Lauren Sanchez recently returned to visit her humble family home in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Sanchez, 54, whose billionaire fiancé Jeff Bezos, 60, has one of the most impressive property portfolios in the world, took a nostalgic trip “down memory lane” to her former hometown, where she held an event to celebrate the launch of her new book, The Fly Who Flew to Space.
She shared several snaps on Instagram from her visit, including one of her and her father Ray Sanchez posing in front of the house where she spent her childhood years.
“There’s nothing better than coming home. Walked down memory lane. Stopped by the old house with dad. Ate some amazing food,” she wrote in the caption.
“Thank you to all my family and friends who came out to support @theflywhoflew. Even one of my old teachers came out and brought a yearbook.”
Lauren Sanchez, 54, recently returned to visit her humble family home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and shared a snap with her father Ray Sanchez.
Sánchez took a nostalgic trip down memory lane to his former hometown, where he held an event to celebrate the launch of his new book, The Fly That Flew into Space.
Her billionaire fiancé Jeff Bezos, 60, has one of the most impressive property portfolios in the world; the couple to watch in 2023
In the snap with her father, she can be seen with her arm around him as they pose proudly in front of the picturesque yellow house.
Lauren, who is set to get engaged to Amazon founder Bezos in 2023, wore a white tank top, matching pants and a denim jacket for the occasion.
The former Extra correspondent shielded her eyes with aviator sunglasses and wore her dark hair pulled back halfway.
Meanwhile, Ray is seen wearing a red t-shirt, blue jeans, and a baseball cap.
She also posted other photographs from her visit, including a yearbook photo of herself, which reveals her birth name, Wendy Sanchez.
During the trip, she stopped by a local fast food chain, Blake’s Lotaburger, where she was photographed eating a cheeseburger.
Sanchez was born and raised in Albuquerque, where she attended Del Norte High School and was a cheerleader.
After graduation, she moved to California and enrolled at El Camino College, before moving to the University of Southern California, where she studied communications.
She also posted several other photos from her visit, including a yearbook photo of herself, which reveals her birth name, Wendy Sanchez.
During the trip she stopped by a local fast food chain, Blake’s Lotaburger, where she was photographed eating a cheeseburger.
She shared that one of her teachers stopped by her event with an old yearbook.
The former Extra correspondent seemed to have a great time during the visit.
Lauren was photographed giving a speech at a local library while promoting her book.
She enjoyed lots of delicious food during her visit.
Sanchez began her broadcasting career as an intern at KCOP-TV in Los Angeles before working as a reporter at KTVK-TV in Phoenix. She then returned to Los Angeles and became a special correspondent for Extra.
She and Bezos went public with their relationship in 2019. The couple got engaged last May, after Jeff popped the question aboard his $500 million superyacht.
Their engagement followed an affair the couple had, something Jeff admitted, which led to his divorce from his wife of 25 years, Mackenzie Scott, in 2019, and Lauren’s split from husband Patrick Whitesell, whom she married in 2005 and with whom she shared a son and daughter.
Lauren also shares a son with former NFL tight end Tony Gonzalez, Nikko, who was born in 2001.
Four years after the National Enquirer revealed their romance to the world, Jeff asked Lauren to marry him, with a pear-shaped diamond estimated to be worth at least $2 million.
Since then, the couple has flaunted their love around the world, vacationing aboard Jeff’s megayacht.
In addition to their luxury yacht charters, the couple takes vacations at five-star resorts, private jet flights and beach getaways.
They dine at the most sought-after restaurants, attend elite parties and mingle with some of Jeff’s famous friends.
Among Bezos’ properties are three mansions on Florida’s exclusive Indian Creek Island, nicknamed ‘Billionaires’ Bunker’; one of his Florida homes photographed in 2021
Bezos’ multiple properties are located next to retired NFL star Tom Brady and former first daughter Ivanka Trump
The businessman also owns a home in Beverly Hills (pictured) that cost a staggering $165 million. The couple are believed to be living together on the property.
In April, Bezos reportedly spent $90 million on a third mansion on Florida’s exclusive Indian Creek Island, bringing his total investment in the area, known as the “Billionaires’ Bunker,” to $237 million.
The Amazon founder, who was recently ranked the world’s third-richest billionaire by Forbes, has agreed to pay $90 million for a six-bedroom home in the exclusive Indian Creek Village near Miami, Bloomberg reported.
This latest purchase comes after Bezos purchased two mansions on the ultra-exclusive island last year, one for $68 million in June and the other for $79 million in October.
According to property records, the third mansion in his Indian Creek Island portfolio last sold in 1998 for $2.5 million.
The six-bedroom mansion is located on the opposite side of the island from the two neighboring homes he purchased for nearly $150 million last year.
The Amazon mogul plans to live in the home he recently purchased in an off-market transaction while he tears down the pair of mansions, according to Bloomberg.
The latest purchase only adds to Bezos’ already impressive portfolio, valued at more than $600 million, spread across New York, Washington DC, Beverly Hills and West Texas, among others.
In 2022, the billionaire added a private estate in Hawaii to his collection that spans 14 acres and is surrounded by dormant lava fields.
The three-building property, located on picturesque La Perouse Bay on Valley Isle in Maui, Hawaii, cost the former Amazon chief an estimated $78 million.
Lauren and the Amazon founder went public with their relationship in 2019. The couple got engaged last May after Jeff popped the question aboard his $500 million superyacht.
Last year, he added a luxury apartment in Manhattan to the series of properties he already owned on New York City’s exclusive Fifth Avenue.
The businessman bought five properties over the course of three years to create a de facto mega mansion.
Meanwhile, in 2016, Bezos invested $23 million in a former textile museum in the exclusive Kalorama neighborhood of Washington, DC.
He also purchased a $5 million property across the street, which many speculated was for privacy reasons as it had a direct line of sight to the former museum property.
