What Does Lauren Sanchez Do For A Living? Details About Her Expansive Career

Lauren Sánchez has worn many hats throughout her career, including roles as a broadcast journalist, aviation entrepreneur, and children's author. While she's best known for her high-profile relationship with Jeff Bezos, Sánchez's professional journey spans multiple industries.

She got her start in broadcast journalism, gaining national exposure through her work with "Extra" and Fox Sports. Most notably, she began co-hosting "Good Day LA" in 2003, making her a staple in Los Angeles news media. Sánchez eventually stepped away from full-time broadcasting to focus on family life with her then-husband, Patrick Whitesell.

In 2011, Sánchez discovered a new passion: aviation. With a flight instructor as her father, flying was always in her DNA. "I had my job, I had a career, and then I found a calling," she told The Hollywood Reporter about her aviation journey. By 2016, she had earned her helicopter pilot's license and founded Black Ops Aviation, a company specializing in aerial cinematography. "I loved entertainment, and I loved filming, and so I got to combine all of it." She went on to consult for major Hollywood productions like Christopher Nolan's "Dunkirk." Her passion for aviation also led Sánchez to Bezos, who hired Black Ops Aviation to film content for his space venture, Blue Origin.

Lauren Sánchez's controversial romance with Jeff Bezos, which became public in early 2019, marked a turning point in her personal and professional life. Her career shifted toward philanthropy, and she took on the role of Vice Chair at the Bezos Earth Fund. In March 2024, she announced $60 million in funding for sustainable protein research, stating, "We need to feed 10 billion people with healthy, sustainable food throughout this century while protecting our planet. We can do it," (via Bezos Earth Fund).

Beyond philanthropy, Sánchez also ventured into children's literature in 2024 with "The Fly Who Flew to Space," a picture book about a fly who dreams of becoming an astronaut. This passion project, which briefly put her wedding with Bezos on hold, became a New York Times bestseller. She celebrated the milestone on Instagram, writing, "I hope Flynn's journey inspires all the kids out there who struggle with learning differences," adding, "Remember, there are a thousand ways to be smart!"

And her ambitions don't stop there. In January 2023, she announced plans to lead an all-female crew into space with Blue Origin. Though the trip didn't materialize in 2024, she reaffirmed her commitment during a November 2024 interview with Today, saying, "When we think of women, a lot of times, we don't think of them as explorers. We think of Magellan, Jacques Cousteau, but we're explorers [too]." With this mission, Sánchez continues to broaden her horizons, proving that even the glass ceilings in space are meant to be broken.