Met Gala faces backlash as protesters target Jeff Bezos' involvement

Protesters have hit out at billionaire Jeff Bezos ahead of next week’s Met Gala, particularly for his close links to First Lady Melania Trump.

The annual fashion event has faced increasing calls to change and evolve with the times in recent years, amid reports of falling demand for tickets and even calls for an outright boycott over ties to the billionaire Amazon founder 62, and his wife, Lauren Sánchez, 56.

The exclusive event, which sees ticket prices extend well into the tens of thousands of dollars, has always traditionally been about raising money for The Metropolitan Museum of Art, yet it has turned into a cultural phenomenon in its own right as the movers and shakers of society dress to the nines for a sartorial take on a specific theme each year.

Yet while the fundraising aim continues to remain the same, Anna Wintour, the event’s organiser since 1995, has come under scrutiny over her connections to powerful backers.

Protestors have demanded a boycott over the event due to Bezos' involvement (ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty Images)

Traditionally, the attendees of the gala have been celebrities, designers, and industry leaders from film, music, fashion, sports, and tech, and form part of an exclusive, curated, invite only list.

Yet activists are concerned that lately more and more ultra wealthy individuals have been making the cut, without the same cultural significance.

Speaking in an interview with Hell Gate, a protestor was asked, "In 2026, with the global economy in the bin and an increasing consciousness of the vast global inequity, do you think the Met Gala's cultural power is waning?”

They then responded, "Yes. I've enjoyed looking at Met Gala dresses in the past, like millions of others, but I am getting sick of the contrast. Our parents were able to hope for better lives for us, but we can no longer hope the same for our children. That's because the world's 12 richest people have more wealth than the poorest half of humanity.”

Jeff Bezos has been a longtime attendee and supporter of the annual fundraising event (Cindy Ord/MG24/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)

They also slammed Vogue editor Anna Wintour and the fashion industry for what they claim is a growing closeness to powerful billionaires - even despite the Met Gala itself always being primarily about raising money just as much as championing couture fashion.

"Art and fashion should be enjoyable. Anna Wintour is ruining the fun by cozying up to a man whose company just spent $75 million on a film about Trump's wife to curry favor with him,” they argued.

“They put Jeff Bezos’s wedding on the front cover of Vogue. You're telling me it's because of this bald dude's style? I don't think so. They're being bought off and used. Embarrassing.”

While changing attitudes towards the event have reportedly seen a drop in sales, and even claims that tables have become more difficult to fill, the gala still remains one of fashion’s biggest nights, with tickets reportedly reaching as high as $100,000 and still commanding global attention.