Venice: A Billionaire's Wedding Sparks Controversy

Venice is buzzing with activity as the city prepares for the grand wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez. The event has sparked a mix of excitement and controversy, drawing in a crowd of celebrities and billionaires. Over 90 private jets are expected to touch down in Venice, bringing in guests for a three-day celebration. The guest list includes names like Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Kim Kardashian, and Oprah Winfrey. The city's luxury hotels are fully booked, with guests staying at high-end venues like the St Regis near St Mark’s Square. The wedding is set to be a lavish affair, with reports suggesting it will cost between €40m and €48m. The celebrations are rumored to include pyjama parties, elegant dinners, and multiple outfit changes. The main event will take place at the historic Arsenale, a fortified shipyard complex, after security concerns led to a change of venue from a 16th-century building in the city center. However, not everyone is thrilled about the event. Activists from the No Space for Bezos campaign group plan to protest, with some even threatening to clog the canals with inflatable crocodiles. Greenpeace Italia and the British activist group Everyone Hates Elon have also joined the protests, criticizing Bezos for not paying more taxes despite being able to afford renting out Venice for his wedding. Venice's mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, has condemned the protesters, calling them shameful. Meanwhile, Bezos is expected to make sizeable charity donations, including €1m towards a project studying Venice’s lagoon system. The wedding is set to be the most high-profile event in Venice since George and Amal Clooney's nuptials in 2014. However, unlike the Clooneys, who were welcomed by the city, Bezos's wedding has faced significant backlash. Protesters argue that the event turns the world heritage site into a playground for the rich, exacerbating the city's struggles with overtourism.