Overview

• Guests boarded a $500 million superyacht for a foam party before receptions in a Tintoretto-lined church and a ceremony on a former G7 island.
• Roughly 200 A-list attendees, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Oprah Winfrey, flew in on more than 95 private jets as the event’s estimated $55 million cost drew scrutiny.
• Venetian residents plastered flyers, floated effigies and unfurled banners in canals demanding that Bezos pay higher taxes.
• Journalist Liz Plank called the festivities a tone-deaf spectacle and linked its unrestrained display of wealth to cultural norms encouraged by President Trump.
• Environmental advocates caution that megayacht waves and increased tourist traffic exacerbate erosion and climate vulnerabilities in Venice’s sinking foundations.