Jeff Bezos, the man who took Amazon from a humble online bookstore based out of his garage to a global empire, has now added another headline-making chapter to his story: an engagement to Lauren Sánchez, former TV newscaster turned helicopter pilot and philanthropist. According to Hello Magazine, a source close to Bezos recently stated that the wedding is being held up until they sort out the prenup. And apparently, his lawyers won’t let him move forward without the prenup secured. The couple is known for their extravagant lifestyle and luxurious trips, so one burning question lingers—what does the prenup look like when you’re worth over $200 billion? Buckle up because the speculation about Bezos’ prenup might be as jaw-dropping as his next Blue Origin launch!
Are they putting off the wedding until they sign the prenup?
According to these recent reports on the Bezos prenup, a close source to the couple stated that “Jeff is so crazy about her that he would get married tomorrow if he could, but I hear that they are still sorting out a prenup. His lawyers won’t let him move ahead without it.” So it is clear that there is a prenup in the works—it’s just being “sorted out.” But what does that mean? It might mean that both sides are actively negotiating specific contract terms, proposing new terms, and that each party’s legal team is in ongoing communication to finalize the agreement. Or, it could be as simple as a matter of logistics—maybe a billionaire simply doesn’t have the time to sit down and review everything (especially given how lengthy it likely is). Bottom line? It doesn’t necessarily mean anything bad is happening; they’re just being thorough.
TLDR on their relationship
Bezos and Sánchez’s very high-profile romantic relationship began around early 2019. Their relationship became public after Bezos and his wife of 25 years, MacKenzie Scott, announced their divorce. Around the same time, Lauren Sánchez was also reportedly ending her own 13-year marriage to talent agent Patrick Whitesell.
Since 2019, Bezos and Sánchez have traveled the world together, collaborated on philanthropic projects, and have even planned for Sánchez to lead an all-women space mission through Blue Origin, Bezos’ space exploration company.
Bezos popped the question to Sanchez aboard his new $500 million super-yacht in May 2023. The couple threw a very Hollywood engagement party last year, but it seems like they are not rushing to the alter as they have been very tight-lipped on details about when and where they plan to tie the knot. While speculations linger on what’s in store for their wedding, we just have one question on our minds – will there be a prenup?!
Bezos famously did not have a prenuptial agreement with ex-wife Mackenzie Scott, which had the potential to really shake things up at Amazon. But the ex-couple reached a divorce settlement amicably, and Scott received a 4% stake in Amazon worth over $35 billion. So, it wouldn’t be surprising if a prenup is in play this time around!
Prenup predictions
While we couldn’t possibly know the exact terms of anyone’s potential prenup, here are our predictions for some likely provisions and considerations we believe may be present in Bezos’ prenup:
Jurisdiction
Bezos announced last year that he was moving to Miami and has since purchased $239 million worth of real estate there. However, he and Sánchez have also stated they are currently renovating a $175 million Beverly Hills estate. Jurisdiction is an important consideration because Florida is an equitable distribution state, whereas California is a community property state, which has implications for asset distribution for property not covered in a prenup. For example, in community property states, assets acquired during divorce are typically split 50/50 with few exceptions, whereas equitable distribution states split assets according to what is equitable, not necessarily 50/50.
Defining Property/Assets
Defining what separate property is before the marriage, and thus not including it in divisible assets during a divorce, is crucial to protecting Bezos’ empire.
Bezos’ Assets: As one of the richest people in the world, he will want to protect all of his personal assets that he obtained prior to the marriage, ranging from his stakes in his companies Amazon, the Washington Post, and Blue Origin, his extensive real estate portfolio, his $500 million super-yacht and fleet of private jets, his investments, and his foundations, such as Bezos Earth Fund.
Protecting his assets with a prenup will allow Bezos to clearly delineate property ownership, safeguard his financial and business interests, and collaborate with Sanchez to establish clear expectations. Further, Bezos has committed to giving away most of his net worth to charity during his lifetime, so a prenup will allow him to maintain control over the distribution of his wealth.
Sanchez’s assets: Sanchez also has quite the portfolio of assets worth around $30 million that she may want to protect as well, including her media and production company Black Ops Aviation, a fleet of helicopters, book royalties, and real estate.
Joint Assets: The pair bought a $78 million estate in Hawaii together, and have engaged in business and philanthropy endeavors together. So, it will be important to discuss their plans for joint assets in the event they were to ever split up.
A “Lump Sum” Provision in lieu of Alimony
Alimony is the financial support paid from one spouse to the other in the event of divorce. While Lauren Sanchez likely wouldn’t “need” alimony to be self-sufficient given her 30 million dollar net worth, you never know what the future may hold and Bezos may want to eliminate the possibility of alimony altogether (which, we can imagine would be a lot). Instead of the unknown of alimony (which is determined by a court at the time of divorce), the Bezos’ may instead choose to include a lump sum clause which awards the lesser-earning spouse a lump sum of money to “equal out” the wealth.
Children/Family Matters
Both Bezos and Sanchez have children from their previous relationships—Bezos has four children and Sanchez has three. Bezos most likely has other legal arrangements in place to protect his children, and same for Sanchez, but it leaves open discussions about what happens in the event Bezos and Sanchez decide to grow their family. For example, making sure their assets stay separate in order for their children to inherit. In addition, if the couple chooses to go through IVF to have children of their own, they may want to include embryo clauses in their agreement.
Philanthropy
Bezos has vowed to give away most of his money to philanthropic needs, so it would be wise to lay this plan out in a prenup. Additionally, Bezos and Sanchez have been working together on Bezos’ philanthropic projects, with Sanchez playing an active role, even serving as Vice Chair of Bezos’ $10 billion Bezos Earth Fund, which aims to address climate change. Discussing what the couple would like to happen ahead of time in the event they were to split is important for the continuation of Bezos’ philanthropy goals.
Confidentiality Provision
To protect the privacy of both Bezos and Sanchez, a confidentiality clause is a must. Bezos’ personal information is incredibly valuable, so including this provision will help ensure it remains private. Similarly, they may also opt for a non-compete clause to protect any confidential business information too.
Lifestyle Provisions
People are known to add all sorts of different lifestyle provisions to their prenups (even though they’re not enforceable in every state), so here are a couple that Bezos and Sanchez might consider:
- Social media clause: Sanchez has acknowledged she has learned a lot about privacy and has reigned back her social media presence since being in the high-profile relationship. They may want to agree about some social media ground rules to protect themselves and their relationship during (or after) their marriage.
- Reputation and Social Image clause: Similarly, Bezos’ successful businesses in part rely on his reputation, and alternatively, Bezos has infinite resources to damage Sanchez’s reputation if their relationship were to end. Agreeing to be respectful to each other can ensure both parties are well-intentioned and on the same page.
With the extravagant lifestyle and billions of dollars in assets at stake, drafting a prenup for the richest men in the world will be a tall task. Luckily for the rest of us, creating a prenup is pretty simple and easy!
The bottom line on Bezos’ prenup
While it’s unclear what exactly is in Lauren and Jeff’s prenup, given their wealth, it is clear from the recent reports from close sources that they do have a prenup in the works and it’s definitely getting inked before the wedding. Our predictions for their prenup include pretty much everything under the sun, from asset protection to confidentiality clauses, it’s likely their attorneys will do everything possible to make sure this couple’s wishes are met. Either way, we congratulate the couple and wish them nothing but the best! Whether they’re cheersing in space or yachting off into the sunset, we’re sure their life will be full of excitement.
Jess Perillo is a legal intern at HelloPrenup, and is currently a third-year student at Suffolk University Law School. She is an Article Editor on Suffolk Law Review, and is especially interested in legal research and writing. Jess is passionate about exploring the ways technology can help close the justice gap and make legal services more accessible.
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