marco Polo airport, ferrying guests from Los Angeles, Tanzania, London, Budapest, among other cities.

Prior to the festivities, Bezos and Sanchez hosted a lively foam party on the deck of the Koru, a $500 million luxury yacht. The vessel, bearing the Cayman Islands flag, is currently anchored on an Adriatic island and is expected to reach the Venice lagoon, accompanied by the Abeona, another mega-support vessel equipped with a helipad.

Bezos: Foam Frolics for the Couple and Their Guests

Bezos, 61, was seen in a swimsuit, laughing and enjoying the company of 55-year-old Sanchez as a giant cannon sprayed foam on the deck. Guests were photographed playing golf and tossing balls into the sea from the boat.

Protesters are gearing up for a hostile reception for the couple and their approximately 250 guests invited for the three-day wedding. Activist groups, rallying under the banner “No Space for Bezos” (a pun on the billionaire’s space company, Blue Origin), contend that the wedding epitomizes how Venice has “sold its soul” to tourism, neglecting locals facing a severe housing crisis, the shutdown of essential services, and the replacement of local businesses with tourist shops.

However, some locals counter this sentiment, arguing that the wedding will infuse millions of euros into Italy and Venice, and that Bezos should be welcomed. A group of hoteliers, restaurateurs, and businessmen in Venice, rallying under the banner “Yes Venice Can”, maintain: “We cannot allow a noisy minority to tarnish the city’s image in the eyes of the world. Venice is a city that welcomes people – it doesn’t turn them away.”

Reports suggest that over 90 private jets are expected to transport Hollywood celebrities and tech moguls to the event. Among the reported guests are Kim Kardashian, Paul Tudor Jones II, David Geffen, Kylie Jenner, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Lachlan Murdoch, Lady Gaga, and Sir Elton John.

Bezos: Banner in St Mark’s Square

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On Monday, activists unfurled a massive banner in St Mark’s Square, bearing the message: “If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more taxes.”

Greenpeace activist Clara Thompson stated, “As Venice is sinking under the climate crisis, billionaires are indulging in their yachts like there’s no tomorrow. It’s not just about one individual – the rules need to be altered so that no billionaire can evade responsibility. The real issue lies in a system that enables billionaires to dodge taxes while everyone else foots the bill. That’s why we need fair, inclusive rules – and they should be implemented at the UN.”

A representative from the group Everyone Hates Elon chimed in, “At a time when governments are discussing tough choices and grappling with the funding of public services, Jeff Bezos can close down half the city for days just for his wedding. Only a few weeks ago, he splurged millions on an 11-minute space trip. If there ever was a case for taxing billionaires on their wealth, this is it.”

Information sourced from The Telegraph.