'A Billionaire Circus': Met Gala 'Quietly Slashing Costs as It Struggles to Sell Out' — Amid Backlash Surrounding Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's Involvement
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez are key sponsors for the Met Gala.
April 22 2026, Published 2:20 p.m. ET
The Met Gala was once the hottest ticket in town, but the shine is fading fast, with prices being slashed as tables struggle to sell for the 2026 ball, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Some of the lack of interest stems from disgust at Amazon Billionaire Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sánchez, serving as honorary co-chairs and lead financial sponsors of the event, while lead chairperson and primary host Anna Wintour is fighting to keep the Met Gala relevant in rapidly changing times.
'Vogue' and Anna Wintour Are 'No Longer Essential'
Anna Wintour's grip on the fashion world started to slip after handing over American Vogue to Chloe Malle.
"Prices are coming down because they have to. Designers aren’t buying like they used to. The demand just isn’t there," one source told Hollywood insider Rob Shuter about the 2026 gala, and he wrote about it on Substack.
Fashion brands and designers paid a $350,000 premium per table for the 2024 and 2025 events, but that rate is no longer sustainable.
The insider said that much of the problem is that American Vogue, which Wintour lorded over for 37 years before handing its reins to nepo baby Chloe Malle in September 2025, has lost much of its relevance in the digital age.
"Vogue doesn’t control the conversation anymore,” the source shared. "And if Vogue isn’t essential, neither is the Met Gala."
Anna Wintour's Power Over the Fashion Industry Is 'Fading Fast'
Anna Wintour no longer has the same power to make or break designers careers.
While Wintour still reigns as editor-in-chief of Vogue’s global editions, her once ironclad grip on the fashion world isn’t what it used to be.
"You paid because Anna mattered," another insider said of the gala and the style queen's waning influence. "Her approval could make careers overnight. That kind of power? It’s fading fast."
A third insider noted that influencers and social media stars now drive brand buzz far faster than any outfit debuting on the Met Gala red carpet.
"Why drop $350,000 on a table when influencers deliver bigger audiences, faster buzz, and measurable results?" they dished.
Lauren Sánchez and Jeff Bezos' 'Billionaire's Circus'
An insider claimed Lauren Sánchez and Jeff Bezos involvement made the Met Gala 'stop feeling aspirational.'
One insider said that Bezos and Sánchez's heavy involvement has sealed the fate of the 2026 gala.
“The Bezos–Sánchez moment tipped it. It stopped feeling aspirational and started feeling like a billionaire circus," the spy spilled.
As a result, the once A+ guest list is taking a hit.
"It’s influencers, not icons now,” the insider said. “And that changes everything."
'End of the Met Gala'
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Fans promised to boycott watching the Met Gala due to Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's involvement.
Wintour tried to defend her decision to let Bezos and his wife primarily bankroll the gala, as their involvement was hit with instant backlash.
"I think Lauren is going to be a wonderful asset to the museum and to the event," The Devil Wears Prada inspiration told CNN in November 2025. "We’re very grateful for her incredible generosity. She’s a great lover of costume and obviously of fashion, so we’re thrilled she’s part of the night."
However, when Vogue announced the couple's sponsorship and participation in the gala, it was met with widespread derision.
"Letting Bezos sponsor one of the biggest fashion events of the year is so cringe," one person wrote in the comments section of the Instagram post.
"No, thank you. End of the Met Gala," a second person sneered, while a third shared, "Yeah, screw that if it’s being 'made possible' by a greedy billionaire."
