On January 9, 2019, the richest man in the world announced his divorce. One day later, a tabloid story detonated across the internet — exposing a months-long affair between Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, complete with leaked texts, private jet travel, and a global media frenzy.

In this episode of Affairs Through the Ages, I break down one of the most infamous modern affairs — not to condone it, and not to judge it — but to examine how it unfolded, why it didn’t collapse immediately, and how it became one of the rare affairs that actually turned into marriage.

This episode explores:

1. How Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez met through professional aviation work at Amazon Studios
2. The quiet unraveling of both marriages before the affair became public
3. The role of National Enquirer, alleged blackmail, and the unprecedented Medium post that exposed it all
4. The betrayal that came from inside Lauren Sanchez’s own family
5. Why less than 2% of affairs turn into lasting marriages — and what made this one different

I also examine the broader realities behind affairs that survive public exposure: wealth, timing, maturity, shared interests, clean divorces, and the difference between fantasy and real life once secrecy disappears.

Affairs Through the Ages is a historical and cultural examination of affairs that played out in the public eye — not a defense of infidelity, and not a moral verdict — but an honest look at what actually happens when private relationships collide with power, money, and global scrutiny.

If you’re interested in modern relationships, infidelity, divorce, power dynamics, and what happens after the secret comes out, this series is for you.

Research for this episode includes reporting from The Washington Post, CNN, NBC News, NPR, Fox Business, The Hollywood Reporter, Forbes, Vogue, and The Wall Street Journal. Jeff Bezos's Medium post "No Thank You, Mr. Pecker" provided firsthand account of the blackmail attempt. Additional sources include court documents from the Bezos-Scott and Sanchez-Whitesell divorce proceedings, federal prosecutor statements regarding the National Enquirer investigation, and MacKenzie Scott's philanthropic disclosures via her Giving Pledge commitments and Yield Giving website.

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