BILLIONAIRE Jeff Bezos is set to tie the knot with fiancée Lauren Sanchez – kicking off lavish celebrations aboard his $500 million superyacht.
The couple will be joined by their celebrity friends ahead of their wedding aboard the yacht in Venice’s waters this Friday.
The week-long pre-wedding festivities are estimated to cost roughly $15 to $20 million (£12 to £16 million).
The 61-year-old Amazon founder and his 55-year-old fiancée, a former journalist and licensed pilot, are set to have approximately 200 guests attending their wedding.
Lanza & Baucina Limited, the wedding planners for the couple, have a prestigious track record, having organized events for celebrities like George and Amal Clooney, as well as Salma Hayek and François-Henri Pinault.
Jeff Bezos’ $500m luxury vessel, Koru is named after the Māori word for “loop” or “coil”, which symbolises new beginnings.
Koru, which is deemed the world’s largest sailing yacht by Boat International, boasts impressive dimensions, measuring 417 feet long with three soaring masts that stand over 230 feet tall.
The superyacht can reach speeds of up to 17 knots per hour, powered by twin, 1,500hp MTU diesel engines.
It cruises comfortably at 15 knots – about 2.25 knots faster than the average for similar vessels.
Said to have been first commissioned by Bezos in 2018, the yacht was built by Dutch yacht maker Oceanco near Rotterdam and delivered to Gibraltar in April 2023.
The superyacht’s support vessel reportedly added another $75 million to the already staggering $500 million cost.
Its exterior design was completed by Dutch company Dykstra Naval Architects, while London-based company Mlinaric, Henry & Zervudachi completed its interior design.
Koru can host up to 18 guests in nine staterooms, along with around 36 crew members.
Its full features remain unclear, but Architectural Digest reports that Koru includes multiple outdoor lounging areas, three jacuzzis and a swimming pool.
Bezos proposed to Sanchez in 2023 aboard the yacht, presenting her with a 20-carat pink diamond ring worth $2.5 million.
The wedding has been months in the making, with Bezos ready to splash billions to tie the knot with Sanchez.
The couple threw a lavish engagement party aboard their megayacht in Positano, Italy, back in August 2023.
That same year Sanchez told Vogue that she “blacked out a bit” upon seeing her multimillion-dollar ring during their proposal.
Bezos, whose net worth is estimated at $212billion, reportedly placed the ring under her pillow before she discovered and opened the box.
