The recent marriage of Amazon founder and the world’s fourth richest man, Jeff Bezos, to his new partner Lauren Sánchez has sparked widespread global interest in prenuptial agreements among ultra-wealthy individuals. A report by Business Insider revealed that Bezos entered into a strong and complex prenuptial agreement designed to prevent financial disputes or claims to his business assets in the event of a divorce.
Following his divorce from his previous wife, MacKenzie Scott, Bezos was required to pay an estimated $38 billion settlement. This massive payout occurred largely because their marriage was not protected by a prenuptial agreement and thus followed standard marital property laws. When their marriage, which began in 1993, ended, Amazon shares were divided unexpectedly making Scott one of the richest women in the world.
Learning from that experience, Bezos who currently has a net worth exceeding $200 billion reportedly approached his new marriage with Lauren Sánchez through a carefully crafted and legally fortified agreement. Legal and financial experts suggest that the prenup is designed to separate premarital assets and maintain control over business interests.
Although the specific terms of the agreement remain confidential, experts indicate that such contracts for billionaires involve much more than a mutual understanding between two individuals. Creating a prenup of this nature typically requires the involvement of family lawyers, tax advisors, wealth managers, and even luxury asset appraisers specializing in properties such as private jets and estates.
The primary goal for ultra-high-net-worth individuals like Bezos, especially in second or third marriages, is to preserve wealth accumulated prior to the new union. This includes preventing the blending of assets with the new spouse and ensuring sole control over their business empire. A key consideration is avoiding any scenario where, in the event of a divorce or death, a spouse could gain decision-making influence in the company through shared ownership.
Instead, prenuptial agreements specify the exact financial settlement and assets to be transferred in such events. These agreements often cover both divorce and death. In the case of divorce, a spouse like Sánchez might receive a one-time payment, some Amazon stock, or specific real estate assets. A “death clause” can also be included to cap what the surviving spouse inherits, ensuring that Bezos’s children from his previous marriage, and Sánchez’s children from hers, receive clearly defined inheritances.
These types of agreements are highly confidential and often include strict non-disclosure clauses. Disclosure of details—whether to the public or via social media—can lead to heavy penalties. However, prenups are not always permanent. Some may include “sunset clauses” that soften or void certain terms after a fixed period, such as ten years.
In the end, Jeff Bezos’s second marriage serves as a high-profile example of how billionaires use prenuptial agreements to manage wealth, protect legacies, and navigate complex family dynamics.