Jeff Bezos and fiancée Lauren Sanchez, were spotted sunning themselves in Montserrat earlier this month sparking major panic among locals fearing the billionaire was in town ‘on business’.
The Amazon founder, 60, and Sanchez, 55, were visiting the tiny Caribbean nation of Montserrat aboard his $500million luxury sailing superyacht, called the ‘Koru’, on January 6.
The couple is believed to have been travelling around the Caribbean on the sprawling vessel, as the famous pair were also seen making additional stops in St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Barts.
The tech mogul’s arrival sparked alarm among the nation’s locals as many feared the world’s second richest man was in town ‘on business’ looking to purchase some of their precious land.
Shortly after the centibillionaire’s arrival the panic-riddled community held a United Alliance town hall meeting where Bezos’ presence proved to be a hot topic.
One community member raised concern over the 60-year-old mogul, who is worth $250billion, according to LuxuryLaunches.com.
The concerns have prompted the Caribbean nation’s Prime Minister, Reuben Meade, 70, to ‘clarify matters’.
‘He came here as a tourist,’ Meade said in an attempt to quell both concern and suspicion among his people, ‘We leave his private business, private,’ he added.
The billionaire Amazon founder and fiancee Lauren Sanchez, were spotted in Montserrat earlier this month, their presence however, sparked major panic among locals fearing the billionaire was in town ‘on business’
The newlywed couple is believed to have been travelling around the Caribbean on the sprawling vessel, dubbed ‘Koru,’ as the famous pair were seen making additional stops in St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Barts
The concerns have prompted the Caribbean nation’s Prime Minister, Reuben Meade (pictured), 70, to ‘clarify matters’
The Prime Minister quieted some worries explaining how the former Wall Street computer engineer would be unable to officially purchase any property in the area unless granted specific permissions.
‘He cannot buy property in Montserrat, for example, unless government gives an alien land holding license. So, we will know when business is being done,’ he said.
‘They can’t do anything unless they register a business or seek a license to do business. We will know what is happening when the time is right, so just bear with us.’
Meade doubled-down on his stance insisting that Bezos was visiting the pristine island as a tourist and that the nation should be ‘thankful’ that the billionaire was ‘spending money’ in Montserrat.
‘We’re not going to nosy in a person’s business. He comes here. He comes here as a tourist. He spends money in Montserrat. Thank God he’s spending some money in Montserrat,’ Meade said.
Bezos’ one-of-a-kind vessel, dubbed ‘Koru’, is a 417-foot, three-masted sailing yacht that was built in the Netherlands by Oceanco in 2021 at an estimated cost of $500million.
Several residents posted photos and videos of the massive boat on their social media pages, sparking more attention and garnering a wide array of responses.
However, as most worried Bezos was looking to take some of their land for his own, others saw his visit as an opportunity for support, with one person writing: ‘Ask him to help with the port project!’
Another chimed in, also asking for financial support writing, ‘Maybe I could of ask him to help us with the hospital project,’ the user commented.
Sanchez, 55, a former journalist, was seen flaunting her incredible figure as she and husband Bezos soaked up the sun on the $500million superyacht
The one-of-a-kind vessel is a 417-foot, three-masted sailing yacht that was built in the Netherlands by Oceanco in 2021
The tranquil island, nicknamed ‘The Emerald Isle of the Caribbean,’ is a popular tourist destination in the region
Some suggested his ‘royal visit’ could help tourism.
‘Those people on Jeff Bezos’ yacht can share what they’ve seen and learn about our beautiful paradise. There’s some positive in this and not all negative.’
The tranquil island, nicknamed ‘The Emerald Isle of the Caribbean,’ is a popular tourist destination in the region.
Montserrat bears a striking resemblance to coastal Ireland and even hosts an annual St. Patrick’s Festival in celebration of its Irish heritage.
As of 2023, Montserrat’s population was approximately 4,386 residents, however, a large portion of the island remains uninhabitable due to volcanic activity.
The capital, Plymouth, was abandoned following the eruptions of the Soufrière Hills Volcano in 1997 and is now a modern-day ghost town buried in ash.
Despite this, tourism is a growing sector in the region, attracting visitors with its beautiful diving areas, hiking trails, and unique volcanic landscapes.
Even before the uber-rich couple’s ‘honeymoon-like’ getaway, the pair sparked numerous marriage rumors as curious onlookers speculate whether or not the they have secretly wed.
The duo were rumored to have planned a winter-themed wedding in Aspen, Colorado right around the December holiday season, however, the couple have since denied the claim.
Sources told the DailyMail.com that the Amazon founder and his ex-TV news anchor fiancée had bought out ritzy sushi restaurant Matsuhisa in the Colorado ski town for December 26 or 27, and have their nuptials planned for December 28.
However, after the Daily Mail published the story, Bezos’s team denied the rumored wedding plans.
The billionaire took to X to slam the wedding claims as ‘completely false’.
Lauren Sanchez wore a plunging white $1,890 Alexander McQueen lace corset that boasted floral detailing paired with a matching blazer to Trump’s inauguration
In a widely shared video, Zuckerberg could be seen glancing down at Sanchez during the ceremony, where they were seated next to each other
‘This whole thing is completely false – none of this is happening,’ he posted on X. ‘The old adage “don’t believe everything you read” is even more true today than it ever has been.’
‘Now lies can get ALL the way around the world before the truth can get its pants on. So be careful out there folks and don’t be gullible,’ Bezos said.
The pair were later pictured together at Trump’s inauguration on January 20 where the centibillionaire’s fiancee stole glances from all angles.
Sanchez wore a plunging white $1,890 Alexander McQueen lace corset to the solemn service. A getup that boasted stunning floral detailing paired with a matching white blazer.
The former Good Day LA anchor was later slammed by some for her outfit choice, but others attending the actual ceremony couldn’t seem to get enough, as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was seemingly caught taking a peek at her chest.
In a widely shared video, Zuckerberg can be seen glancing down at Sanchez during the ceremony, where they were seated next to each other.
However, according to an insider who spoke to The Sun, Bezos allegedly doesn’t have a problem with the attention that Sanchez gets from others.
‘The thing with Jeff that nobody realizes is he’s essentially a massive nerd and always has been – that’s why he’s been so successful as a businessman,’ the source told the outlet.
‘When he first got with Lauren he finally felt like the cool, popular kid at school, the hunky quarterback with a hot cheerleader on his arm,’ they continued.
‘He loves going out with her looking smoking hot. He loves the looks other men give Lauren, it makes him feel powerful that she chose him,’ an insider claiming to be close to Bezos said
‘He loves going out with her looking smoking hot. He loves the looks other men give Lauren, it makes him feel powerful that she chose him.’
The ‘power couple’ have not yet revealed their presumably extravagant wedding plans, however the 55-year-old said she had already bought her dress, while appearing on the Today show in November.
‘I’m getting to it right now. I’m excited,’ she said on the broadcast.
However we do know that the soon-to-be Mrs. Bezos has aired lofty plans for her wedding, at one point the former television star talked about having the first ever wedding in space.
‘Jeff and I talked about my idea of the first wedding in space, the monumental PR value of the historic event, and the fact that it would just be insanely cool. But he killed the idea because he said it was “too risky,”‘ she said, Marca.com reported.
The date of the highly-anticipated event remains unknown, however, the couple appears to be in good spirits having been seen sailing in their superyacht together.
