Bezos the latest of the billionaires behaving brazenly

Conspicuous wealth in the manner on display in this week’s Venice nuptials of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez screams exhibitionism and attention-seeking as much as it does celebration of love. Nothing focuses the attention of the 99.9999 per cent of ordinary people like the antics of the 0.0001 per centers.

The luxury Venetian circus of an event captures perfectly the yawning disparity between the have-nots and the tin-eared extreme-haves.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez in Venice, Italy, ahead of their wedding Credit: GC Images

The parade of ultra-wealthy, the remodelling of the waterways and alleys of Venice, the armada of private jets, and reports of 70 bridal outfits feel more like reality TV – MAFS meets Real Housewives with a lashing of Hunger Games.

Yesteryear’s industrial tycoons – the Vanderbilts, the Rockerfellers, the Carnegies – had their fair share of controversies, but it’s the tech bros of today whose often-peculiar behaviour plays out publicly and in real time.

Their thoughts and opinions are blazed over social media, their attempts to conquer space or court politicians are captured and stored by the forever internet.

For some, their proclivities run to the extreme – for example, a reported musing by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel about his desire to cheat nature by being transfused young people’s blood, thus interrupting the ageing process.

It was only a few weeks ago that the world watched its richest citizen, Elon Musk, engage in a public slanging match with the US president, calling for his impeachment and mocking his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as the US president threatened to cancel federal contracts and tax subsidies for Musk’s companies.

The Bezos wedding, lavish and wealth-flaunting as it is, looks tame by comparison.

But both could be captured by the broader label of billionaires behaving bizarrely.

We have become obsessed with torturing ourselves by watching the excesses of the ultra-ultra-wealthy, which most will label obscene but compelling.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez hosted a foam party aboard the Koru as protests from Venice locals forced the couple to change wedding venues.Credit: Splash / Backgrid

There are plenty of cultural references, such as Succession, which is loosely based on the antics of the Murdoch family and sibling rivalry for control of the empire.

Another that springs to mind is Mountainhead, the recently released satirical drama based on four billionaire tech bros’ weekend getaway, set against the backdrop of an international crisis of their own making but on which they are hoping to capitalise.

Fictional as those characters are, think Tesla’s Elon Musk, Bezos, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI founder Sam Altman, or the elder statesman of the group, PayPal’s Thiel.

It’s even been reported that some have “prepper” plans to move to New Zealand in the event of an apocalypse.

Sure, the tech bros are all innovators, but they have made their money on the back of selling products and services to the 99.9999 per centers. We buy their products, read their social media platforms and drive their electric vehicles.

Jared Kushner and wife Ivanka Trump enter a water taxi after arriving at Marco Polo Airport before the wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez.Credit: GC Images

And they don’t quietly influence the political process – they attend presidential inaugurations and make millions in public political contributions.

Thus it is hardly surprising that the Bezos nuptials have been transformed into a worldwide event, costing more than $100 million and attended by a list of guests with more influence than the United Nations gathering, and which presents guests with more networking potential than the annual Davos get-together.

The local Venetians are certainly not seeing this as a great tourism marketing opportunity – rather as a mass migration of rich-listers taking over their historic town. Such was the level of protest that the event’s venue was changed.

Activists from “No Space For Bezos” and Venetian residents at a public meeting in Campo San Giacometo square.Credit: Bloomberg

About a dozen Venetian organisations – including housing advocates, anti-cruise ship campaigners and university groups – have reportedly united to protest the multi-day event under the banner “No Space for Bezos”.

The rest of the world is just watching on.

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