The Met Gala raised a record $42 million as Silicon Valley picked up the tab—and as celebs protested Jeff Bezos' sponsoring of the event.

The article focuses on the 2026 Met Gala, highlighting the unprecedented prominence of Silicon Valley and tech industry figures in the event’s fundraising and guest list. The gala raised a record $42 million for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, with lead sponsorship from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos, and major tech companies such as Amazon, Meta, OpenAI, Snapchat, and Shopify purchasing tables. This marked a shift from the event’s traditional emphasis on fashion and entertainment celebrities to tech CEOs and founders taking center stage. The theme was "Costume Art," and the funds will support the Costume Institute’s exhibitions and operations. The event also sparked protests criticizing the lavish spending by tech billionaires amid worker hardships, leading to counter-events and some celebrities choosing not to attend. [Extracted from the article]