Jeff Bezos (61), the founder of Amazon, has sent invitations to guests requesting donations instead of wedding gifts ahead of a lavish wedding in Venice, Italy.
According to the British Telegraph on the 25th (local time), the wedding invitation scheduled for three days starting on the 26th includes the message, "We kindly refuse gifts. Instead, we appreciate your joining us in Venice to celebrate and are collecting donations in honor of your presence." Bezos and his fiancée, Lauren Sanchez, are raising funds for a sustainable future for Venice.
The donations are expected to be used for ▲ support for research and education at the International University of Venice ▲ heritage preservation by the UNESCO Venice Office ▲ and conservation of the lagoon ecosystem by environmental organization Corila. Reports indicate that the amount of the donation is expected to reach approximately $3 million (about 4.1 billion won).
While the exact timing of the invitation's send-out is unclear, in the face of strong backlash that the lavish wedding has turned the UNESCO World Heritage city of Venice into a playground for billionaires, his invitation containing the donation pledge may be viewed as an attempt to respond to critical public opinion.
Earlier, residents of Venice had announced protests against the wedding, prompting Bezos to change the wedding venue from the city center to the outer Arsenal exhibition hall. This location can only be accessed by boat and allows for control of external entry, making it a favorable site for security.
Meanwhile, the design of the invitation featured symbols of Venice, such as gondolas, butterflies, and the Rialto Bridge, but online criticism has been flowing in, calling it "childish" and "like doodles from an elementary school student."
Bezos became engaged to Sanchez, a former broadcast journalist, after divorcing his first wife in 2019. Approximately 200 celebrities have been invited to the wedding, including star broadcaster Oprah Winfrey, KT Kardashian, singer Mick Jagger, and Katy Perry, actress Eva Longoria, and the eldest daughter of President Donald Trump, Ivanka.