Italy to Jeff Bezos: “Take Your $100M Wedding and Leave!” — Locals Fume Over Venice Takeover

If Jeff Bezos thought Venice would roll out the red carpet for his ultra-exclusive wedding, he might want to think again. The Amazon founder and world’s third-richest man is set to marry his fiancée, Lauren Sánchez, in a lavish, multi-day ceremony this week—complete with yachts, private villas, paparazzi-proof canals, and, reportedly, a guest list that reads like a Forbes Top 100. But behind the scenes, locals are fuming, and not just because of blocked alleyways or motorboat noise.

This isn’t just a wedding. It’s a statement—one that’s landing like a slap in the face to everyday Venetians already drowning under the weight of overtourism, gentrification, and a city slowly morphing into a billionaire playground. For them, the arrival of Jeff Bezos isn’t a fairy tale. It’s a reminder that even the world’s most fragile and beloved cities can be rented—for the right price.

A LUXURY LOVE STORY… TURNED LOCAL NIGHTMARE

According to insiders, Bezos and Sánchez plan to tie the knot at a 15th-century palazzo overlooking the Grand Canal, with the ceremony taking place on the rooftop as gondoliers float by below. While the couple has remained tight-lipped about the details, leaks suggest fireworks, celebrity performances, helicopter arrivals, and a private yacht anchored just beyond view of St. Mark’s Square.

For fans of Bezos, it’s the ultimate flex—proof that the man who once sold books from a garage can now close down Venice for a weekend of opulence.

But for the people who actually live there, it’s another story. “We are not an Instagram backdrop,” says Elisabetta Romano, a third-generation Venetian shopkeeper whose store will be inaccessible for two full days due to the event’s security perimeter. “This city is dying because of people like him. Venice is not for sale.”

“NO SPACE FOR BEZOS”: A GROWING MOVEMENT

The backlash hasn’t just been whispered in alleyways. In the past week, local groups have plastered walls with posters reading “No Space for Bezos” and “Our City Is Not Your Stage.” An anonymous collective of gondoliers is even threatening to stage a slow-row protest on the morning of the ceremony, bringing canal traffic to a crawl.

“We don’t hate love,” says Marco Bellini, a 29-year-old activist with Venezia Libera, a grassroots group fighting privatization. “But when that love comes with $100 million in logistics, celebrity jets, and blocked bridges, then it’s no longer a wedding. It’s a siege.”

THE BILLIONAIRE PLAYBOOK: WHY BEZOS PICKED VENICE

So why Venice?

Insiders claim the couple was “enchanted” by the city’s history and “timeless elegance.” But critics say this is just the latest example of billionaire tourism—the trend of ultra-rich elites transforming heritage sites into playgrounds for personal gain.

Bezos, who’s previously made headlines for purchasing a $500 million megayacht and building a $42 million clock inside a mountain, is no stranger to spectacle. But Venice, say locals, isn’t just another backdrop.

“You want to get married in Lake Como? “Fine,” says university historian Claudia Greco. “But don’t come here, clog up our canals, and pretend this isn’t another example of money steamrolling culture.”

WEDDING OR WORLD DOMINATION?

The irony hasn’t been lost on netizens. On TikTok, the hashtag #BezosWedding has already racked up over 28 million views, with users dubbing it “Lex Luthor’s wedding” and editing dramatic music over paparazzi drone footage of the couple’s preparations.

“Bro really said, ‘Let’s get married in a museum and block off the exits,’” one user joked.

Memes have flooded Reddit, comparing the event to a Bond villain convention, with captions like, “Every gondola in Venice just turned into an Uber Black.”

In one viral clip, a TikToker filmed herself trying to cross a bridge only to be rerouted by security. “I’m not even mad; I’m just confused,” she says. “Who gets married and tells an entire city to shut up and sit down?”

WHEN CELEBRITY CULTURE CROSSES THE LINE

It’s no secret that celebrities regularly choose scenic European locations for their weddings. From George Clooney’s nuptials in Lake Como to Kardashian getaways in Portofino, it’s a pattern.

But Bezos’ wedding feels different, largely due to the scale, the timing, and the man himself.

In the past year, Bezos has been both hailed and hated. Admirers see him as a visionary, building space rockets and changing the way the world shops. Critics argue he’s a textbook example of late-stage capitalism—a man whose wealth multiplies while warehouse workers pass out from heat exhaustion.

Now, he’s walking into a historically overburdened city, throwing a party that reportedly includes 100+ security personnel, drone jammers, and temporary waterway closures, all while the city’s public infrastructure continues to crumble.

For many Venetians, this isn’t a question of privacy or taste. It’s about respect.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR THE FUTURE OF VENICE

Bezos may be the current face of the issue, but the bigger picture is far more concerning.

In 2023, the city of Venice was nearly blacklisted by UNESCO for failing to protect itself from mass tourism. Locals have long accused the government of prioritizing tourist money over public life, with long-term residents being priced out, historic homes gutted for Airbnbs, and small businesses replaced with trinket shops.

A billionaire wedding in the midst of this tension feels less like a fairy tale and more like a final insult.

“If this keeps happening, Venice will become a theme park,” says Giulio Conti, a local urban planner. “Not a living city.”

SO WHAT NOW?

Whether or not the protests succeed in disrupting the wedding, one thing is clear: Bezos has unwittingly become a lightning rod for a broader conversation.

Is this just one weekend of extravagance? Or is it a symptom of something bigger—a world where the super-rich can bend even history to their will, and no city, no matter how sacred, is off-limits?

Venetians may not have a trillion-dollar empire or a rocket company, but they have something Bezos doesn’t: a home they’re still willing to fight for.

And for now, they’re fighting with posters, protests, and a simple message echoing through the canals:

“No space for Bezos.”