Billionaire Jeff Bezos’s fiancée hints at ‘turbulent’ new year amid ‘hooker’ inauguration attire criticism

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos (L) and his fiancée Lauren Sanchez. Photo from Sanchez's Instagram

"Some years start with turbulence, but that’s just the wind reminding you to spread your wings," Sanchez captioned her Instagram post, an image showing her in the cockpit. "Good to be back in the air...Here’s to flying farther than we ever imagined."

Posted on Feb. 10, her post has garnered over 9,000 likes, accompanied by more than 300 comments.

"So much inspiration seeing life from a different perspective," wrote an Instagram user.

"Keep on spreading goodness!" another said.

Sanchez’s message comes in the wake of her public appearance at Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 21, which sparked debate. At the event, the billionaire’s fiancée wore a white suit with a lingerie lace bra visibly underneath, which prompted American commentator Megyn Kelly to accuse her of dressing "like a hooker."

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also became part of the conversation, as he was spotted seemingly staring at Sanchez’s chest during the inauguration and later liked a provocative photo of her on Instagram, according to The New York Post.

Sanchez, 56, is an American journalist, author, and philanthropist who first gained fame as an entertainment reporter and news anchor.

Rumors of her affair with Bezos, 61, began circulating in 2018 while the Amazon founder was still married to MacKenzie Scott, 55, according to Yahoo! Finance. Reports by the National Enquirer suggested that a shared passion for helicopters helped bring Sanchez and Bezos closer. At the time, Sanchez was married to talent agent Patrick Whitesell.

Bezos and Scott finalized their divorce in 2019, with Scott receiving a US$38.3 billion settlement in Amazon stock, according to Bloomberg. Sanchez also finalized her divorce that year. She and Bezos announced their engagement in 2023.

As of Feb. 14, Bezos’ net worth is estimated at US$243.5 billion, making him the third-richest person in the world, according to Forbes.