Jeff Bezos is said to have paid up to US$20 million ($34m) to host this year’s Met Gala.
Intensifying scrutiny around wealth, influence and access within the fashion world, the Amazon-founding billionaire, 62, and his wife, Lauren Sanchez, 56, are serving as honorary co-chairs of the annual fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York, alongside Beyonce, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and long-time organiser Anna Wintour.
The gala, set to be held on Monday night and which is one of the most high-profile events in global fashion, raises funds for the Anna Wintour Costume Centre and has historically blended celebrity, design and philanthropy.
This year’s event, themed “Costume Art”, comes amid heightened debate over the role of corporate wealth in shaping cultural institutions, particularly given Bezos’ estimated fortune of more than US$230 billion and his continued prominence as executive chair of Amazon.
Former Vogue editor William Norwich told Page Six: “The Bezoses are where the American dream is at right now for status, wealth and style.”
He added: “They display conspicuous consumption [and] they have the ‘AWOK’ – the Anna Wintour OK.”
However, the couple’s prominent role has prompted unease among some within fashion circles.
One industry insider told Page Six: “I’m heartbroken. It’s being able to buy yourself into [the good graces of] Anna and the Met.”
The criticism follows a period of increased public visibility for the Bezoses, including their high-profile Venice wedding in 2025, which was attended by figures such as Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Lauren Bezos also appeared on a digital cover of Vogue before the wedding, reportedly wearing Dolce and Gabbana, in what was widely interpreted as a signal of approval from Wintour.
Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former Vogue special events planner who oversaw the Met Gala for more than a decade, told Page Six: “For me, it’s not just about the gala, it reflects a broader shift in the world we’re living in.”
She continued: “There was a time when access to spaces like the Met Gala, or even the pages of Vogue, wasn’t something you could simply obtain, it was something you grew into through your influence, your work and your impact. It carried a sense of prestige that felt earned, not transactional.”
She added: “The gala has evolved. And, in many ways, it’s become something different. It used to be a true celebration of designers, their muses and the artistry behind fashion. Every person on that carpet felt intentional, like they were part of a larger narrative. That sense of purpose feels less defined now.”
Wintour, who stepped back from day-to-day editorial duties at Vogue earlier this year while remaining Condé Nast’s chief content officer, has overseen record fundraising totals, with the gala reportedly raising US$31 million in 2024. According to sources cited by Page Six, Wintour may have approached Bezos about sponsoring the event up to two years ago, although others suggested the discussions followed the couple’s wedding.
The sponsorship – reported by Page Six to be between US$10 million and US$20 million – underscores the growing financial scale of the gala, as well as the influence of ultra-wealthy patrons. Bezos and his wife are expected to attend the event alongside high-profile guests, including Kris Jenner.