Veneto Gov. Luca Zaia was first to give an estimated tally for the Bezos/Sánchez bash: He told reporters this week the most recent total he saw was between 40 million and 48 million euros (up to $56 million).

Bezos and Sanchez welcomed guests Thursday night in Venice, with an event in the cloisters of the Madonna dell'Orto. The A-list guest roster is expected to include more than 200 people, whether from politics, entertainment, technology, and finance.