Met Gala opens in NYC; Zohran Mamdani skips, Bezos linked to sponsorship

The Met Gala opened in New York City tonight, with attendees including Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams showcasing fashion as art at the annual museum fundraiser. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani did not attend the Met Gala; he faces a poll showing 40 percent of Jewish voters rate him "poor" and has urged King Charles to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond. Coverage links Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sánchez to the gala as sponsors and honorary co-chairs, and profiles say the couple used business expansion and charitable giving to become front-row fixtures in fashion circles. The mayor's absence alongside Bezos's high-profile sponsorship highlights tensions over wealth, influence and public-office optics at elite cultural fundraisers.