The wives and girlfriends of some of the richest men in the world are often seen as very lucky. Not only do they enjoy a life of great wealth, but they also share their lives with some of the most powerful and well-known men.
Interestingly, many of these women met their partners in very simple, everyday ways. Some even married them before they became rich and now, look how far they’ve come. While their partners may be famous and successful, many of these women also have their own impressive accomplishments.
1. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez
After his $38 billion divorce from longtime wife Mackenzie Scott in 2019, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is now engaged to Lauren Sánchez. She’s a former TV anchor and also a licensed helicopter pilot. The two started dating in 2018 while they were both separated from their partners.
Lauren has three kids; one from a relationship with former NFL player Tony Gonzalez, and two from her marriage to talent agent Patrick Whitesell. She’s also the founder of Black Ops Aviation, a company that specializes in aerial filming. Her work includes consulting on movies like *Dunkirk* and *Miss Bala*, and she’s even done aerial shots for Bezos’ space company, Blue Origin.
2. Bernard Arnault and Hélène Mercier
Bernard Arnault, the chairman and CEO of LVMH—the luxury group behind brands like Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs is married to Canadian concert pianist Hélène Mercier. They first met at a dinner party in 1989, and later that year, Mercier asked him to play the piano for her on a New Year’s date.
She told The Wall Street Journal that his hands were shaking and he was extremely nervous, but he pushed through and finished the performance.
The couple got married in 1990 in a private ceremony in France. Even with her busy life, Mercier still performs in about 20 concerts a year and practices between two to six hours daily.
3. Larry Ellison and Nikita Kahn
Larry Ellison, the co-founder and CTO of Oracle, has been in a long-term relationship with Nikita Kahn, who is an actress, model, and animal rights advocate. Ellison, who owns nearly all of the Hawaiian island of Lanai and previously served on Tesla’s board, opened a restaurant in Malibu in 2013 named Nikita after her. The restaurant served Mediterranean and Italian dishes like Kobe beef sliders and lobster salad. The couple does not have any children together.
4. Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan
Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder and CEO of Meta Platforms, met Priscilla Chan in 2003 during his second year at Harvard. They bumped into each other in a bathroom line at a fraternity party. The couple got married in 2012 and have three daughters: Maxima, August, and Aurelia. Priscilla later left her job as a pediatrician to fully focus on the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative — a charity organization she and Zuckerberg founded to support education, healthcare, and science research.
5. Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani
Mukesh Ambani, the chairman of Reliance Industries, married Nita Ambani in 1985. Their meeting was arranged by Mukesh’s father, Dhirubhai Ambani, who saw Nita perform at a dance event and was impressed by her. He later introduced the two, and the rest is history. The couple has three children; Akash, Isha, and Anant who are all involved in the family business.
Nita Ambani is a successful businesswoman in her own right. She sits on the board of Reliance Industries and East India Hotels, co-owns the Mumbai Indians cricket team, and founded the Dhirubhai Ambani International School, one of the top international schools in India. She’s also the chairperson of Football Sports Development Limited, an organization focused on promoting sports across India through grassroots programs.
6. Warren Buffett and Astrid Menks
Warren Buffett, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, met Astrid Menks in the 1970s while she was working as a waitress. At the time, Warren was still married to his first wife, Susan Thompson, who had moved to San Francisco to follow her singing dreams. Susan and Astrid became friends, and she even introduced Astrid to Warren.
After Susan passed away in 2004, Warren and Astrid got married in 2006. Warren has three children from his marriage with Susan: Susan, Howard, and Peter.
7. Larry Page and Lucinda Southworth
Larry Page, co-founder of Google, married Lucinda Southworth in 2007 after meeting through mutual social circles in the early 2000s. Lucinda is a researcher and scientist with a Ph.D. in biomedical informatics. She also holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Oxford.
Together, they co-founded the Carl Victor Page Memorial Foundation in 2004 and have been involved in philanthropy. In 2018, they donated $15 million to help fight Ebola in West Africa.
8. Wendy Schmidt and Eric Schmidt
Wendy Schmidt, an interior designer turned investor and philanthropist, has been married to former Google CEO Eric Schmidt since 1980. Together, they have founded several organizations to support their philanthropic efforts, including the Schmidt Family Foundation (focused on sustainability), the Schmidt Ocean Institute (promoting oceanographic research), and Schmidt Futures (funding initiatives to advance society through technology).
Wendy is the president of the Schmidt Family Foundation and is also a competitive sailor. In 2010, she founded the oceans solutions initiative, 11th Hour Racing. Eric Schmidt stepped down from the board of Alphabet in 2019 and retired from his role as technical advisor in 2020.