Two billionaires, two very different weddings: Soros and Abedin vs Bezos and Sanchez

Anyone who dismisses weddings as superficial or trivial is in dire need of a good anthropological scolding. Like any celebration — a union of diverse groups of people from different backgrounds and generations — a wedding is always an event worth observing. That’s why human beings, naturally curious creatures, can’t help but gawk at weddings, whether outside a small town hall or in the glossy pages of a magazine. And when weddings become windows into the lives of the rich and powerful — lives that ordinary people can scarcely relate to — there is even greater fascination.

That’s why it’s noteworthy that we currently find ourselves in a kind of celebration sandwich: last week, the wedding of investor Alex Soros and political strategist Huma Abedin, a close Clinton confidante; next week, that of Amazon owner and one of the world’s richest men, Jeff Bezos, to TV host and pilot Lauren Sanchez.

There are similarities. To begin with: billions — many billions. The Soros family, starting with the patriarch George, now 94, once controlled a fortune of $25 billion, but in 2017 transferred much of it (about $18 billion) to Open Society, their philanthropic foundation and investment vehicle, and now hold “only” around $7 billion. Bezos has even more: roughly $230 billion.

So, neither wedding could be called modest or low-key. The Soros celebration lasted a couple of days and was featured in Vogue — not least because the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, is a friend of the bride, who calls Wintour her “surrogate mom.” The Bezos wedding will span three or four days, with more than 250 guests spread across five luxury hotels in Venice — all while facing protests from local residents who object to their city being used as a backdrop by U.S. billionaires who treat it as their personal playground. In contrast, no one uttered a word of protest over the Soros wedding. That’s because it was held in the Hamptons — the preferred beach and playground of the East Coast elite. And that is a key part of the difference.

Soros and Bezos may both be part of the elite, but they come from very different worlds. The Soros heirs are second generation; what’s often referred to as old money. They no longer make money — they invest it. Through Open Society, they’ve pledged to donate their fortune to progressive causes. Even more so now, they’ve said, with Donald Trump back in the White House. Bezos, on the other hand, is a relative newcomer to the elite — he’s a symbol of new money. Especially since his first divorce, he has become tabloid fodder: a reinvented man with a new partner, flaunting parties, yachts, and celebrity friends on social media. Lately, one of those friends seems to be none other than Trump himself, whose inauguration he attended with his fiancée. Two elite worlds, close in wealth but very different in culture.

Their views on life — and weddings — are, accordingly, quite distinct. Bezos and Sanchez’s will be an all-out affair, following a long engagement of just over two years, complete with bachelor and bachelorette parties — he had his party in Madrid, while Sanchez celebrated in Paris, accompanied by the Kardashians, Eva Longoria, and Katy Perry.

Soros and Abedin, on the other hand, had a shorter but more curated courtship. They’ve moved for years in the same powerful and wealthy circles, with the Clintons as symbolic patrons and the Rothschild-Hilton set as matchmakers — yet their relationship remained discreet, with only a handful of joint appearances at high-level events, summits, conferences, and White House dinners.

The grooms couldn’t be more different. Jeff Bezos is an entrepreneur, having built a staggering fortune through the creation and leadership of Amazon, in contrast to the more passive Alex, one of George Soros’s five children and, according to those close to the family, the least likely to have been chosen to manage the future of the family fortune. “Every single person who knows the family knows that Alex was exactly the wrong person to lead the foundation,” sources said in a New York Magazine article. Among the nearly 100 photos Vogue published of the wedding, the patriarch Soros is nowhere to be seen — only his current wife, and Alex’s stepmother, Tamiko Bolton.

The brides, though also quite different from one another, share a few similarities. Both are daughters of immigrant families, but were born in the United States. Abedin was born in Michigan to an Indian father (now deceased) and a Pakistani mother. Sanchez — who is of Latino heritage but spells her surname without an accent — calls herself “third generation” and was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Both have children (Bezos does too — four, now in college, with ex-wife MacKenzie Scott; Soros, a lifelong bachelor until now, does not) and have been previously married. Sanchez had her eldest child with former NFL star Tony Gonzalez and two more from her 13-year marriage to celebrity agent Patrick Whitesell. Abedin has a 13-year-old son, Jordan, with former Democratic congressman Anthony Weiner, from whom she separated after a scandal involving explicit messages sent to minors — a controversy that cost Weiner his seat, led to nearly two years in prison, and ultimately ended their marriage.

Neither woman is a millionaire, nor do they come from wealthy families. They are self-made — powerful in their respective circles, having built careers independent of the relationships that now place them at the center of public attention. Sanchez was a television anchor, a helicopter enthusiast and licensed pilot who founded Black Ops Aviation a decade ago, a company specializing in aerial filming for TV and film. Abedin’s trajectory is no less impressive: while studying at the prestigious George Washington University, she landed a White House internship at just 19 and went on to become Hillary Clinton’s right hand. “I have one daughter. But if I had a second daughter, it would [be)] Huma,” Clinton once said. It was she who encouraged Abedin to throw a full-scale second wedding.

Both women reached the upper echelons of power long before meeting their current partners, though now, through marriage, they find themselves with unimaginable wealth. Even if their husbands’ surnames carry the economic and business weight, it’s undeniable that the brides spark curiosity for their personal and professional paths — and their rise to the top. And, as is often the case with the very rich, what draws even more attention are the extravagances. Abedin wore no fewer than four designer gowns: two on the first day (one for the ceremony, another for dinner), and two more the next (one for the daytime celebration, another for the evening party). The final dress was made for her by her friend, designer Georgina Chapman — ex-wife of Harvey Weinstein and current partner of Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody.

Instead of wedding gifts, the Soros couple asked for donations to a foundation supporting girls’ education. Toasts were delivered by Anna Wintour (with help from talk show host Jimmy Fallon), the prime minister of Albania, and others. Huma’s gift to Alex was a personalized stationery set with both of their names.

It remains to be seen what extravagances Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez have planned for their June 26–28 wedding festivities in Venice. Rumored guests include Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, and, of course, the Kardashian clan. Orlando Bloom is expected to attend solo: beyond the divorce rumors, Katy Perry is currently on tour in Australia. From the Trump circle, the president’s daughter Ivanka is expected to make an appearance.

All of them will stroll through the Lido, San Giorgio Maggiore, and the Scuola Grande di Santa Maria della Misericordia, as well as aboard the businessman’s new 127-meter yacht, Koru. And for those who thought four wedding dresses was excessive, U.S. media is already reporting that Sánchez may wear as many as 27. Without a doubt, it’s worthy of an anthropological study.

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