Khaberni -Jeff Bezos announced his separation from his wife MacKenzie in a notable tweet in 2019, but what followed extended beyond the scope of personal relationships to include media confrontations and complex financial transformations.
In the world of money and influence, divorces are not just family matters, but can transform into earthquakes that shake the markets and redraw the features of entire empires. Such was the case with the divorce of Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and the richest man in the world at that time, from his wife MacKenzie Scott, in one of the most costly and controversial separations in modern times.
In the second part of the series "The Most Expensive Divorces," the French magazine "Le Point" revealed the intricacies of this high-risk divorce: from a simple tweet that shook Wall Street to media extortion, political suspicions, and the quiet distribution of billions of dollars. What really happened behind the scenes of the divorce that changed the game rules in Silicon Valley?
According to "Le Point," on January 9, 2019, Jeff Bezos announced on "Twitter" his separation from his wife MacKenzie after 25 years of marriage and four children, stating: "We have decided to divorce and continue our lives as friends". This announcement might seem ordinary, were it not for the fact that it came from the richest man in the world at the time, with a fortune estimated at about 130 billion dollars, while the market value of his company "Amazon" exceeded 890 billion dollars.
The French magazine noted that Bezos was cautious, secretive, and always advised his employees to be careful in their private communications, to avoid any scandal that could harm the company's image. However, his decision to announce his divorce was not driven by transparency, but as a proactive step to expose the blackmail he was facing from the newspaper "National Enquirer", which was preparing to publish details of his affair with former TV host and actress Lauren Sanchez.
The American newspaper, known for its scandals, had obtained personal photos and explicit text messages sent by Bezos to Sanchez. In an attempt to prevent their publication, Bezos decided to publish the tweet and announce the separation himself. As the uproar escalated, he tasked the well-known security expert Gavin de Becker to investigate how these materials reached the newspaper, who later indicated that Michael Sanchez, Lauren’s brother, had leaked them for $200,000.
Bezos, known for his philosophy based on "minimum regret," did not just react, he also posted a blog accusing the newspaper of blackmailing him, claiming that they had explicit photos of him, and asked readers: "If I can't resist this extortion, who can?"
The matter was not merely a personal scandal. Bezos suspected a political motive behind the attack on him since "National Enquirer" is owned by "American Media," which is close to Donald Trump, Bezos’ known adversary. Previously, the "Washington Post," which Bezos owns, had revealed "silence" deals between this company and Trump's aides, to pay money to women in exchange for not disclosing their relationships with the president.
Trump did not hide his disdain for Bezos, nicknamed him "Jeff Bozo," and used the scandal to undermine him. However, Bezos turned the tables, capitalizing on the crisis to improve his image, and appeared as a hero resisting press intimidation.
Despite the scandal, the divorce did not involve a legal battle. MacKenzie retained only 4% of "Amazon" shares and relinquished any management role, including at "Blue Origin" and "Washington Post". Yet, she walked away with a fortune of 39 billion dollars and promised to distribute it to charitable causes. She later married a chemistry teacher for her children, and then separated from him later.
As for Bezos, he has been appearing with Lauren Sanchez at major events, from Wimbledon to Venice, and prepared an iron-clad marriage contract. He may no longer be a hero of press freedom, but he doesn't care much... his focus now is on space. And as he says, "the sky is not the limit."
