By Megan Cartwright
Lauren Sanchez’s net worth has undergone a significant transformation following her wedding to Jeff Bezos, according to experts who have spoken with Newsweek.The Amazon founder, 61, and the Emmy award-winning journalist, 55, tied the knot on San Giorgio Maggiore island in Venice, Italy, on Friday in front of roughly 200 celebrity guests. The couple got engaged in France in 2023.What Is Jeff Bezos’ Net Worth?Bezos is the third wealthiest person in the world, with a current net worth of $234.6 billion, according to Forbes. The businessman founded Amazon in 1994, and he owns the aerospace company Blue Origin as well as The Washington Post.Sanchez’s Career HighlightsAlthough Sanchez’s net worth has not been confirmed, she accrued her own fortune as a journalist, pilot, philanthropist and author. The New Mexico native was co-host of Fox’s Good Day LA from 2011 to 2017 and also worked as a correspondent for Extra.In 2005, Sanchez hosted the reality TV dancing competition So You Think You Can Dance, though she left the position after one season to welcome her second child.The television presenter is a mom to three kids: son Nikko Gonzalez with ex Tony Gonzalez, as well as son Evan Whitesell and daughter Ella Whitesell with ex-husband Patrick Whitesell. Bezos shares four children with his ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott.In addition to broadcasting, Sanchez has a helicopter pilot’s license and founded the aerial filming company Black Ops Aviation. She released a children’s book, The Fly Who Flew to Space, in September.Sanchez’s Net Worth Gets Big BoostWhile Sanchez has built a successful career, experts tell Newsweek that her take-home income is expected to increase following her nuptials.”When you form a power couple, it raises the potential to increase your combined and individual net worth, especially when each has an established reputation in their own right,” said Jonathan A.J. Wilson, a professor of Brand Strategy and Culture at Regent’s University London.”Also, relationships in the public eye can offer a boost to an individual’s brand value and commercial worth,” he continued.”They’re used to generate more social media content and stories, which translate into being more interesting, attracting more eyeballs and shares, and ultimately more earnings off the back of this. Plus, couples who are brands in their own right get to borrow or leverage off each other’s stories, expertise and personalities to enrich their own. You’re basically sharing success.”Erin A. Meyers, a professor at Oakland University who specializes in celebrity studies as well as women and gender studies, told Newsweek: “Given [Bezos’] incredible wealth and lifestyle, I think it is safe to say [Sanchez] will be leading an even more privileged life than she was with her prior fortune. They’ve clearly already been living a wealthy and privileged lifestyle leading up to their marriage.”Hilde Van den Bulck, a professor at Drexel University whose research interests include celebrity culture, noted that “being married to Bezos boosts Sanchez’s worth if she would want to monetize her position as ‘influencer,’ i.e. her brand value has gone up.””She can make much more money in any representational function as the wife of Bezos than as the journalist Sanchez, because of the added visibility,” she told Newsweek.Bezos and Sanchez’s PrenupIt’s unclear whether Bezos and Sanchez have a prenuptial agreement, though experts tell Newsweek it’s likely.”I would argue that both are old (experienced as in previously divorced) and young (of sound mind) enough to not go into this marriage ‘in the throes of love,’ i.e. not without a solid prenup,” Van den Bulck said.”In fact, all kinds of lawyers will have probably been working on this from the day they became engaged, if not earlier. These prenup negotiations can be very tough and take a long time.”Meyers agreed: “As with most high-profile and wealthy couples, I imagine there is some sort of prenuptial agreement that would take effect in the event of a divorce, though it is unlikely that the public would even know the details of that,” she said.Bezos and Scott were married for 25 years before their split in 2019. At the time, multiple outlets reported that the couple did not have a prenup, and she received more than $30 billion in Amazon shares after their split.Despite Bezos’ costly breakup from Scott, the newlywed’s net worth isn’t affected.”[Bezos’] wealth is so immense that I don’t think they are worrying about making ends meet,” Meyers said. “He has more money than a single person or a couple could ever spend in a lifetime, and even that large settlement is barely scratching the surface.”America’s Fascination With CelebritiesAs all eyes were on Bezos and Sanchez’s weekend celebrations, Van den Bulck said it’s clear people still crave celebrity news.”The Bezos-Sanchez Venice wedding reminded us of the global appetite for celebrity gossip, even or especially in times when the world is on fire, it seems,” she said. “We also know that bad news like divorce is as ‘interesting’ for the gossip mill as is ‘happily ever after,’ if not more.””One of the reasons we are so fascinated by these celebrity weddings and divorces is that, while celebrities are larger than life, they are also just like us. They are near yet far in many different ways.”