Jeff Bezos' mannequin covered in faux money goes viral amid wedding protests

1. Jeff Bezos' mannequin covered in faux money goes viral amid wedding protests

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez have become an unexpected attraction in Venice as their highly anticipated wedding approaches. Lifelike statues of the couple have appeared throughout the city, drawing crowds of tourists eager to pose with the replicas of the Amazon founder. Among the various creepy mannequin’s one that has caught tourists’ attention is of Bezos covered in fake dollar bills.

Lifelike statues of Jeff Bezos, especially one covered in fake dollar bills, have become tourist attractions in Venice. Click News/Handout via REUTERS (via REUTERS)

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A larger-than-life statue of Bezos has drawn both fascination and amusement in Venice ahead of his wedding to Sanchez. Standing at six feet tall, the sculpture towers over Bezos’s actual 5'7" frame and is humorously adorned with faux dollar bills bearing his likeness. The statue is created by a team of sculptors dressed as Amazon workers, and the installation has become a talking point among both tourists and locals.

Interestingly, it has also attracted the attention of Venice’s ever-present pigeons, who have swarmed around the mannequin, as reported by TMZ. Several creepy mannequins have popped up across Venice as signs of protests against Sanchez and Bezos’ wedding. The protests have emerged as several activists, locals fear that the flock of A-list celebrity guests will increase the issue of space, especially during the tourist season.

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Protesters have clarified that their opposition is not directed at the wedding itself, but at what they describe as the growing “privatisation” and “exploitation” of Venice. They argue that high-profile events like this symbolize the city's shift toward catering to the ultra-wealthy, often at the expense of local residents and public spaces.

Alice Bazzoli, an activist with No Space for Bezos, said, “He is basically going to treat the whole city as a private ballroom, as a private event area, as if the citizens are not there," as reported by Sky News. The protest group, a coalition of about a dozen Venetian organizations, including housing advocates, anti-cruise ship activists, and university groups, has voiced concerns over the disruption caused by the high-profile wedding. 

They claim the event will restrict access to parts of the city, hinder daily life for residents, and raise environmental issues due to yacht traffic in the canals.