Jeff Bezos Reportedly Buying Vogue as Lauren Sanchez’s Wedding Gift—& Anna Wintour Is Apparently ‘Brokering the Deal’
Talk about extravagant wedding gifts. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s wedding was a big production. The two were married in Venice, surrounded by celebrities, in a celebration that spared no expense. But now reports indicate that Bezos is going the extra mile to get his new wife a wedding present. And not just any regular jewelry or accessories, either.
Instead, The Daily Mail reports that Bezos—whose company Amazon is currently hosting its bi-annual Prime Day—might be looking to buy Vogue Magazine for Sanchez. Well, not just Vogue Magazine. People inside the magazine are convinced Bezos is looking to buy parent company Condé Nast as a gift to Sánchez, a former journalist. The rumors come from the fact that Sánchez is this month’s digital Vogue cover star, wearing a Dolce & Gabbana wedding gown hand-picked by Anna Wintour herself.
Related: How do Jeff Bezos’s kids feel about Lauren Sanchez?
Wintour announced last month she was stepping down as Vogue Editor-in-Chief after 37 years. She will remain in control of global operations.
Vogue’s parent company, Condé Nast, has been owned by the Newhouse family since 1959, who insist the company is not on the market. Sources close to Bezos have also denied the rumors. But people are not convinced.
A source told the Daily Mail: “The rumour that Jeff is going to buy Condé Nast is all anyone’s talking about in the fashion industry and inside Vogue,” adding, “Lauren Sanchez is such an unlikely cover star, and the word is that she landed the July issue partly because the Newhouse family want to butter up Bezos. In New York they’re slimming down the business which is exactly what companies do before a sale.”
But that’s not all. Anna Wintour is said to be directly involved in the possible sale. “Anna is said to be the one brokering the deal so that’s why Lauren was put on the cover. Anna has equity in the business so has a lot to gain from a sale.”
It might sound strange, but Jeff Bezos is no stranger to publishing. In 2013, he bought The Washington Post, ending the Graham family’s four-generation ownership. So, he might feel like he not only has the money, but the knowledge too. “He’s one of the very few people with deep enough pockets. And Lauren is no airhead. She’s a sharp cookie. There have been conversations,” another source said.
Restructuring inside the company points to a possible upcoming sale, with a source telling the outlet, “There have been redundancies almost every week in Europe and New York. The UK has had a whole round too. What they’re doing is aligning every publication globally so the structure is uniform across all titles”
And this might even tie back to Wintour stepping down as Editor in Chief of Vogue, according to those sources. “Anna was the anomaly, she was the only Editor-in-Chief left. GQ has a Global Editorial Director, Glamour has one, Vanity Fair too. So, she had to give up the title. I don’t think she was thrilled but she accepted it, probably because she knows the company is getting ready to sell.”
Whether this means Bezos is really buying Condé Nast for his new bride remains to be seen. But never say never.
