With an incomprehensible net worth of $220 billion, Jeff Bezos’ upcoming wedding to Lauren Sánchez is sure to be a spectacular affair.
But as the third richest man in the world, it’s not exactly surprising that the Amazon founder and former CEO is, with the help of an army of legal representatives, getting an ironclad prenuptial agreement in place before they say ‘I do’.
Jeff, 61, and Lauren, 55, who got engaged in 2023 on board his $500m superyacht of the coast of Cannes, are said to be so excited about their upcoming wedding, with MailOnline reporting that the business mogul would marry his fiancée “tomorrow” if he could but that his lawyers won’t let him until legal provisions are in place.
Jeff Bezos’s U-turn on prenup after divorce from first wife
Having such a detailed and all-important prenuptial agreement is expected but it remains a U-turn from Jeff’s first marriage to MacKenzie Scott.
Jeff and his ex-wife, who share four children, married before they made their billion-dollar empire, when Amazon, as an online book retailer, was in its infancy.
They married in 1993 and were together for 25 years before they split. Due to the lack of a prenuptial agreement, the divorce ended up being a complicated affair.
As part of their divorce settlement, MacKenzie, who by her ex-husband’s side through Amazon’s stratospheric growth, was awarded a four per cent stake in the company. According to Forbes, she has a net worth of $165.3 billion.
Now that billionaire is getting married again, what might his essential pre-nup process involve? We spoke to legal experts to get an idea…
© Dave Benett/amfAR/Getty Images fJeff Bezos’ ‘lengthy’ and ‘challenging’ ironclad prenup
HELLO! spoke to Alphonse Provinziano, a Certified Family Law specialist and Family Law Attorney at Provinziano & Associates, who explained what their prenup process would include at its most basic level.
“Their prenup would primarily focus on protecting Jeff Bezos’ vast holdings acquired before his marriage and insulating those from any ownership by Ms. Sanchez during their marriage. What that will look like is a clear enumeration of all business assets and ownership interests, stating that these would be considered Jeff Bezos’ separate property.”
Alphonse continued: “A common feature of this type of prenup is to say that no matter how much labor or work goes into any business asset, the acquisition remains entirely separate. This type of prenup can be challenging because of the need for complete and total disclosure.”
© WWD via Getty ImagesHe added: “It is a lengthy process that would usually involve teams of attorneys for both sides. In fact, Mr. Bezos would most likely have to pay for Ms. Sanchez’s attorneys who would, even though he’s paying them, owe their complete loyalty to Ms. Sanchez, and oftentimes what would happen is that extensive negotiations would go back and forth in order to have the parties have a prenup that they both can agree with.
“There’s a lot that goes into a prenup because this is the roadmap for this family’s future; however long you’re married, though in many cases, we simply hope you have the prenup but you never have to use it.”
Why Jeff Bezos’ prenup takes ‘several months’
Meanwhile, Dain Dreyer, partner at Dreyer & Mazaheri PLLC, also spoke to HELLO! about what makes Jeff and Lauren’s prenup so complex, and why it’s such a lengthy process.
© WireImage“A prenup at this level of wealth is a substantial undertaking, most likely involving a legion of high-priced attorneys and financial advisors working around the clock…not only in the U.S., but also in foreign countries where Mr. Bezos owns any substantial assets.
“Technically, it’s not the dollar figure that makes it difficult… it’s the sheer complexity. The challenge lies in structuring protections which (1) align with the laws of all jurisdictions in which assets may be found; (2) are enforceable in court; (3) account for the intricacies of Mr. Bezos’ private investments, real estate portfolios, and corporate governance structures; and (4) ensure the utmost of confidentiality and privacy.”
© Getty Images for amfARHe added: “A high-net-worth prenup can take several months to finalize. It involves valuation of assets, disclosure obligations, legal negotiations, and careful drafting. Transparency and fairness are key… especially to ensure enforceability down the road.”
It’s been reported that the wedding is taking place next month, so it’s likely that Jeff and Lauren have now signed the dotted line after months of legal proceedings and are surely focused on their special day.
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