The Controversial Way Jeff Bezos Kickstarted His Romance With Lauren Sánchez

Alexa, avert your eyes. When most people picture Jeff Bezos, "sex appeal" probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind. But the former Amazon CEO seemed pretty determined to prove he was still in his prime when Bezos pursued stunning news anchor Lauren Sánchez. Mere hours before rumors of their fling made headlines worldwide, which led Sánchez to ask Donald Trump's inner circle for PR advice, the billionaire businessman attempted to do a bit of damage control via a tweet announcing his shocking divorce from MacKenzie Scott, Bezos' wife of 25 years who raised his four children and even helped to build Amazon from the ground up. Bezos framed their split as a measured and amicable joint decision, but the stories that swiftly followed offered a much spicier take.

The National Enquirer revealed all the secrets of the scandal, alleging that Bezos had been sending steamy texts to Sánchez, who was also married at the time. According to the leaked messages, their affair had been going on for months, and the world's then wealthiest man was smitten. He wrote: "I like it when you're strong, and I like it when you're vulnerable. Everything [...] All of this is just straight from my heart. I love everything about you," (via Page Six). In other messages, he pictured a simple life with Sánchez, gushing, "I want to fall asleep with you and wake up tomorrow and read the paper with you and have coffee with you." This picture of simple domesticity was a far cry from the lavish lifestyle that came to define their high-profile romance in the years that followed.

After the National Enquirer sensationally spilled the beans about Jeff Bezos' affair with Lauren Sánchez, he clapped back in an unconventional manner. The Amazon founder took to blogging platform Medium to accuse the tabloid of blackmail, and he even shared emails supposedly from its editors that described intimate photos they had acquired. These notably included shots of "the top of his public region" while Bezos was visibly wearing his wedding ring and "her cleavage and a glimpse of her nether region." Later, it emerged that Sánchez's brother had been paid $200,000 for the scoop. 

By that point, the repercussions had already begun to ravage Amazon. On Bloomberg's "Foundering" podcast, former Amazon executive Craig Berman disclosed, "The CEO image that Bezos had spent two decades cultivating of a devoted family man and committed husband was a thing of the past. In a sense his personal life had become incompatible with his professional responsibilities." He added: "Here was an incident where it looked like this person maybe wasn't displaying a level of judgment that people expected of him." 

Bezos eventually stepped down as Amazon CEO in 2021, and he subsequently proposed to Sánchez in May 2023, solidifying their relationship following its eyebrow-raising start. Meanwhile, his ex-wife Mackenzie Scott kept quiet on the matter, at least publicly, instead focusing on her philanthropic work. Since receiving 4% of Amazon stock in the divorce — the equivalent of around $36 billion — she has donated millions to charity.