Jeff Bezos' special day could be spoiled by local protests, as Venetian residents plan major action as residents of the floating city disagree with the billionaire's commandeering of the area.
Being the third richest man in the world with a net worth of over $234 billion, it is no surprise that Jeff Bezos likes a bit of luxury.
His fortunes, build primarily off the back of the success of Amazon, have allowed him to splash the cash on multiple houses, mega yachts, and more, but his latest spending spree has left some key individuals angry.
Bezos proposed to his fiancée Lauren Sánchez back in May 2023, and once you learn about the lavish nature of their Venice-bound wedding it's easy to understand the two year gap between engagement and the big day.
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As reported by the Telegraph, their wedding is set to cost roughly $10,000,000 across three days at the end of this month, and will be attended by many of the world's biggest and richest names.
Bezos and Sánchez will make a big entrance on their $500,000,000 superyacht - which is complete with a figurehead of the Lauren herself at its helm - before taking over large parts of Venice and its many luxury hotels.
While this might be great for the ultra-rich pair, it has angered many local residents who have coalesced to take action against the multi-billionaire, planning protests on the day of the wedding.
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Under the 'No space for Bezos' campaign, protesters are planning to march along the city's iconic canal banks and piazzas with banners, chants, and even flares to detract from the celebrations.
Their slogan - 'No space for oligarchs, no space for Bezos' - isn't just a clever play on Bezos and Sánchez's recent Blue Origin space exploits, but is a clear statement that pushes back against the notion that Venice at large can be 'bought' for the right price with celebrations like these.
"The whole of Venice, all of the people who live here, need to do something to protest against Bezos, argued Alice Bazzoli, who is part of the anti-Bezos campaign. "It's not about him personally, it's about the consequences that the wedding will have for the city."
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Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro has opposed action by the 'No space for Bezos' campaign, claiming that much of the information surrounding the wedding is speculation and 'fake news'.
"We are mutually working and supporting the organizers, to ensure that the event will be absolutely respectful of the fragility and uniqueness of the city," Brugnaro has outlined, but others remain still unconvinced.
The campaign argues that festivities like this significantly disrupt the daily life of local Venetians, making it hard for them to move around and bringing very little benefit to their lives during the period.
"He'll pretty much take over the city for his celebrations, paying a huge amount of money for the privilege," Bazzoli continued. "It will compound all our problems - daily life is already hard for locals in Venice because of the impact of mass tourism."
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While there is still no outline of the festivities themselves, there's little prospect of Bezos moving his wedding away from the iconic city, and instead he'll have to face targeted posters and the furore of locals upon arrival - from the safety of his 410ft yacht, of course.