Bezos-Backed Met Gala Draws Protests and Online Backlash
Jeff and Lauren Sánchez Bezos served as honorary chairs and main sponsors of the 2026 Met Gala, reportedly donating $10 million and prompting protests, online vitriol, and debate about tech money in fashion.
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Overview
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos served as honorary chairs and were the main sponsors of the 2026 Met Gala, reportedly donating $10 million.
Their sponsorship drew protests and online vitriol, including activists plastering anti-Bezos signage and placing roughly 300 bottles filled with fake urine inside the museum, according to reports.
Lauren Sánchez Bezos walked the red carpet in a custom Schiaparelli gown while Jeff Bezos reportedly skipped the red carpet and entered the event without walking it.
The guest list included tech executives from OpenAI, Instagram, Snapchat, and Amazon, and it was described as the first year a tech figure was the main sponsor and the first gala with tables occupied by multiple tech companies.
Notable absences included Zendaya and Meryl Streep, and last year the Met Gala raised $31 million for the Costume Institute.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the Met Gala as frivolous and morally fraught, using snarky evaluative language ("coughing up $10 million," "off with their heads" energy) and ironic asides to foreground controversy (Bezos' donation and boycott calls). Factual details (donation, reports) are source content; editorial choices emphasize spectacle while omitting institutional defenses.