Jeff Bezos just threw what might be the most expensive wedding in history, spending an estimated $47million to $56 million on his celebration with Lauren Sanchez. While that’s an astronomical amount for most people, it represents less than 1% of the Amazon founder’s net worth. But just how much luxury can $50 million-plus actually buy?
Find out: If Bezos’ Wealth Was Evenly Distributed Across the US, How Much Would We Get?
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Let’s explore the ridiculous world of ultra-expensive purchases and see what you could have bought with his wedding budget — if you had the funds.
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Luxury Real Estate Around the World
With $50 million, you could have added some serious properties to your real estate portfolio:
Manhattan penthouse: A luxury penthouse in Manhattan’s most exclusive neighborhoods typically runs $30 million to $50 million. For his wedding budget, you could have bought a stunning Central Park-facing apartment with multiple bedrooms, private terraces and concierge services.
Malibu oceanfront estate: High-end beachfront properties in Malibu frequently sell for $40 million to $50 million. These estates often include multiple structures, private beaches, infinity pools and guest houses.
European castle: Several historic castles and estates in France, Italy or England are available in the $20 million to $40 million range. You could have bought a centuries-old castle complete with vineyards, formal gardens and enough history to make his wedding venue look modest.
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Luxury Vehicles for Every Occasion
Car enthusiasts know that $50 million can buy an incredible collection of the world’s most exclusive vehicles:
Bugatti collection: You could have purchased roughly 15-20 Bugatti Chirons at $3 million each, creating one of the world’s most valuable hypercar collections.
Vintage Ferrari portfolio: The most valuable classic Ferraris sell for $10 million to $40 million each. His wedding budget could have landed you two or three of the most sought-after vintage racing Ferraris ever made.
Yacht: While not technically a vehicle, a $50 million yacht would be a nice way to travel. Custom superyachts in this price range often feature helicopter pads, multiple swimming pools, movie theaters and accommodations for dozens of guests.
Art and Collectibles That Appreciate
Unlike wedding expenses, luxury art and collectibles often increase in value over time:
Contemporary art: Works by artists like Basquiat, Koons or Hockney regularly sell for $20 million to $50 million at auction. A single masterpiece could have cost the same as Bezos’ entire wedding.
Rare watch collection: The most expensive watches ever sold include pieces like the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime ($31 million) and various vintage Rolexes worth millions each. You could have assembled one of the world’s finest watch collections with his wedding budget.
Vintage wine collection: The world’s most expensive wine collections can easily reach $10 million to $20 million. His wedding budget could have bought enough rare vintages to stock a serious wine cellar for decades.
Business and Investment Opportunities
From a purely financial perspective, $50 million could have been invested in ways that generate ongoing returns:
Startup investments: With the money spent on his wedding, you could have become an angel investor in 20-50 promising startups, potentially generating massive returns if any became the next big thing.
Real estate investment trust: A $50 million real estate investment could generate steady rental income for years while potentially appreciating in value.
Private equity opportunities: High-end private equity investments often require minimum investments of $1 million to $5 million, meaning he could have diversified across multiple private equity funds.
Educational Impact
The wedding budget could have transformed educational opportunities on a massive scale:
College tuition: At an average of $24,513 per year for out-of-state students at public colleges, $50 million could have funded complete four-year educations for over 500 students.
Scholarship endowments: Most universities would create named scholarship programs for donations of this size, potentially helping students for generations.
School construction: In many communities, $50 million could build multiple new schools or completely renovate existing facilities.
Charitable Impact
Being ultra-wealthy means you have the extreme luxury of being able to give back at a scale that could truly change lives. It can raise questions when figures like Jeff Bezos, who have benefited enormously from society, sometimes give comparatively little in return. So, perhaps most meaningfully, $50 million could have made an enormous difference in charitable giving:
Medical research: This amount could fund significant medical research initiatives or build state-of-the-art research facilities.
Poverty alleviation: $50 million could provide substantial support for homeless shelters, food banks and job training programs in multiple cities.
Disaster relief: The budget could have funded major disaster relief efforts, providing immediate assistance and long-term recovery support for communities in need.
The Perspective Check
What makes Bezos’ wedding spending so mind-boggling isn’t just the absolute dollar amount, it’s how little it represents relative to his wealth. With a net worth estimated around $233 billion, spending $50 million is equivalent to someone worth $100,000 spending about $21.
That’s like a typical middle-class person spending $20 on dinner. Except in this case, the “dinner” was a multiday wedding celebration that cost more than most people will earn in multiple lifetimes.
To put it in retirement terms: While financial experts recommend saving 10-12 times your annual income for retirement, Bezos spent an amount that represents comfortable retirement savings for dozens of families on a single celebration.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 18 Luxurious Things You Could Buy With What Jeff Bezos Spent on His Wedding
