What do you mean Jeff Bezos wants to buy Condé Nast? Rumors indicate a very editorial wedding gift is coming for Lauren Sánchez Bezos

When, in recent weeks, it was announced that Lauren Sánchez-Bezos would be the cover star of the July issue of Vogue, many fashion insiders reacted with skepticism, noting a certain political inconsistency in Anna Wintour’s choices. In fact, the longtime editor had previously banned Donald Trump from the Met Gala and openly supported Kamala Harris, both during her vice presidency and her presidential campaign last year. However, it soon emerged that it was Wintour herself who personally selected the Dolce & Gabbana gown worn by Bezos’s new wife, making the connection all the more curious. The link between Bezos and Vogue initially took a back seat amid social media chatter about the lavish wedding in Venice and the announcement of Wintour’s resignation as Editor-in-Chief of the U.S. edition of the magazine after an impressive 37-year tenure. But behind these coincidences, a significant thread seems to emerge. According to some rumors reported by the Daily Mail, Jeff Bezos is allegedly planning to acquire Condé Nast as a wedding gift for Lauren Sanchez, a former journalist with conservative political leanings. The British tabloid writes that the possibility of Bezos purchasing the publishing giant has become a central topic within the Vogue offices. Despite official denials from the Newhouse family—owners of Condé Nast since 1959 through Advance Publications—several internal sources remain convinced otherwise. Certain signs suggest the company may already be laying the groundwork for a potential sale, including a recent wave of global layoffs that also affected Condé Nast’s Italian division in recent months.

Further confirming Lauren Sanchez's direct interest are the reports published by Yahoo News, which in recent days have highlighted how the former journalist and current wife of Bezos has no intention of staying in the background if the acquisition of Condé Nast were to go through. On the contrary, Sanchez is said to have already made specific requests to take on a prominent role within Vogue, with the declared ambition of influencing the magazine’s editorial strategies and commercial partnerships. It wouldn’t be about taking on Wintour’s title as Editor-in-Chief, but rather positioning herself as a kind of “shadow executive”, a key figure behind the scenes ready to exert direct influence. According to an article published on Substack by Rob Shuter (referred to as “England’s top gossip columnist”), even Sanchez’s appearance at Paris Fashion Week is said to have been part of a precise strategy, serving as a message directed at the entire fashion industry.

Bezos, after all, is no stranger to the publishing world: in 2013, he acquired the Washington Post for $250 million, ending four generations of Graham family ownership. Even back then, the acquisition sparked considerable controversy and concern among journalists and staff, who feared the potential interference of an owner with strong commercial interests. At the beginning of this year, tensions within the Washington Post escalated further after Bezos announced a significant editorial shift, stating that the newspaper’s Opinion section would focus almost exclusively on individual freedoms and free markets. This move, widely seen as a conservative turn that clashed with the Post’s traditional editorial stance, sparked internal backlash, culminating in the dramatic resignation of senior editor David Shipley. Shipley had been one of the main opponents of Bezos’s controversial decision the previous October to block a pro-Kamala Harris endorsement, which reportedly led to the loss of 250,000 subscribers. Considering Bezos’s editorial direction at the Post, the idea of his involvement in the future of Vogue appears particularly sensitive, especially given the openly liberal positions that Condé Nast magazines have adopted in recent years. This makes a potential acquisition by Bezos all the more controversial, raising further concerns over the future of editorial independence and creative freedom within the publications. But is the devil really about to wear Amazon?