 "Jeff Bezos’ prenuptial agreement with Lauren Sanchez has described as one of the most complex agreements ever. Image courtesy:")
Jeff Bezos is getting ready to say “I do” again—but this time, with a much tighter grip on the paperwork.
After his record-breaking $165 billion divorce from MacKenzie Scott, the Amazon founder isn’t leaving anything to chance. Ahead of his Venice wedding to American author and former news anchor Lauren Sánchez, reports suggest Bezos has put together one of the most carefully crafted prenuptial agreements in billionaire history.
While it might sound a bit unromantic to most of us, prenups are pretty standard—if not essential—when it comes to relationships involving extreme wealth and global influence.
In fact, MailOnline earlier reported that Bezos’ legal team wasn’t even willing to let the wedding proceed until the prenup was signed.
So what exactly is a prenup? What conditions does it include? And why are Bezos and Sánchez making it a top priority?
Here’s a closer look.
What is a prenuptial agreement?
A prenuptial agreement is a legal document couples sign before getting married, outlining how assets, property, and support will be divided in the event of divorce. For most people, it’s a practical safety net. For billionaires like Bezos, it’s imperative.
“It’s not unusual for individuals who’ve been through high-profile divorces to want to define terms clearly going forward… especially when reputational, familial, and financial factors are all in play,” Dain Dreyer, partner at Dreyer & Mazaheri PLLC, told Hello! magazine.
High-net-worth prenups—like Bezos’—might include exhaustive financial disclosures, detailed asset separation, spousal support limits, confidentiality clauses, non-disparagement agreements, and protections for business interests, he said.
Alphonse Provinziano, a California attorney, describes Bezos’ agreement as more than just a legal formality. Given its scale, it’s intended to be “designed to survive any legal challenge", he told RadarOnline.
How the $165 billion divorce shaped Bezos’ next prenup
The founder of Amazon was previously married to MacKenzie Scott, with whom he set up the online book seller, which went on to become a global conglomerate.
The couple, who share four children, married in 1993 before business boomed and after 25 years decided to separate.
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, reportedly worth $38 billion, making the split one of the costliest separations in history. This transfer of shares made MacKenzie one of the richest women in the world, too. According to Forbes, she has a net worth of $165.3 billion.
Due to getting married before Jeff became the third richest man in the world, the couple, naturally, married without a prenuptial agreement. And while the circumstances were different, it’s likely influenced future decisions.
Legal experts told Hello! that the experience led to the current prenup being crafted with extreme precision, months before the wedding, to prevent claims of coercion or later legal challenges.
What does Bezos’ prenup looks like?
According to Provinziano, Bezos’ prenuptial agreement with Sanchez is no ordinary document. In fact, he described it as one of the most complex agreements he’s ever seen, comparing it to a high-stakes business merger.
That level of detail doesn’t come easy. Provinziano explained that it involves intense paperwork and full financial transparency.
For someone like Bezos, whose wealth is tied up in intricate accounting structures and multiple companies, the process required extensive disclosures. This ensures that Sanchez can’t claim any hidden assets if things ever go wrong.
“He’s making sure Sanchez has her own legal team and more than enough time to review the agreement,” said Provinziano.
California law also requires that such agreements be “conscionable”—or fair to both parties. Since Sanchez holds significantly fewer assets than Bezos, the tech mogul is legally required to be upfront and equitable in the deal. “It’s been a lot of work for teams of lawyers,” the attorney added.
While the exact details of the agreement remain private, reports suggest that it likely includes provisions for Bezos’ four children and generous alimony for Sanchez in the event of a split.
With Bezos’ net worth hovering around $223 billion, Provinziano estimates Sanchez could walk away with $1 million for every year they are married, plus possible property entitlements.
The couple is expected to tie the knot in a lavish wedding ceremony in Venice, reportedly between June 24 and 26.
With input from agencies