On the last weekend of June 2025, the floating city of Venice became the temporary capital of ultra-wealth and spectacle as Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez hosted what some called the most expensive wedding in modern history. With the historic island of San Giorgio Maggiore as its backdrop, the three-day affair was a carefully choreographed celebration of love, power, and staggering opulence. But while the world’s richest man exchanged vows under Renaissance frescoes, outrage simmered just beyond the red-carpeted canals.

The ceremony unfolded inside the 16th-century Basilica of San Giorgio Maggiore, an architectural gem closed off entirely for the event. The reception spread across several of Venice’s most iconic and expensive landmarks, including the Hotel Cipriani, the Aman Venice, and parts of the Venetian Arsenal—areas that locals and tourists alike were locked out of during the festivities.

Water taxis, armed private security, and fleets of staff buzzed around the city to ensure seamless exclusivity. Bezos’s own superyacht, Koru, floated off the coast, doubling as a private lounge and launchpad for afterparties. From dawn yoga on hotel rooftops to champagne-fueled foam parties on the Grand Canal, every detail spoke to a budget that few people on Earth could imagine, let alone afford.

Estimates for the wedding’s total cost hover between $48 million and $53 million. The couple reportedly spent over $1.5 million on roses alone, with another $4.5 million on décor and ambiance. Entertainment included performances by Elton John, Lady Gaga, and Andrea Bocelli’s son, Matteo.

The staff count for the weekend reached over 150, and accommodations were reserved at several of Venice’s most luxurious hotels for their 200-person guest list. Each guest’s attendance, according to some Italian tourism authorities, carried an approximate cost of $5.6 million when factoring in logistics, security, and site rentals. Add to that the environmental footprint of more than 90 private jets flown in from all corners of the globe, and the optics of the event grew more grotesque by the hour.

The guest list read like a Met Gala seating chart with extra zeroes. Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian, Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom, Bill Gates, and Queen Rania of Jordan were just a few of the names spotted among the gondolas. Lauren Sánchez wore not one, but three custom-designed Dolce & Gabbana gowns. The couple also pledged a €2 million donation to CORILA, a Venetian nonprofit working to protect the city’s fragile lagoon—a gesture that some saw as a drop in the Adriatic compared to the damage done by the event’s carbon footprint and disruption.

But outside the candlelit basilicas and $1,000-a-plate dinners, criticism surged. As images of Bezos and Sánchez’s glimmering weekend spread, so too did a wave of bitter reactions online, many pointing out the brutal contrast between billionaire indulgence and working-class hardship.

One viral post summarized the fury succinctly: “As Jeff Bezos celebrates a multimillion-dollar wedding in Venice, Amazon workers face low pay, grueling conditions, and timed toilet breaks. Billionaire excess vs working class struggle on full display.” It was a reminder that while Bezos toasts in a tuxedo, many of his employees still navigate warehouse floors where bathroom breaks are a luxury and exhaustion is the norm.