Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez.Photo: Steve Granitz/FilmMagic
Jeff BezosandLauren Sánchezareengaged— and their friends couldn’t be happier.
“They are really in love and happy which makes everyone who knows them happy,” an acquaintance tells PEOPLE of the Amazon founder, 59, and Emmy-winning journalist and helicopter pilot, 53, who went public with their relationship back in 2019.
“Her friends are thrilled Jeff finallypopped the question,” adds the source.
“They have been talking about it for a long time. All of her friends say this is her dream come true. She found the man she wants to spend the rest of her life with and they felt the time was right,” the source adds. “He has all the money in the world and what was missing was someone to share it with and everybody on both sides is very happy.”
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez.AbacaPress / SplashNews.com
The pair have been vacationing in Europe on Bezos’$500 million yachtnamed Koru, which features awooden sculpturethat resembles Sánchez.
“When he put her bust on the boat, that was the first signal,” says the source, who notes that the fact that the ship has two heliports was “another good sign.”
According to the insider, Sánchez — the vice chair of theBezos Earth Fund— is also looking forward to continuing to build her “philanthropic profile” as she and Bezos start their next chapter together. Early in their relationship, a source revealed to PEOPLE that the pair bonded over theirphilanthropic efforts, and since then the couple have emphasized their shared commitment tostrategic giving. In late 2022, Bezos — currently worth $138 billion, per Forbes — said heplans to give away most of his fortune.
“The hard part is figuring out how to do it in a levered way,” he told CNN in a joint interview with Sánchez. “It’s not easy. Building Amazon was not easy. It took a lot of hard work, a bunch of very smart teammates, hard-working teammates, and I’m finding — and I think Lauren is finding the same thing — that charity, philanthropy, is very similar.”
When it came to getting engaged, the source says that the billionaire, whosedivorce from ex-wife MacKenzie Scottwas settled in 2019, “didn’t want to jump right into another marriage and to leap into a commitment that soon.”
Dave Benett/Getty for Vanity Fair
Sánchez and Bezos have been enjoying their time in the South of France all weekend: They were photographedhaving a cheeky outing, and they attended the premiere of Apple Original Films' “Killers of the Flower Moon” at the Cannes Film Festival together.
Just one day after a source confirmed their engagement to PEOPLE, they were also spotted in France seemingly celebrating their exciting news, with thebride-to-be wearing all white.
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The newly engaged couple firstwent publicwith their relationship in January 2019 after Bezos announced hisdivorce from Scottafter 25 years of marriage and four children together.
At the time, the formerGood Day LAco-host was also divorcing her husband of 13 years, agentPatrick Whitesell. Sánchez shares two children with Whitesell and has a son from a previous relationship with former NFL starTony Gonzalez.
In January, Sánchezwished Bezos a happy 59th birthdaywith a sweet tribute on Instagram.
“Happy birthday to the man of my dreams, who lights up my world with his laughter and kind heart. You have shown me that no great love is not bravely fought for,” she wrote. “I am so grateful for the memories we have made and the adventures yet to come.”
source: people.com
