Rumor has it that Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos has been seeing Lauren Sanchez, a former Los Angeles TV anchor and "So You Think You Can Dance" host
After 25 years, Jeff Bezos, AKA the World's Richest Man at $134.4 billion, is divorcing his wife, MacKenzie Bezos. Apparently, Jeff has been seeing a former Fox News anchor, 49-year-old Lauren Sanchez. The two originally met years ago through her now ex-husband, Hollywood agent, Patrick Whitesell. Both Whitesell and Sanchez have 2 children. One of them from Sanchez's former marriage to football player Tony Gonzalez. Both Bezos and Whitesell have homes in Seattle where the two couples would socialize for years.
Turns out, Lauren worked on a few 'Blue Origin' projects for Jeff Bezos since she is also a helicopter pilot for a company she owns called Black Ops Aviation. She has also made guest appearances on ABC's "The View" and other shows such as "Extra."
What will happen to Jeff Bezo's company, Amazon, after the divorce?
Amazon is one of the most valuable publically traded companies on the stock market. And yes, Jeff Bezos' wealth is from his 16.3% ownership of Amazon stock shares. Unfortunately, Jeff doesn't seem to have a prenup in place and in Washington, where Jeff lives, there are community property divorce laws which would grant his wife, MacKenzie Bezos, who married Jeff a year before he started Amazon, half of Jeff's Amazon shares. That means, you guessed it, could make her and Jeff majority shareholders of Amazon.
Making Jeff and MacKenzie both majority shareholders of Amazon would surely affect how the company is run. Decisions would no longer be decided by one person alone. Who knows, maybe MacKenzie will simply settle without the shares of Amazon. That's $134.4 billion at stake here.
Photo: Getty Images
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - MARCH 13: Agent Patrick Whitesell (L), his wife Lauren Sanchez and their children Evan and Ella arrive at John Varvatos' 8th Annual Stuart House Benefit at the John Varvatos Boutique on March 13, 2011 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)