Billionaire Jeff Bezos' Wedding Makes Waves in Venice

The wedding of billionaire Jeff Bezos is causing quite a stir in Venice. Around 200 VIPs are expected to arrive in yachts or private jets this week to attend the lavish wedding of Amazon's founder, who has faced accusations from some locals of invading their city.

Bezos and his fiancée, journalist Lauren Sanchez, have reportedly spent millions of euros for their nuptials in the City of Canals. The festivities are set to begin on Thursday and conclude on Saturday with a ceremony at a secret location for security reasons.

The wedding might take place at the Church of Mercy or at the Arsenal, the stunning red-brick buildings that date back to the time when Venice’s fleet ruled the Mediterranean.

Both divorced, 61-year-old Jeff Bezos and 55-year-old Lauren Sanchez have, according to Italian media, booked out the most luxurious hotels in the city to accommodate their distinguished guests, which are said to include Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom, and Ivanka Trump.

At least 95 private jets have requested permission to land at Venice Marco Polo Airport, as reported by the Italian daily Il Corriere della Sera.

Jeff Bezos' super-yacht, the Koru, is expected to dock in front of the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, directly across from the famous St. Mark's Square, which has reportedly been rented entirely for the duration of the celebrations.

This extravagance has sparked controversy in Venice, where many fear that the guests and their entourages will make their already tourist-heavy city even less livable.

During peak season, around 100,000 tourists stay in the city, in addition to tens of thousands of day visitors, many of whom arrive on giant cruise ships, while the local population continues to decline.

Unlike the wedding of actor George Clooney eleven years ago, which went unnoticed in the lagoon, Jeff Bezos, one of the richest men in the world, is more divisive, particularly due to ongoing controversies regarding Amazon's treatment of its employees.

The carbon footprint of the guests is also a concern, with Greenpeace repeatedly denouncing the astronomical amounts spent while the fragile balance of Venice "sinks under the weight of the climate crisis."

Lauren Sanchez has also faced criticism for participating in a space flight organized by Bezos' aerospace company, Blue Origin, after claiming that more needs to be done to combat global warming.

On Monday, activists unfurled a giant banner in St. Mark's Square featuring a photo of Bezos laughing, with the caption: "If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more taxes."

Built over centuries on islands in the lagoon, the city has implemented a controversial entry ticket for day visitors, but some are calling for a more ambitious policy to tackle the housing crisis.

Tommaso Cacciari, 47, leader of the No Space for Bezos movement, told AFP that he condemns "the use of Venice as if it were a private ballroom, rather than a real city with its residents, its fragilities, and its problems."

Such events "condemn Venice to certain death" by driving away the remaining locals, he asserts, claiming that opponents are ready to disrupt the festivities by throwing "their bodies, boats, and inflatable animals" into the canals as the guests pass by.

On the other hand, the Deputy Mayor for Tourism, Simone Venturini, explained to AFP that this is just "one of the many events the city hosts every day."

The couple, who have also made donations to local charities, have sought local artisans for pastries and the famous Murano glass.

Some residents are actually flattered by the billionaire's choice: "This type of event doesn’t create problems at all," believes Michele Serafini, 50. This wedding "brings money to the city of Venice," and that's a good thing, he concludes.