Lauren Sánchez knows what you’re thinking about her. At the recent Forbes Power Women’s Summit 2024, the 54-year-old media personality and philanthropist took center stage to discuss her new children’s book and her impactful work alongside her fiancé, Jeff Bezos.
However, she also seized the opportunity to challenge the perception that many have of her as merely “Jeff Bezos‘ fiancée.”
Sánchez candidly acknowledged the reality of her public image, stating, “I’m in this room with all these influential and powerful women… it doesn’t escape me that most of you know me as Lauren Sánchez, comma, Jeff Bezos’ fiancée.” Yet, she emphasized her commitment to making a difference, asserting, “I can choose to do something, or I can choose to do nothing. And I’m choosing to do something.”
Since their relationship became public in January 2019, coinciding with Bezos’ divorce announcement from MacKenzie Scott, Sánchez has been on a journey of her own. Engaged to Bezos in May 2023, she has leveraged her platform to highlight the stories of others. “In my life as a journalist, I was able to amplify incredible people’s stories and illuminate them,” she explained. “Now I get to do it in a different way, and I really take this responsibility I hold in high regard.”
Before her romance with Bezos, Sánchez was already a force to be reckoned with. As an Emmy-winning broadcast journalist and a licensed pilot, she has always been passionate about storytelling. Today, she channels that passion into philanthropic efforts, including the Bezos Earth Fund, a monumental $10 billion initiative aimed at combating the climate crisis.
Sánchez’s relationship with Bezos is characterized by mutual support. “Jeff really puts me out there, and he goes, ‘Go out there. Do your thing,'” she shared. This encouragement is reciprocal, as she also supports Bezos in his endeavors. “A lot of people say this about Jeff like, ‘Oh, he’s changed.’ He hasn’t changed. He’s just being revealed more and more every day,” she noted.
In a world where public figures are often defined by their relationships, Lauren Sánchez is determined to carve out her own identity. Through her philanthropic work and creative projects, she is not just living in the shadow of her fiancé but is actively shining her own light.
