Under fire for Met Gala 2026 sponsorship, Lauren Sánchez gets a strong public defence from Anna Wintour

The founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, and his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, were announced as the lead sponsors for the 2026 Met Gala last week, alongside secondary backers, the French luxury brand Saint Laurent and Vogue publisher Condé Nast.

The news of the Bezos couple’s sponsorship drew immediate criticism on social media, with commentators arguing that their involvement highlights a trend towards billionaire control of major cultural institutions. Others have suggested that the funds could be better deployed supporting other worthy causes.

“Great theme,” wrote one user under a video on The Metropolitan museum’s official Instagram post announcing that next year’s would be “Costume Art,” before adding: “However, stop platforming Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez with art and fashion, two places that these two awful, unfettered capitalists will never belong in, no matter how much money they want to throw around to buy culture they have never cultivated and will never inhabit.”

Anna Wintour described the American philanthropist and former journalist Lauren Sánchez Bezos as a "great lover of costume and obviously of fashion," reported CNN.

Wintour told CNN that she believed Sánchez Bezos would be a “wonderful asset to the museum and the event.”

“We’re very grateful for her incredible generosity,” she also said, adding, “so we’re thrilled she’s part of the night.”

Wintour stepped down from her role as Vogue US' Editor-In-Chief earlier this year, but she maintains her position as Vogue's global editorial director and chief content officer for Condé Nast, meaning she still oversees the annual Met Gala.

For some people, the decision to sponsor the 2026 Met Gala is seen as indicative of the couple’s desire to gain cultural and fashion legitimacy, drawing parallels with Kim Kardashian’s ascent within the fashion industry. It was only a decade ago that Kardashian — a friend of Sánchez Bezos — transformed her public image from reality TV personality to become a significant figure in high fashion circles.

While Sánchez Bezos has not revealed her intentions, the move is seen as a deeper foray into the fashion world. The Bezos couple missed the 2025 Met Gala due to their wedding celebrations but they attended the event in 2024 and posed for the cover of Vogue US in June this year.

Recently, they were also spotted at Paris Fashion Week, where they attended shows for Chanel and Balenciaga, wearing archival vintage outfits curated by celebrity stylist Molly Dickson.

Sánchez Bezos’s Earth Fund also announced a $6.25 million partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) this year to champion sustainability in fashion.