Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's wedding in Venice sparked protests over wealth and public space privatisation. Photo / Getty Images
Jeff Bezos’ wedding invite has been revealed, with the tech billionaire appealing to his guests not to buy presents for him and his fiancee, Lauren Sanchez.
The leaked invite, decorated whimsically with butterflies, shooting stars, gondoliers and the historic Rialto Bridge, was sent to the estimated 250 guests who have descended on Venice for three days of lavish festivities.
“We are excited for you to join us!” the invitation reads. “We have one early request: please, no gifts. Instead, we are making contributions in your honour and with gratitude to you for making the journey to celebrate with us in Venice.”
As the leaked invite circulated on social media, the reaction was scathing.
One critic said it looked more like the doodles of a third-grader, while another bluntly described it as “the ugliest f***ing invite ever”. Others called the design of the invitation “tacky”, and said it looked like it had been “made by an 11-year-old”.
The Amazon founder and his bride-to-be, a former TV journalist, said they had made donations to three causes: Venice International University “to support research and education”, Unesco’s Venice office “to safeguard the city’s irreplaceable heritage”, and an environmental charity called Corila, which works on restoring the natural habitats of the Venetian lagoon.
Bezos and his fiancee said that Venice had “gifted us unforgettable memories”, and that they hoped their donations would ensure that Venice “will continue to inspire wonder for generations to come”.
A source within Venice council confirmed to The Daily Telegraph that the donations had been made and said that in total they amounted to around US$3 million (NZ$5m).
It is not known when the invitations were sent out but they will be seen as an attempt by the Amazon founder to counter criticism that he’d turned the World Heritage city into a playground for billionaires for his wedding.
Some Venetians have protested against the three-day wedding extravaganza, objecting to the presence of so many billionaires, the low levels of tax that they claim Bezos pays, and his support for the Trump administration.
They have hung banners from bell towers, unfurled giant posters in St Mark’s Square, and plastered the city with “No Space for Bezos” stickers.
In the latest protest, a life-size mannequin of the Amazon founder appeared floating in the Grand Canal, just beneath the famous Rialto Bridge.
The dummy, which bore a striking resemblance to Bezos, was clutching several dollar notes and clinging to a large Amazon cardboard box. It wore the kind of blue overalls that are given to Amazon’s tens of thousands of warehouse employees worldwide.
The stunt was organised by an anti-capitalist street artist called “Konn Artiss”. It was claimed that the Bezos mannequin was remotely controlled by a hidden propeller, which enabled it to be steered through Venice’s crowded waters.
“The message is clear: this isn’t a protest against a wedding, but against unchecked wealth, media control, and the growing privatisation of public spaces,” a statement from the anonymous organisers said.
The life-size dummy was spotted by many tourists, including a family from the US.
“We were just having dinner next to the Rialto Bridge right by the water when we looked down and it was just floating there,” said Madelyn Eno, 16, from Williamsburg, Virginia.
“Lots of tourists were taking photos. People were laughing. We didn’t see who put it in the water, though.”
Bezos and Sanchez were photographed arriving at the luxurious Aman Hotel on the Grand Canal on Wednesday.
They will reportedly throw a pyjama party as well as a Great Gatsby-themed party for their guests, who are expected to include Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Mick Jagger, Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom, Kim Kardashian and Robert Pattinson.
Sanchez is reportedly planning on going through 27 changes of outfit during the three-day festivities, with her dresses costing an estimated US$1.5 million ($2.5m). Designers such as Dolce & Gabbana and Oscar de la Renta are said to be providing the frocks.
At least four huge yachts are now berthed in the Venetian lagoon, among them the US$360 million, 122m-long Kismet, which is owned by billionaire Shahid Khan, the Pakistani-American owner of Fulham FC and the American football team the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Moored at the entrance to the Grand Canal is the Arience, a US$70m, 60m-long navy blue and white yacht that belongs to Bill Miller, a billionaire fund manager who was one of the first people to invest in Amazon when it was in its infancy.
The wedding has proved so controversial in Italy that questions have been asked about it in Parliament in Rome.
Left-leaning parties claim that Venice has been “sold” for three days to one of the richest men on the planet, and have asked how much security arrangements are costing the Italian state at a time of heightened international tensions.
Venice has been “locked down, sold off for three days in an unbridled celebration of luxury that will impose limits on the movements of the inhabitants,” said Angelo Bonelli, an MP from the Green and Left Alliance. “How is it possible to buy up the city for three days and cause all this inconvenience?”
Antonio Iaria, from the Five Star Movement party, said: “Lavish events like these should open up a debate – is it right that the state should commit public resources for the security of just one man when there is a shortage of money for local transports, schools and services? This is not envy. It is a simple question – who’s paying?”
The opposition demanded that Matteo Piantedosi, the Interior Minister, reveal to Parliament how much the event is costing.
But the criticism was dismissed by the government. “The Interior Minister is not a wedding planner,” said Salvatore Caiata, an MP from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party. “You can’t demand that the government front up in Parliament to explain every single issue.”
Gianluca Caramanna, another Brothers of Italy MP, said the wedding provided an “extraordinary” opportunity to show off Venice to the world. He said it was entirely false to claim that the city was “locked down”.
The wedding celebrations are expected to begin on Thursday with a party on a tiny island in the Venetian lagoon, far from the tourist-saturated sights such as St Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge.
The event will reportedly be held in the gardens of Villa Baslini, on the islet of San Giovanni Evangelista, which is connected to the larger island of Torcello by a bridge.
There will then be an evening reception in the walled cloisters of La Madonna dell’Orto, a church that is tucked away down a little-known canal.
When The Telegraph went to the venue on Wednesday, Italian police were stationed in the piazza in front of the church, while staff from the London-based wedding organiser Lanza & Baucina carried furniture and supplies into the cloisters.
On Friday, the happy couple are expected to exchange their rings on the island of San Giorgio at the entrance to the Grand Canal. There will be fireworks and a performance by Matteo Bocelli, son of the famous tenor Andrea Bocelli.
On Saturday there will be a grand party in Venice’s centuries-old shipbuilding yards, a huge complex of warehouses, rope-making workshops, canals and slip ramps known as the Arsenal. Its main entrance is guarded by stone lions and it is surrounded by high crenellated walls, making it easy to secure.
The party will be held in a historic stone and brick building on the banks of the Arsenal’s main basin, next to a decommissioned Second World War submarine.
On Wednesday, workers driving forklifts unloaded supplies. The venue was guarded on one side by Carabinieri police and on the other by private security guards who told The Telegraph to leave the area.
The Arsenal was chosen at the last minute after the original venue, a historic building called the Scuola Grande della Misericordia, was cancelled amid fears that protesters were threatening to disrupt the event by leaping into the surrounding canals.
Activists have vowed to continue their protests and will stage a march on Saturday afternoon from Venice’s train station.
Critics say they are misguided and insist the wedding will bring huge economic benefit. Luca Zaia, the governor of the Veneto region, says it will boost Venice’s image and ultimately benefit the city to the tune of €2.5 billion.
Bezos and his entourage should be welcomed warmly. Protesters were a minority of Left-wing activists, he said. “I would hate other VIPs to decide in future to go to Saint Tropez instead of Venice,” said Zaia.
While security will be tight, with police reinforcements drafted in to help their colleagues in Venice, Venetians and tourists are hoping to catch a glimpse of the guests.
Bill Gates is said to be particularly keen to visit the Gallerie dell’Accademia museum, where Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man is on display.
In 1994, the Microsoft founder bought Leonardo’s Codex Leicester, a collection of scientific drawings and writings, for US$30 million.
New York Times: The DIA report has become a flashpoint in the public discussion.