Everything We Know About Jeff Bezos' Divorce
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos once described his wife, author MacKenzie Bezos, as "resourceful, smart, brainy, and hot" during an interview with Vogue. This loving quote, along with many others, led many to believe Jeff and MacKenzie's marriage was solid, albeit a bit strange. Shockingly, the couple was struggling behind the scenes, and we were all so clueless about their marital strife, up until the duo released a joint statement on Jan. 9, 2018, to reveal they would be ending their marriage after 25 years. Bummer.
What went wrong for the parents of four? Well, a lot actually. After news of their divorce hit the press, all the juicy details about the Bezos' failed marriage began to seep out. What we thought was a picture-perfect relationship turned out to be a lot juicier and more dramatic than any novel MacKenzie could ever write. From news of a hot and steamy affair, to reports that their divorce may be one of the costliest ones yet, here is everything we know about Jeff Bezos' divorce.
They met on the job and made a beeline for the altar
Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Bezos (née Tuttle) first met when Jeff was working as the senior vice president of the hedge fund firm D. E. Shaw. MacKenzie interviewed for a research associate position with the company, according to Wired. She was able to snag the gig and immediately set her sights on Jeff. "My office was next door to his, and all day long I listened to that fabulous laugh," she told Vogue. "How could you not fall in love with that laugh?
It wasn't long before MacKenzie suggested they do lunch, and Jeff agreed. The rest, as they say, is history.
Unlike some couples who prefer to let their relationships evolve at a slow pace, MacKenzie and Jeff said "I do" at lightning speed. According to Vogue, they got engaged after three months and became husband and wife three months after Jeff put a ring on it. How's that for a quickie marriage?
A shocking divorce announcement
Jeff Bezos took to his Twitter in January 2019 to announce that he and MacKenzie Bezos were calling it quits after 25 years of marriage. In a joint statement, the couple stated they had gone through a "long period of loving exploration and trial separation" before deciding it was best that they go their separate ways.
Still, Jeff and MacKenzie revealed that they had no regrets with the way their romance panned out. "We feel incredibly lucky to have found each other and deeply grateful for every one of the years we have been married to each other," their statement continued.
Through their statement, they also revealed that "family and close friends" knew they had been going through marital woes. However, the rest of us were blindsided. Little did we know, rumors about the catalyst of the divorce were even more shocking than we could've ever imagined.
Did too many differences cause a rift?
Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos are both Princeton University grads, although Jeff received his diploma around six years ahead of his MacKenzie, according to CNBC. But perhaps attending the same alma mater was one of the few things Jeff and MacKenzie had in common. In a revealing 2013 interview with Vogue, the author admitted that they were practically polar opposites. She didn't necessarily describe herself as a wallflower, but she detailed the contrasts in their personalities by saying, "He likes to meet people. He's a very social guy. Cocktail parties for me can be nerve-racking. The brevity of conversations, the number of them — it's not my sweet spot."
Still, MacKenzie was a good sport. She would put on a dazzling evening gown and show up to events in support of Jeff, but she was noticeably absent from his side at Amazon's Golden Globes party, which took place just days before their joint divorce announcement, according to People. However, someone else was all smiles at the event, but we'll get to that in a bit.
An alleged affair
After Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Bezos announced they were headed for splitsville, the National Enquirer released a bombshell report, alleging Jeff had been carrying on a months-long affair with a woman who's also in the process of ending her marriage, EXTRA host Lauren Sanchez.
The Enquirer began tracking Jeff and Sanchez's alleged relationship after she and her sister were spotted exiting the Amazon head honcho's private jet in October 2018. The jet ride also reportedly caught the attention of MacKenzie, who allegedly saw Sanchez's name listed on the flight manifest. Not only had Jeff reportedly allowed Sanchez to use his jet at her leisure, he and his alleged mistress had visited "exotic destinations" together and were tracked everywhere, including "swanky limos, helicopter rides, romantic hikes, five-star hotel hideaways, intimate dinner dates and 'quality time' in hidden love nests," according to the Enquirer.
The most salacious thing about this alleged affair, is that Sanchez and her husband, talent agent Patrick Whitesell, had been "super close to Jeff and MacKenzie for a decade," TMZ reported. Wowzers.
According to the Enquirer (via Daily Mail), the sole reason Jeff decided to go public about his divorce was because he knew his alleged affair was going to hit headlines. Jeff allegedly tried to stop the publication from "running its series of photographs which document their affair," and he allegedly asked a friend, "Can't I buy the story from them?" How Donald Trump of him.
He's already in 'love' with his alleged mistress
Not only had the National Enquirer been scoping out Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's alleged affair for months on end, but they reportedly got ahold of some racy text messages between the alleged lovers, including "shirtless photographs" of Bezos, as well as one of his, well... let's just call it an extremely personal Amazon package. Yikes.
Despite both Bezos and Sanchez being married to other people, Bezos, who the Enquirer described as a "horn-dog billionaire," didn't hesitate to pour his heart out in one text that reportedly read, "I love you, alive girl. I will show you with my body, and my lips and my eyes, very soon." Umm... cringe.
In another message, dated May 13, 2018, the Amazon bigwig reportedly texted: "I want to smell you, I want to breathe you in. I want to hold you tight.... I want to kiss your lips.... I love you. I am in love with you."
Sources told the gossip rag (via the Daily Mail) that Bezos was indeed "in love" with Sanchez and attempted to ease her mind about their alleged dirty deeds. "We don't have to worry about the parachute opening because we are jumping together. We are sharing the parachute and it will land safely. We have chosen each other," he allegedly wrote.
How... romantic?
The timeline of the alleged affair is foggy
After the National Enquirer released all the juicy details about the alleged affair, an attorney representing Jeff Bezos reportedly told the publication it was "widely known" that Jeff and his wife, MacKenzie Bezos, had been "long separated." His alleged mistress, Lauren Sanchez, also told the Enquirer that she and Jeff had both separated from their respective spouses "in the fall."
Well, let's pump the brakes for a second, because the Enquirer's findings about the alleged affair say otherwise. The publication tracked the Amazon founder in a "four-month undercover investigation," and the text messages Jeff sent to his rumored lover, where he revealed he was falling in love with Sanchez, "were seemingly sent before the summer."
Sanchez even snagged an invite to Jeff's aforementioned Golden Globes party ... and her plus one was none other than "her estranged husband," People magazine reported. If any of the Enquirer's reporting is true, it's looking more and more like something sneaky was going on with Jeff and Sanchez long before Jeff and MacKenzie released their divorce announcement, which is pretty shady, if you ask us.
He and his alleged mistress are 'as thick as thieves'
After news broke that Jeff Bezos was allegedly hooking up with television personality Lauren Sanchez, People magazine was able to confirm that Sanchez and her husband, Patrick Whiteasell, were also divorcing "after 13 years of marriage." But that doesn't lessen the impact of the rumors surrounding the alleged infidelity.
A source told Us Weekly that Whitesell was "totally blindsided" when he found out Sanchez was creeping with Bezos, who was also his good friend. "He had no idea how serious the affair was or how long it was going on for," the insider told the publication.
Unbeknownst to Whitesell, Bezos and Sanchez's alleged relationship had ramped up in recent months. "At first it was socially at parties ... here and there. But their time together has definitely seemed to evolve, raising some eyebrows," a source told People, adding, "Jeff has met a small group of Lauren's girlfriends, too. The two of them are sort of thick as thieves right now."
This could be the most expensive divorce ever
Now that their marriage is over, there's a lot at stake — $137 billion, to be exact. Since Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Bezos married in 1993, prior to the launch of Amazon, and reportedly without a prenup, might we add, TMZ reports it's likely their fortune will be split "right down the middle."
The couple resides in the state of Washington, which People magazine describes as a "community property state." This means "all assets and debts" that were acquired during their 25-year marriage "are considered owned equally by both spouses" since there allegedly isn't a prenuptial agreement in the mix. Along with their oodles of cash, TMZ reports Jeff and MacKenzie also "own 400,000 acres of property," which will likely be up for grabs in the divorce proceedings, as well.
We hope things can remain amicable between them as they split up their billions, but now that Jeff's alleged affair has been thrown into the mix, we wouldn't be surprised if MacKenzie gets the claws out.