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Jeff Bezos' superyacht will see historic bridge dismantled

• Published 3 February 2022

Rotterdam has confirmed it will dismantle a historic bridge to allow a superyacht built for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to fit through.

The record-breaking luxury yacht is being built by Dutch firm Oceanco and was linked to Mr Bezos last year.

The vessel is reported to be 417ft (127m) long and too tall to fit through the Koningshaven Bridge.

A spokesman for the mayor confirmed the plan to reporters, with Mr Bezos set to foot the bill through Oceanco.

Reports emerged in Dutch media on Tuesday that the middle section of the Dutch city's bridge, known locally as De Hef, would be temporarily removed to allow the 130ft (40m) high boat to sail through.

The move is controversial because the steel bridge has a long history, and is now a national monument. It previously went through a major renovation which saw it out of action from 2014 to 2017, when officials said it would not be dismantled again.

The AFP news agency quoted the mayor's office as saying the jobs created by the construction of the vessel prompted the plan, and pledged the bridge would be rebuilt in its current form.

"It's the only route to the sea," a mayoral spokesman added.

The sentiment was echoed by Rotterdam's local authority project leader Marcel Walravens, who said it would not be practical to finish the yacht's construction elsewhere.

He told the Rijnmond website the project was "very important" from an economic perspective and cited Rotterdam's reputation as the "maritime capital of Europe".

"Shipbuilding and activity within that sector are an important pillar of the municipality," he said.

• BACKGROUND: Jeff Bezos and the secretive world of superyachts
• CONTEXT: Wealth of world's richest 'doubled in pandemic'

Mr Walravens told a local newspaper the project will likely happen in the summer, with officials hoping the section can be removed and replaced within a couple of weeks.

Details about the luxury custom yacht order being built by Oceanco emerged last year. The firm remains tight-lipped about its clients but a Bloomberg biography about Bezos in 2021 appeared to confirm rumours that he would be the owner.

Known as Y721, the vessel will be the largest of its kind in the world , according to Boat International. It is rumoured to boast plenty of luxury features with an accompanying "support yacht" on order with a helicopter landing pad.

The move was criticised by local green politician Stephan Leewis on Twitter , who described "tear[ing] down our beautiful national monument" as "a bridge too far".

Forbes estimates the Amazon founder is worth more than $175bn (£130bn) and currently ranks him as the third richest in the world. Aside from being a giant in the e-commerce industry, Bezos also owns the Washington Post newspaper and space company Blue Origin.

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Wealth of 10 richest men 'doubled in pandemic'

• Published 17 January 2022

Jeff Bezos and the secretive world of superyachts

• Published 14 May 2021

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Yacht reportedly built for Bezos too big for Dutch bridge

View of the Koningshaven Bridge, known as De Hef, (The Lift), in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022. A plan to dismantle the historic bridge in the heart of Dutch port city so that a huge yacht, reportedly being built for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, can get to the North Sea is unlikely to be plain sailing. Reports this week that the city had already agreed to take apart the recently restored bridge sparked anger in the city, with one Facebook group set up calling for people to pelt the multimillion dollar yacht with rotten eggs. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

View of a yacht, reportedly being built for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, on the wharf in Zwijndrecht, near Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2021. A plan to dismantle a historic bridge in the heart of Dutch port city Rotterdam so that the huge yacht can get to the North Sea is unlikely to be plain sailing. Reports this week that the city had already agreed to take apart the recently restored Koningshaven Bridge, known locally as De Hef sparked anger in the city, with one Facebook group set up calling for people to pelt the multimillion dollar yacht with rotten eggs. (AP Photo/Guy Fleury)

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ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — A giant, $500 million yacht reportedly being built for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos faces a delivery problem: It may require dismantling a beloved, historic bridge in Rotterdam that is blocking its passage to the sea.

Reports this week that the Dutch city had already agreed to take apart the recently renovated Koningshaven Bridge, known locally as De Hef, sparked anger. On Facebook, locals are proposing to pelt the yacht with rotten eggs when it passes through.

However, a spokeswoman for Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb told The Associated Press on Friday that while a shipbuilder has requested temporarily taking apart the bridge this summer, no permit has yet been sought or granted.

Many Rotterdam residents are still concerned.

“I think it’s easy to understand why it’s so controversial because this is a very beautiful, recently restored old bridge,” said Lizette Touber. “It really is our heritage. And I think that if the rich can pay for it to be opened, which normally nobody else could do, then you get controversy.”

In a written statement, Aboutaleb, who is on a visit to Colombia, said that once a request for a permit is submitted it will be assessed based on factors including economic impact, environmental nuisance and possible risks to the “monumental structure” of the bridge.

“When the permit has been applied for, the municipality can make a decision about this, details can be further elaborated and a plan can be made in the event of a positive decision,” the statement said.

The municipality declined to comment on who owns the yacht in question or identify the shipbuilder. An email sent to Amazon seeking comment went unanswered. A report by Bloomberg in May 2021 said the yacht was being built for Bezos by Oceanco at a cost of “upwards of $500 million.”

The current Hef railway bridge was opened for trains to cross the Maas River in 1927 and taken out of service in 1993 when it was replaced by a tunnel. Public protests spared it from demolition and it eventually underwent a three-year renovation that ended in 2017. The middle section of the bridge can be raised to allow ships to pass underneath, but apparently not high enough for the new yacht’s masts.

Ton Wesselink, chairman of a Rotterdam historical society, feared that a decision to allow one yacht through the bridge could set a precedent for others.

“The thing we don’t want is that this yacht issue will open the possibility for shipbuilders to use it the same way,” he said in an email to AP.

But there were voices of support for the proposal.

“I think it’s fine. Let Bezos pay a high price. It creates work. I only see upsides,” said Rotterdam resident Ria van den Vousten.

“If it is paid for and everybody makes some money, don’t complain. Don’t talk, but act, as we say in Rotterdam,” she added.

Corder reported from The Hague.

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Rotterdam May Dismantle Part of Bridge for Jeff Bezos’ Superyacht

The Dutch city of Rotterdam walked back earlier comments that the historic Koningshaven Bridge would be briefly dismantled. On Thursday, officials said a decision had not yet been made.

By Jenny Gross

The Dutch city of Rotterdam on Thursday walked back plans to dismantle part of the historic Koningshaven Bridge so that a superyacht built for Amazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos, could pass through the city’s river, saying that a decision had not yet been made.

This week, city officials had told the news media that Rotterdam had agreed to briefly dismantle the middle section of the 95-year-old bridge for the yacht’s passage this summer.

But on Thursday evening, officials said in another statement that the city had not yet approved the plan, though it had received a request from the shipbuilder to temporarily lift the middle part of bridge.

The city’s statement said the full cost of the dismantling, if approved, would be covered by the shipbuilder. The bridge, known locally as “De Hef,” would be restored immediately afterward.

A city spokeswoman had said that she did not have an estimate of how much the deconstruction would cost. The city statement said that officials would assess the environmental and economic effects of the plans.

A representative for Amazon did not respond to requests for comment about the cost or the yacht’s destination. A spokeswoman for Oceanco, the Dutch custom yacht company that is building the boat, said in an email that she could not comment on projects under construction or clients because of confidentiality reasons.

The city of Rotterdam’s decision to remove part of the bridge was reported on Wednesday by a regional Dutch public broadcaster, Rijnmond . Boat International, which publishes articles about the superyacht industry, reported that the 417-foot sailboat is set to become the largest sailing yacht in the world when it is finished later this year, surpassing the Sea Cloud , a 360-foot sailboat built in 1931 and owned by the Yacht Portfolio, an investment company based in Malta.

The superyacht Mr. Bezos commissioned is likely to cost more than $500 million to build, Bloomberg reported . Mr. Bezos is the world’s second-richest person , after Tesla’s chief executive, Elon Musk.

The bridge, which has a boat clearance of 130 feet, is not currently in use. A Rotterdam tour guide, Eddy le Couvreur, said that the bridge, designed by the Dutch architect Pieter Joosting and a fixture in the Rotterdam skyline, was once used for railway traffic. A vertical lift bridge, it was the first of its kind in the Netherlands, and was copied from similar bridges in the United States. The modern industrial aesthetics of the bridge inspired a short film in 1928, he said.

Until now, tall ships passed under the bridge before assembling their masts and taller structures, he said.

Dennis Tak, a Labor Party city councilor for Rotterdam, said he was fine with the bridge being dismantled — since the city would not be paying for it — because of the jobs the process would create. “As a city, this is a great way to take some of his money,” Mr. Tak said.

The structure is more than a bridge to the people of Rotterdam, said Siebe Thissen, the author of the book “The Boy Who Jumped From the Bridge,” about a working-class man who jumped from the bridge in 1933. “It’s a monument,” he said. “It’s the identity of Rotterdam.”

When city officials tried to take the bridge down in the 1990s since it was no longer in use, there were major protests, he said, calling the bridge a reminder of “the old days” in Rotterdam.

“I think that’s why there is so much turmoil about Jeff Bezos and his boat,” he said, before referring to accusations against Amazon . “People say, ‘Why this guy?’ It’s a working-class town, and they all know that Jeff Bezos, of course, he exploits his workers, so people say, ‘Why should this guy be able to demolish the bridge for his boat?’”

As of Thursday, more than 600 Facebook users said they would attend an event, titled “Throwing eggs at superyacht Jeff Bezos,” where they plan to gather by the bridge to throw eggs at the boat. “Rotterdammers are proud of their city and don’t tear down iconic buildings just because you are super rich,” said Pablo Strörmann, the event organizer, who said he started the Facebook group “mostly” as a joke.

Mr. le Couvreur, who works for the company Tours by Locals, which connects tourists with local guides, said that Rotterdammers would likely enjoy the international attention that the spectacle had brought, he said. “On the other hand, it shows the unimaginable wealth that people like Bezos have created for themselves, that nothing can stand in the way for them living out their dreams and hobbies,” he said, adding that the outlook was “worlds apart from those who will be watching the ship pass through the city.”

Claire Moses contributed reporting.

Jenny Gross is a general assignment reporter. Before joining The Times, she covered British politics for the The Wall Street Journal. More about Jenny Gross

Jeff Bezos' yacht reportedly cost $500 million and is the largest sailing yacht in the world. Here's what we know.

• Jeff Bezos ' new $500 million megayacht Koru set sail this summer.
• At 417 feet long, it's the world's largest sailing yacht and even boasts a sculpture resembling his fiancée, Lauren Sanchez.
• Here's everything we know about Bezos' yacht.

Jeff Bezos' new megayacht set sail this summer, with the founder and former Amazon CEO and his fiancée Lauren Sanchez crisscrossing Europe to show it off.

At 417 feet long, the vessel is the world's largest sailing yacht and cost an estimated $500 million. The yacht is named Koru , which means "loop" or "coil" in the Māori language and often signifies new beginnings.

Koru joins a large class of flashy billionaires' yachts , including the 305-foot-long Eos, which belongs to billionaire Barry Diller and fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg.

Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison owns a yacht called Musashi, which is 288 feet long.

Bezos commissioned the enormous boat from the Dutch custom yacht builder Oceanco, and it took years to construct.

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In February, the yacht underwent its first sea trials, a series of tests usually conducted in the last phases of construction. Koru made its maiden voyage in April, traveling from the Netherlands to Gibraltar.

The vessel has a pool on deck, and the prow features a mermaid sculpture that bears a striking resemblance to Bezos' then-girlfriend Sanchez. A second "support yacht," which has an on-deck helipad, accompanies Koru on its travels.

Sanchez has said the sculpture affixed to Bezos' yacht isn't her. "I'm very flattered, but it's not," she told Vogue. The sculpture is apparently of the Norse goddess Freyja, one of Bezos' favorite figures from mythology.

Bezos and Sanchez were first seen aboard the yacht along the coast of Spain in May, shortly before news broke that the couple had gotten engaged. The couple spent the rest of the summer on board traveling to various destinations, stopping at the Cannes Film Festival, sailing down the Italian Riviera, and making their way to Croatia.

In August, the yacht played host to an engagement party for Bezos and Sanchez , which reportedly drew guests including Bill Gates, Whitney Wolfe Herd, Ari Emanuel, and Leonardo DiCaprio.

While yacht season was apparently enjoyable for the couple, it was only after the vessel stirred up quite a bit of controversy: Koru's masts were so tall that the yacht nearly required the dismantling of a historic bridge in the Netherlands in order for it to pass through.

Locals planned to egg Bezos' superyacht if the bridge came down. Following the public outcry, Oceanco withdrew its request for the city to take apart the bridge.

And despite this massive purchase, Bezos' net worth is still well over $100 billion.

Watch: Inside the world's biggest cruise ship that just set sail

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Photo of Jeff Bezos' extra $100 million 'support' yacht sparks outrage: 'Wondering at what point one wasn't enough'

"It houses all the toys for the parent yacht."

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Photo Credit: Reddit

As if one $500 million superyacht wasn't enough, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos added a second $100 million mega-boat to his fleet, stirring up a storm in social media comment sections. 

One Redditor posted a recent photo of the new yacht in the appropriately named subreddit r/Anticonsumption . 

The 246-foot support vessel named Abeona can be seen tailing Bezos' much larger 417-foot triple-masted sailing yacht called Koru, which is both the largest and tallest "pure" sailing yacht in the world, clocking in at 230 feet tall, according to YachtWorld .  

The Redditor said in the caption: "Friendly reminder that the King of Overconsumption himself has a second, $100 million mega yacht [following] his $500 million mega yacht so his (at time of purchase) girlfriend can have a floating helipad."

However, one user pointed out the purpose of the "spare yacht": "It houses all the toys for the parent yacht. Extremely decadent I agree but it's not a spare by any means. They generally stick together even on ocean passages," they explained . 

Still, it seems excessive, especially considering the massive impact of ships this size on the environment. According to the New York Post , Koru generates at least 7,154 tons of heat-trapping pollution annually — around 447 times the amount produced yearly by most Americans , as an analysis by Indiana University researchers discovered. 

And that doesn't even consider the planet-warming gases produced by the diesel-powered Abeona.

While Koru is primarily propelled by the wind, the superyacht still creates mind-boggling amounts of pollution from the energy required to heat and cool the ship and power its amenities.

"The helicopters onboard, the jetskis, the high energy-using luxury items like pools, hot tubs, private submarines and tenders … It is like having a hotel running on the water all the time," Richard Wilk, one of the researchers involved in a climate research study, told the Guardian . 

Unsurprisingly, many commenters in the thread had zero issues calling out the Amazon billionaire. 

"Wondering at what point one wasn't enough anymore," one commenter wrote. 

"Someone needs to tell the orcas to go after it," another joked. 

"This would be the head of the same company which denies workers need to unionize to get a fair wage?" added another Redditor.  

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Jeff Bezos’ $500M yacht has a 246-foot support ship, Lauren Sanchez figurehead

Much like Amazon, Jeff Bezos’ $500 million superyacht offers every bell and whistle imaginable, from A to Z.

The colossal, triple-masted Koru began its career serving the world’s third richest man this week, cruising the Mediterranean around Mallorca.

The 417-foot schooner first left Rotterdam in the Netherlands for sea trials in February. Dropping anchor in Mallorca put its jaw-dropping size on full display.

It also showed the extent of Bezos’ fleet: Not only did the Koru sail into harbor, so did its support vessel, Abeona, a mega-boat in its own right, the luxurious fast-launches used to move between the two — and aerial support in the form of his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez’s personal helicopter.

Sanchez also seemingly serves the fleet’s mascot, with the Koru’s figurehead, a part of traditional large sailing ships, modeled after her.

The Koru is the world’s tallest sailing yacht. Its three huge 229-foot masts power it to 20 knots. It’s also the biggest billionaire’s yacht which can move under sail-power alone.

The masts are so tall that Dutch officials considered dismantling the 95-year-old Koningshaven Bridge to allow the vessel past the 131-foot span on its journey from the Oceanco shipyard in Alblasserdam through Rotterdam to the North Sea.

That controversial plan was scrapped after local backlash, including residents being urged to toss eggs at Bezos’ “latest toy,”  the New York Times reported . The superyacht, previously known as Y721, was instead towed to a shipyard in Rotterdam, downstream of the bridge, without its masts.

Bezos, 59, and the bikini-clad Sanchez, 53, appeared ready for the summer as the pair soaked up the sun aboard Koru, a Māori word for loop or coil that symbolizes new beginnings — possibly a coy reference to their relationship.

Sanchez started secretly dating the Blue Origin founder in the summer of 2018. Bezos then announced in January 2019 he and his wife Mackenzie were divorcing after 25 years , while Sanchez finalized her split from husband Patrick Whitesell later that year.

Sanchez plays a critical role in the Bezos fleet: As a helicopter pilot, she was seen landing on the Abeona. She was also at Bezos’ side when he took the wheel of the Koru.

Koru was first seen under construction in 2021 at Oceano’s yard. The company is owned by a fellow billionaire, Oman’s Mohammed Al Barwani.

As many as 18 guests can enjoy the yacht’s three outdoor decks, including one with two pools. The vessel, which has a crew of up to 36, also boasts a cinema, meeting spaces and lounges,  Luxuo reported .

Every detail is designed for luxury, even down to the masts’ technology.

Bezos opted for high-tech “in-boom furlers,” which store the vast canvases at the bottom of the mast, above the deck. Each weighs nearly 2,000 pounds, but they allow his deck to be kept clear of ropes.

Clearing ropes out of the way maximizes entertaining space, and allows for a hot tub forward of the mainmast.

The yacht is also built for speed. Its three masts provide “one of the largest sail areas ever seen in yachting,”  according to SuperYacht Times .

The Koru’s original designer, and the identity of its captain, remain secret. Boat International noted : “With the elegant curve of the bow and a bowsprit, the lines are certainly classic, but we still have no idea which designer drew them.”

The Cayman Islands-flagged vessel also has engine power like most sailing yachts.

And while other billionaires measure yachts by size, Bezos’ is only the 24th largest.

However, since Koru’s masts rule out a helicopter deck, the billionaire commissioned a support vessel, Abeona, named for the Roman goddess of outward journeys.

In addition to a helipad, the 246-foot Abeona features an extra two staterooms for four guests and as many as 45 crew and support staff.

It’s the largest custom-built support vessel ever manufactured by Damen Yachting. On board in Mallorca were at least four jetskis, two fast launches, and an additional dinghy. Its heavy winch is capable of lifting a small submarine, although Bezos is not believed to have one thus far.

The “classic exterior lines” of Koru, are reminiscent of another billionaire’s boat: Eos, a 305-foot sailing yacht owned by Barry Diller, 81, who may have inspired Bezos after hosting him on the vessel.

Favored by megastars like Katy Perry and Bradley Cooper — who were Diller’s guests during 2019’s Google Camp in Sicily — the German-built Eos can accommodate up to 16 guests and 21 crew.

It was the largest private sailing yacht in the world when it was completed in 2006. Diller, chairman of IAC and Expedia, who is worth $3.9 billion, bought it three years later. Intriguingly, its figurehead is modeled on Diller’s wife Diane von Fürstenberg, the fashion designer.

But the $200 million, 305-foot schooner is now dwarfed by Bezos’ boat.

As Koru sailed in the Balearic Sea this week off the coast of Spain, Bezos’ boat symbolically surges past several other tech billionaires’ vessels – including Google co-founder Sergey Brin’s $80 million, 240-foot Dragonfly, and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison’s, $160 million, 288-foot Musashi.

It will cost Bezos, 59, an estimated $25 million per year to operate Koru, but the world’s third-richest man isn’t likely to need a loan with his $140.6 billion fortune,  according to Forbes .

Bezos’ use of sailpower sets him apart from most billionaires, but others are seeking a hi-tech zero-carbon power source: a Japanese billionaire has reportedly commissioned the world’s first hydrogen-powered superyacht.

Germany’s Lürssen Yachts announced in March that they had a hydrogen-powered superyacht in advanced construction.

It declined to identify the future owner of the unnamed superyacht, but specialist publication FuelCellsWorks reported Japanese billionaire tech Yusaku Maezawa, worth an estimated $1.7 billion, commissioned the innovative effort.

Dubbed Project Cosmos, the 374-foot superyacht is designed by Apple’s legendary Marc Newson and was first unveiled in early March at Lürssen’s facility in Rendsburg, Germany.

Once completed as soon as next year, the vessel is expected to utilize emission-free fuel cell technology to generate power lasting up to 15 days while anchored or to travel as far as 1,000 miles at slow speeds.

Three other major shipyards, including in Italy and the Netherlands, are likely to launch their own hydrogen started outfitting newly constructed vessels with hydrogen fuel cells as of March 2022, with the first models reportedly expected in 2024.

Other megayachts expected to soon join Bezos’ Koru in the water include two Lürssen models, the 475-foot Luminance and the 400-foot Jag, and Feadship 821, a 389-foot offering from the Netherlands manufacturer.

But even those won’t best the biggest megayacht in the world, the 593-foot Azzam, which launched in 2013 after being commissioned by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of the United Arab Emirates who died last year.

Azzam, which means determination in Arabic, reportedly cost more than $600 million and is nearly 60 feet longer than the world’s second-largest yacht, the 533-foot Eclipse, owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.

Those monster vessels are expected to be surpassed next year by REV, a 600-foot yacht under construction in Norway which will have space for 36 guests and 54 crewmembers, according to Boat International .

• The Inventory

Jeff Bezos' Superyacht Is So Massive It Had To Be Docked Next To Oil Tankers In Florida

The billionaire's sailing yacht, the koru, completed its journey from the mediterranean to the u.s. where it towers over other superyachts..

Jeff Bezos is insanely rich. So much so that his superyacht is bigger than other rich people’s superyachts, which is pretty wild if you think about it. Bezos’ recently completed ship, the Koru, is currently docked down in Florida where its massive size made it a bit difficult to dock.

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Luxury Launches reported that the Koru, which is currently the biggest sailing ship in the world, recently completed its months long journey from the Mediterranean all the way to Port Everglades in South Florida. Any other billionaire’s boat wouldn’t have any trouble docking at the port, which can accommodate yachts in size up to 400 feet. The 416-foot Koru dwarfs that in nearly every dimension.

The half-a-billion-dollar boat is nearly twice the length of an Airbus A380 with an internal volume of 3,300 GT. Moreover, its triple masts measuring 230 feet make the vessel nearly half the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

The Koru is so big that it had to be docked near two 600-plus-foot oil tankers. Equally huge are the docking fees and the cost to keep this thing running. Using another superyacht as an example, Luxury Launches says that current docking rates at Port Everglades can run $22,000 for just 10 days. That’s in addition to the daily upkeep costs  of $137,000 for the Koru, which should be chump change for Bezos.

Don’t forget about the Koru’s $75 million support yacht , Abeona, that follows the Koru just so Bezos’ fiancé Lauren Sanchez can land her helicopter on it. Abeona won’t be joining the Koru in Florida, however. The smaller yacht is headed to the Bahamas where it’s expected the Koru will meet up with it soon.

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Jeff Bezos’ Fiancée Lauren Sanchez Simmers in Sexy Red Dress at White House State Dinner

The engaged couple traveled to Washington D.C. for a meal hosted by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.

Lauren Sanchez ’s trip to Washington D.C. wasn’t complete without one fabulous outfit. The former journalist joined fiancé Jeff Bezos at the White House for a state dinner on April 10.

Lauren, 54, chose a sizzling red gown from Rasario that featured a plunging neckline adorned with lace. She completed her look – styled by Kelly Johnson – with a pair of Gianvito Rossi Flavia pumps.

Hairstylist Olivia Halpin perfected Lauren’s hair and teased a shorter cut via Instagram Stories when she wrote, “We did a thing.” The final style allowed fashion lovers to have a view of Lauren’s diamond earrings.

“How it started…how it ended,” Lauren wrote via Instagram on April 10 when showcasing her look. “Such a beautiful evening in DC. Can’t wait to show you more tomorrow.”

The black-tie event was in honor of Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ’s official state visit.

Other guests in attendance included Robert De Niro and his girlfriend Tiffany Che , Apple CEO Tim Cook and Japanese American Olympic medalists Kristi Yamaguchi , Alex Shubitani and Maia Shibutani .

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lauren Sanchez (@laurenwsanchez)

Jeff, 60, and Lauren have been together since 2019. The pair got engaged four years later and are currently planning their dream wedding.

In a rare interview with The Wall Street Journal , Lauren provided a glimpse into what makes her relationship with the Amazon founder work.

“It’s the greatest experience I’ve ever had,” she shared in January 2023. “I’ve always had a career very separate from my partner. We love to be together and we love to work together. He’s helping me with the book. He’s getting his pilot’s license. We fly together. We work out together. We’re together all the time.”

While both Lauren and Jeff have children from previous relationships, the duo have found a way to create a happy, blended family.

“On a typical Saturday, we hang out, we have dinner with the kids, which is always fun because you never know where the conversation is going to go with this many kids,” she said. “We are the Brady Bunch!”

As for what Jeff admires most about his partner, it has to be her generosity.

“Lauren is the most generous, most big-hearted person that you would ever meet,” Jeff gushed to CNN in November 2022. “She is an inspiration in that way at every level. She is generous with somebody she just meets, she’s generous with every person and she’s generous in the large too.”