Jeff Bezos’s lavish Italian wedding is creating headlines not just for opulence, but for what it reveals about the elitist divide that separates billionaires from the everyday citizen. The Amazon founder and fiancée Lauren Sánchez rented out the entire Aman Venice hotel, displacing longtime guests and prompting an overwhelming security spectacle.
Hotel guests who booked rooms in advance were booted from their reservations to make way for Bezos. A source said, “Those guests are being moved to other hotels including the St. Regis,” and added, “Aman is paying for their rooms in addition to comping a night of their stay and offering upgrades.” Still, some displaced guests were upset. “Some are griping that they have to pack up, take transport … and unpack again.”
Before the couple’s arrival, “10 or 12 security guys were doing a sweep” through the property. The scene in the lobby was described as “chaotic.” Even restaurant patrons with lunch reservations were forced to wait as police monitored entry.
Reuters reported that the wedding was moved to a “less accessible part of the lagoon city” due to security concerns and threats of protest from anti-tourism activists. One protest group called the event a symbol of “the rich taking over Venice” and threatened to jump into canals.
This display underscores what many Americans already believe: there’s one set of rules for elites, and another for everyone else.
