Jeff Bezos to split wealth with wife amidst extra-marital affair rumour

Jeff Bezos and wife

World’s richest man, Jeff Bezos, reportedly announced his split from his wife of 25 years, MacKenzie, 48, after his affair with a 49-year-old married woman was about to be leaked to the public.

National Enquirer magazine had been set to release an exclusive story in its latest edition, which will hit the newsstands on Thursday, revealing the eight-month affair of Bezos, 54, and Lauren Sanchez, a helicopter pilot and former Television anchor.

The magazine claimed that the lovers had been dating since last year and that Bezos met Sanchez for illicit trysts as often as six times in two weeks, took her on exotic holidays on his $65 million private jet and sent her erotic selfies “too explicit to print.”

A source close to the Bezos told DailyMail.com that the Amazon founder only began seeing Sanchez after separating from his wife, however, the National Enquirer claims the affair went on behind their spouses’ backs.

Bezos released a statement revealing the split on his Twitter account on Wednesday in a bid to present the news in a favourable light.

He and his wife described each other as ‘cherished friends’ and gave the impression it was amicable.

The Enquirer says it trailed Bezos for four months in what it calls the “largest investigation” in the magazine’s history, with its photographer catching the lovebirds “doing the dirty on their spouses.”

However, they say they have evidence of the affair staring several months before their investigation began.

They say they followed Bezos and Sanches “across five states and 40,000 miles, tailed them in private jets, swanky limos, helicopter rides, romantic hikes, five-star hotel hideaways, intimate dinner dates and ‘quality time’ in hidden love nests.”

Sanchez is still married to Hollywood talent mogul husband Patrick Whitesell, and sources say they separated this late last year.