Jeff Bezos’ mom, Jackie Bezos, has died following a battle with Lewy Body Dementia. She was 78.

The Amazon founder, 61, confirmed the news via an Instagram tribute post shared on Thursday, August 14.

“Her adulthood started a little bit early when she became my mom at the tender age of 17. That couldn’t have been easy, but she made it all work,” he wrote. “She pounced on the job of loving me with ferocity, brought my amazing dad onto the team a few years later, and then added my sister and brother to her list of people to love, guard, and nourish. For the rest of her life, that list of people to love never stopped growing. She always gave so much more than she ever asked for.”

He continued, “After a long fight with Lewy Body Dementia, she passed away today, surrounded by so many of us who loved her — her kids, grandkids, and my dad. I know she felt our love in those final moments. We were all so lucky to be in her life. I hold her safe in my heart forever.”

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It was a wedding weekend to remember. On June 27, a who’s who of Hollywood A-listers, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom, Oprah Winfrey and Kim Kardashian, royalty and billionaires descended on Venice, Italy, to celebrate the marriage of Amazon mogul Jeff Bezos and Emmy-winning journalist Lauren Sánchez. No expense was spared for the over-the-top, three-day […]

Jeff signed off the post, “I love you, mom.”

The Bezos Family Foundation, which was cofounded by Jackie and Jeff, also shared news of her death via a statement.

Jackie was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia in 2020. According to the Mayo Clinic, it is the second most common form of dementia and affects one’s cognitive abilities.

In its statement, the Foundation described Jackie’s last years as “a quiet final chapter to a life that taught all of us, friends and family alike, the true meaning of grit and determination, kindness, and service to others.”

Meanwhile, loved ones, friends and followers took to the comments section of Jeff’s Instagram post to send their condolences.

Jeff’s wife, Lauren Sanchez Bezos, 55, commented, “We will miss her SO much. Love you ”

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Lauren Sánchez made sure her wedding to Jeff Bezos included her three children. Vogue reported on Friday, June 27, that Sánchez, 55, was walked down the aisle by her sons, Nikko, 24, and Evan, 19, while her daughter, Ella, 17, served as her maid of honor. Ella, who wore a Dolce & Gabbana suit, also […]

Meanwhile, actress Sharon Stone, 67, wrote, “My sincere condolences I just lost my mom too ”

“My deepest sympathy to you. Much strength in these tough times,” added Antonio Banderas, 65, while Naomi Campbell, 55, wrote, “My Sincere condolences to you, your family & loved ones .”

Miranda Kerr, 42, also sent her well wishes, commenting, “Thinking of you and your family ”

Jackie is survived by her husband Mike Bezos, her three children, Jeff, Christina and Mark Bezos as well as her 11 grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

Both Bezos and Sanchez have been married and divorced previously, notes Marilyn Chinitz, matrimonial attorney to several billionaires and celebrities like Tom Cruise and Michael Douglas. And Bezos famously did not have a prenup during that first marriage; MacKenzie Scott, his ex-wife and an author and philanthropist, received Amazon shares worth tens of billions in their divorce. Sanchez, too, is coming into the relationship with significant wealth, though on a different scale (she and ex-husband Patrick Whitesell reportedly had a prenup that dictated the division of their assets when they divorced in 2019).

Representatives for Bezos and Sanchez did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether the couple had a prenup, but Chinitz, who does not represent either party, says the pair likely had teams of lawyers and other professionals—estate lawyers, cross-border tax lawyers, business lawyers, forensic accountants, wealth advisers, public relations reps—working on the agreements for months to a year or longer. 

Such an extensive process would reflect the incredible complexity of the couple’s finances. In the case of Bezos, the Amazon shares that have been the primary source of his riches gained significant value during his marriage to Scott, who is considered to have played a major role in creating that wealth. Even with a prenup in place, she likely would have come out of the marriage with significant assets given it was marital property, says Chinitz. For his second marriage, Bezos will enter it already possessing billions of dollars, investments in dozens of companies, multiple homes, yachts, and other assets. Meanwhile, both Bezos and Sanchez have children from their previous relationships.

Chinitz notes that, based on documents she has drafted for other uber-wealthy couples, any Bezos-Sanchez prenup would very likely contain many non-financial provisions to go along with ones apportioning money and possessions. Those might include non-disclosure agreements and non-disparagement clauses related to media activity, confidential business information, the scope of the prenup negotiations and so on.

“Given Jeff is one of the wealthiest people in the world…privacy issues and confidentiality management are also key considerations,” says Paul Karger, CEO of multifamily office and private investment firm TwinFocus. “There should be clear understanding on the use, and misuse, of media and social media outlets, storage and retention of documentation, [and] restriction on public interviews.”

At the end of the day, both Bezos and Sanchez are likely looking at this not as a wedding but also a “business transaction,” says Lauren Crane, partner at New York-based Bender & Crane and expert on prenuptial agreements who was not involved with Bezos or Sanchez. 

Prenups not a time for secrets

Not every spouse-to-be is totally forthcoming when it comes to the assets they are bringing to a marriage and, in the case of the ultra-wealthy, some even use “secret” trusts and LLCs to conceal their money. Chinitz, though, says that is unlikely for someone of Bezos’s level of wealth. He and his team would likely disclose all of his assets, businesses, properties, etc., as would Sanchez, to ensure that the agreement would hold up in the case of a possible divorce.

“You never want to be in a position as a spouse turned litigant where the other side is moving to set aside the agreement on the basis that you withheld information and that you did not disclose your assets,” says Chinitz.

In the case of the uber-wealthy, doing this takes a team of professionals on both sides, including “layers of lawyers,” accountants, and tax pros to decipher the ins-and-outs of each party’s assets. Understanding and transparency is key to ensuring the resulting prenup document holds up in court in the event of a separation. Crane says Sanchez is likely very familiar with this, given she has money of her own and was previously divorced. It puts her an advantage over, say, a 20-something who gets married to someone with money and no idea what they’re doing.

“She may not have as much as him, but she still has money,” says Crane. “There’s no way that she’s winding up on the street if they got divorced.”

Also typically included in prenups of the ultra-wealthy is a provision to discourage contesting it in the event of a divorce. In fact, doing so could mean the litigant ends up with nothing.

“If a litigant decides that they want to set aside the agreement when there’s a divorce and they claim there was coercion and duress, you can have very penalizing provisions in an agreement,” says Chinitz. “There has to be real consequence to trying to set aside and invalidate an agreement that was fully negotiated.”

Fair and reasonable agreement

While the wealth Bezos has already accrued would be considered separate property from Sanchez’s, Chinitz says the agreement would have to be “fair and reasonable.” In other words, if they were to divorce, the partner coming in with fewer assets wouldn’t be left destitute.

“The courts look at the financial disclosure to also make sure that the agreement is fair, reasonable, not the result of fraud, and that the terms are not unconscionable,” she says.

It would be typical for the two to draft a title-based agreement: Anything currently in Bezos’s name belongs to him, anything in Sanchez’s name belongs to her, and marital assets are in both names. Chinitz calls this the “cleanest” agreement couples can have.

That said, it is also common for the wealthy to craft property settlement agreements. These call for the less wealthy spouse to agree to waive future claims against assets in exchange for a fixed amount of money. Commonly, these take the form of a lump sum payment after a certain number of years of marriage, or a specified amount of money each year of marriage. This would be in addition to any support she would be entitled to as well as the assets in both of their names (like homes), though Crane says it is typical when both spouses are wealthy to waive spousal support and alimony.

A related component of many prenuptial agreements is a sunset clause, which basically means that certain clauses or whole contracts expire after a specified amount of time, say 10 years, or when a milestone is reached, like the birth of a child. For example, the prenup might stipulate that if a couple is married for 15 years the agreement “will disappear,” or it could dissolve when they reach a certain age. Chinitz says she doesn’t expect the Bezos-Sanchez contract to include that, as they are in their 50s and 60s and have children already.

In the event of a divorce, Sanchez is “likely to walk away with a significant amount of money, but nowhere near what his first wife, MacKenzie, got,” she says. “MacKenzie helped create those assets. His wealth existed long before he met or married Lauren Sanchez.”

Portability

While Bezos and Sanchez call South Florida home (a recent development), they have multiple homes in different jurisdictions including Beverly Hills, Hawaii, and New York, and are often traveling on the superyacht Koru. As such, it is important for the prenup to be portable, says Chinitz. Lawyers will ensure that regardless of where they might one day live or possibly divorce, the courts there will be governed by the law of the place they signed the contract.

“If, for some reason, they decide that they’re going to move to Switzerland or to France, then they’re going to retain local counsel there who’s going to draft an agreement that’s identical, the mirror image, to the one that they entered into before they got married,” she says.

Additionally, the prenup would have provisions for legacy-building, gifts, philanthropy, and so on.

“Jeff should have his team of attorneys review all commercial, business, and monetary transactions going forward to make sure everything is consistent with his prenuptial agreement terms and conditions, as well as with philanthropic and multi-generational activities,” says Karger.      

‘Til death

All of that said, prenups also dictate what would happen should one of the partners die while the couple is still happily married. In this case, Chinitz expects there to be a complex series of trusts and other assets passing to Bezos’s children, as well as Sanchez’s.

“It’s likely that in the event of his death, he probably will set up a very substantial trust for Lauren, assuming they’re in an intact marriage, and that trust would distribute to her a substantial amount of money annually to cover all of her expenses,” she says. “But then when she dies, the beneficiaries will probably, I would imagine, either go to a foundation or to his children.”

The surviving spouse would also receive their marital assets, including homes, investments, and so on. Additional funds could also be provided to the surviving spouse on top of what was in the trust and held jointly, to provide liquidity immediately, says Chinitz.

Additionally, there could be stipulations like the surviving spouse can remain in the home (assuming it was held only in the dead spouse’s name) until his or her death, and then it passes to their children or another beneficiary.

“He’s known to be a very generous man,” she says. “It’s a blended family of seven kids, and I’m sure he’s going to provide for her children as well. He’s not legally obligated to, because he’s not the father, but I’m sure if it’s a happy marriage, he will make provision for her children as well.”

The lavish wedding between Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his partner Lauren Sanchez is scheduled for June 26-28 in Venice, Italy. For months, however, protests against the event have taken place in the city, intensifying in recent days with the “No Space for Bezos” campaign—which refers to his aerospace investments—over the social and environmental impacts of the wedding, which will occupy much of the historic lagoon center that’s already under pressure from high tourist flow.

What We Know About the Event

The three-day celebration promises unprecedented pomp, situated among historic buildings, luxury yachts, and international VIPs. Three major events are already scheduled: the exclusive gala evening on June 26 at the Lido of Venice, the exchange of vows the following day in the Teatro Verde on the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore, and the grand finale on June 28 that will take place in the sixteenth-century Scuola Grande della Misericordia.

The guest list for the Bezos-Sanchez weddings includes Microsoft founder Bill Gates, TV host Oprah Winfrey, and actors including Leonardo DiCaprio, Barbra Streisand, Eva Longoria, Orlando Bloom, and Robert Pattinson.

Exclusive private parties are also planned at secret locations in the smaller islands of the lagoon, including Burano, Giudecca, and Sacca Sessola. It is an event that will surely leave its mark on Venice, including in terms of environmental impact and the possible inconvenience it could create for the city’s transit infrastructure.

80 Jets and Over 30 Private Water Taxis

The guests will arrive on 80 private jets and travel aboard more than 30 already reserved water taxis, yachts, and gondolas.

According to some official sources, flights from New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris and Dubai are planned. Not to mention the luxury yachts coming to Venice, with moorings already planned between the Maritime Station, Punta della Dogana, San Basilio, and Riva degli Schiavoni.

Among these is Bezos’s own majestic vessel, Koru, the 417-foot-long superyacht that cost $500 million, along with its 246-foot support vessel Abeona, equipped with a helicopter deck and dedicated staff, although there is still no confirmation that it will enter the lagoon.

The only yacht already docked as of Tuesday is the M’Brace of legendary basketball player Michael Jordan, who arrived with his wife. Between 30 and 50 water taxis have been reserved full-time for all three days of the event, each of which will cost the bride and groom up to 400 euros an hour.

For or Against

The grand celebrations have divided public opinion. According to some, the enormous expenses for the organization of Bezos’ wedding could have a positive impact on the territory, going to finance hotels, transportation, catering and exclusive locations. The Washington Post, owned by Bezos, has declared that about 80 percent of products and services come from local Venetian suppliers.

But at what cost? The other side of the coin includes a collective of activists and residents who the “No Space for Bezos” campaign months ago, denouncing the spectacularization of the city at the expense of residents. The protesters are drawing up several plans to block roads and waterways. Among the reasons for the protest is the environmental impact that the mass mobilization of so many vehicles may have on the lagoon city, which has already been battling overcrowding caused by tourists.

However, the City of Venice has given reassurances that the marriage between Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez will not cause “any disruption for the city, its residents, or tourists.” Over the years, in fact, Venice has successfully handled international events even more impactful than this one, such as the G20 Economy, the G7 Justice, bilateral state meetings, and the Art, Architecture, and Cinema Biennials. The organizers, the municipality then specifies, “have not booked an excessive number of gondolas or water taxis, as read in the newspapers, as the interest is to ensure that the city functions normally, for everyone, without any disturbance to anyone.”

This story originally appeared on WIRED Italy and has been translated from Italian.

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Published June 21, 2025 7:00 AM PDT