Jeff Bezos’ $500m luxury superyacht heads to Venice for world’s most lavish wedding as he ties knot with Lauren Sanchez

BILLIONAIRE Jeff Bezos has kicked off his lavish week-long wedding celebrations aboard his $500 million superyacht.

The Amazon boss is set to tie the knot with fiancée Lauren Sanchez later this week with celebrity friends expected to join the couple in Venice.

SplashThe wedding is set to take place aboard Bezos’ $500million superyacht, Koru, in Venice, Italy[/caption]

SplashJeff Bezos, 61, proposed to Lauren Sanchez, 55, in 2023[/caption]

SplashThe happy couple regularly set sail on the mega yacht[/caption]

The extravagant pre-wedding festivities are estimated to cost between $15 to $20 million (£12 to £16 million).

The $500m luxury vessel, named Koru after the Māori word for “loop” or “coil”, has been a prominent feature in the couple’s budding relationship.

Bezos, 61, proposed to Sanchez, 55, in 2023 aboard the yacht, presenting her with a 20-carat pink diamond ring worth $2.5 million.

They have been spotted on the vessel several times, soaking up the sun ahead of their private wedding ceremony, expected to take place Friday in Italy.

Measuring 417 feet in length with three towering masts over 230 feet high, Koru is currently the world’s largest sailing yacht, according to Boat International.

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.

The wedding has been months in the making, with Bezos ready to splash billions to tie the knot with Sanchez.

About 200 guests are expected to attend, including many well-known figures.

Multiple reports suggest stars including Leonardo Di Caprio, Orlando Bloom, Mick Jagger and Beyoncé, are expected to attend as well as Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.

The upcoming bash is said to be as extravagant as a royal wedding, with Sanchez’s brother Paul telling TMZ it would “be like a Princess Di thing”.

“It’s gonna be an amazing event. It’s gonna be star-studded and fun,” he said.

The couple’s wedding organisers, Lanza & Baucina Limited, have worked with stars like George and Amal Clooney and Salma Hayek and François-Henri Pinault in the past.

Exact details for the celebrations are being kept under wraps, but the wedding is believed to start on June 24 and end on June 26.

The couple even 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 it and opened the box.

SplashKoru is the world’s tallest ship[/caption]

GettyThe Island of San Giorgio Maggiore has been hired out by the couple for their big day[/caption]

EPAKoru took five years to build[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]