Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding Jeff Bezos’ high-profile role at this year’s Met Gala, questions about how much he may have spent to secure his prominent role are being raised.
The billionaire entrepreneur, alongside his wife Lauren Sanchez, served as an honorary co-chair for the 2026 event. However, reports suggesting that Bezos contributed between $10 million and $20 million toward the gala have sparked debate about wealth and influence in elite cultural spaces.
An insider told Radar Online, “This feels less like patronage and more like purchasing cultural capital – the kind that once had to be earned over decades. In other words, Bezos has bribed his way in.”
“He was hardly a fashion icon before now, was he? This level of cash-for-access should leave millions of Americans sickened, not just because of the huge amount of cash spent to get in on one event, but because the whole thing represents how America’s wealth is now in the hands of a very few,” the source added.
Notably, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former Vogue special events planner, who oversaw the gala for more than a decade, also addressed Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s involvement, saying, “For me, it’s not just about the gala, it reflects a broader shift in the world we’re living in.”
“There was a time when access to spaces like the Met Gala, or even the pages of Vogue, wasn’t something you could simply obtain – it was something you grew into through your influence, your work, and your impact. It carried a sense of prestige that felt earned, not transactional,” she continued.
Wolkoff said, “The gala has evolved. And, in many ways, it’s become something different. It used to be a true celebration of designers, their muses and the artistry behind fashion,” Wolkoff continued. “Every person on that carpet felt intentional, like they were part of a larger narrative. That sense of purpose feels less defined now.”
It is pertinent to mention that amid the backlash, several high-profile celebrities snubbed the event, including Zendaya and Bella Hadid.
“There is discomfort about what the gala represents now that Bezos has shown he can buy his way in,” an industry insider told the outlet.
