MIAMI, FLORIDA: Congratulations are in order for Jeff Bezos and his fiancée Lauren Sanchez, who reportedly got engaged behind closed doors. The Amazon founder, 59, who is the richest groom in history, is said to have proposed to his journalist girlfriend on his new $500 million superyacht, the Koru. The Emmy winner was recently spotted in Cannes, displaying the 20-carat engagement ring that is thought to be worth around $2.5 million.
The engagement news has reportedly sparked a wave of speculations regarding Bezos and Sánchez’s prenuptial agreement. Since Bezos' marriage to his first wife MacKenzie Scott cost him $38 billion because he did not have a prenup in place, it is safe to assume that he will now take effective steps to protect his vast fortune, according to Page Six. Meanwhile, Sánchez herself has plenty to safeguard, as a successful businesswoman in her own right. However, while there is no confirmation about what the two might have agreed on, here is a look at what is at stake financially after they get married.
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Jeff Bezos is world’s third-richest person
According to Forbes, Bezos has a net worth of $138.9 billion, which makes him the third richest person on the planet behind Bernard Arnault and Elon Musk. Bezos is the largest individual stakeholder in Amazon, ahead of institutional investors like The Vanguard Group, BlackRock Fund Advisors, and SSgA Funds Management. He founded Amazon in 1994 from his Seattle garage and then expanded it from a small online bookshop to the largest online retailer in the world. During his 2019 divorce, Bezos transferred four percent of Amazon stock to ex-wife Scott, which was valued at $38 billion at the time.
Amazon runs its own airline company
Most consumers only know Amazon as an online retailer and streaming service but the firm has its own airline called, Amazon Air, which helps deliver its packages across the world. Around the world, Amazon offers services in 40 nations, including the UK, Brazil, most of Europe, Egypt, India, Japan, and Japan. According to Wired, Amazon Air, which debuted in 2016, owns 11 aircraft and leases around 100 more. In 2021, the company will establish a $1.5 billion hub at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
Bezos’ multimillion acquisition of Washington Post
Apart from Amazon and Blue Origin, the Princeton graduate is also the proud owner of the Washington Post. He bought the newspaper firm from the Graham family in 2013 for $250 million. Though it has been rumored that he would sell the publication, which is now reportedly losing money, he has not taken any action to officially dispose of it, yet. Additionally, he made attempts to take over the Washington Commanders NFL team but dropped those plans in February after the team's then-owner, the contentious Dan Snyder, blocked his takeover bid.
Multimillion-dollar business owned by Sánchez
As a wealthy businesswoman, Sánchez herself is a proud owner of multi-million dollar businesses. In 2016, Sánchez founded Black Ops Aviation by combining her passion for helicopter flying with TV journalism. The clients of the firm include ABC, Discovery Canada, Sony, Netflix, Extra, and Blue Origin. Notably, Bezos and Sanchez’s romance rumors first made headlines in 2018, when he hired Sanchez’s firm to film aerial footage. As per reports, the pair bonded over cozy helicopter rides, which helped the billionaire get over his fear of flying.
Bezos' real estate alone is worth $500 million
According to the Land Report, Bezos owns more than $500 million worth of real estate, ranking him as the 25th largest landowner in the nation. Unquestionably, Bezos’ most prized possession is his 10-acre mansion in Beverly Hills, California, which Bezos bought from David Geffen for $165 million in 2020. He also purchased the top five floors of 212 Fifth Avenue, which is a 24-story structure that faces Madison Square Park, for $96 million to create a massive penthouse residence. Apart from that he also has a ‘spare’ home in Washington and a vacation home in Hawaii, which he shares with Sanchez.
Bezos and Sanchez’s space program Blue Origin
Bezos founded Blue Origin as a private aerospace firm in 2000 with the goal of reaching his "vision of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of the earth." While he personally financed the business for many years, it has just started to turn a profit thanks to its space tourism missions and freight payloads. With a $3.4 billion deal, Blue Origin was chosen by NASA this month as the second vendor to design its lunar lander technology for the organization's Artemis V mission. After Bezos’ trip to space, the company announced that it will launch Sanchez and a crew of women into space in early 2024.
Couple owns helicopters, airplanes, and superyacht between them
As per reports, Bezos proposed to Sanchez on his $500 million, 417-foot superyacht, Koru, which means “new beginnings” in Maori. The highest sailing boat in the world has three masts, two pools, a movie theatre, conference rooms, lounges, and many more luxuries. The business tycoon also owns two Gulfstream G650ER jets, which are the fastest and longest-range private aircraft on the market. The base price of each plane is $70 million, excluding modifications. Sánchez owns three aircrafts in total through Black Ops, including a single-engine Cirrus SR22, two helicopters (a BELL 429 and AS350), and two helicopters.
