BILLIONAIRE Jeff Bezos is set to tie the knot with fiancée Lauren Sanchez – kicking off lavish celebrations aboard his $500 million superyacht.

The couple will be joined by their celebrity friends ahead of their wedding aboard the yacht in Venice’s waters this Friday.

The week-long pre-wedding festivities are estimated to cost roughly $15 to $20 million (£12 to £16 million).

Around 200 guests are expected to attend the wedding of the 61-year-old Amazon founder and his 55-year-old fiancée, who is a former journalist and licensed pilot.

The couple’s wedding organisers, Lanza & Baucina Limited, have worked with stars like George and Amal Clooney and Salma Hayek and François-Henri Pinault.

Jeff Bezos’ $500m luxury vessel, Koru is named after the Māori word for “loop” or “coil”, which symbolises new beginnings.

Measuring 417 feet in length with three towering masts over 230 feet high, Koru is currently the world’s largest sailing yacht, according to Boat International.

The superyacht can reach speeds of up to 17 knots per hour, powered by twin, 1,500hp MTU diesel engines.

It cruises comfortably at 15 knots – about 2.25 knots faster than the average for similar vessels.

Said to have been first commissioned by Bezos in 2018, the yacht was built by Dutch yacht maker Oceanco near Rotterdam and delivered to Gibraltar in April 2023.

The superyacht’s support vessel reportedly added another $75 million to the already staggering $500 million cost.

Its exterior design was completed by Dutch company Dykstra Naval Architects, while London-based company Mlinaric, Henry & Zervudachi completed its interior design.

Koru can host up to 18 guests in nine staterooms, along with around 36 crew members.

Its full features remain unclear, but Architectural Digest reports that Koru includes multiple outdoor lounging areas, three jacuzzis and a swimming pool.

Bezos proposed to Sanchez in 2023 aboard the yacht, presenting her with a 20-carat pink diamond ring worth $2.5 million.

The wedding has been months in the making, with Bezos ready to splash billions to tie the knot with Sanchez.

The couple threw a lavish engagement party aboard their megayacht in Positano, Italy, back in August 2023.

That same year Sanchez told Vogue that she “blacked out a bit” upon seeing her multimillion-dollar ring during their proposal.

Bezos, whose net worth is estimated at $212billion, reportedly placed the ring under her pillow before she discovered and opened the box.