A billionaire’s wedding caused quite a stir earlier this month after he rented no less than the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, sparking outrage amid a “tone deaf” extreme display of wealth and disrespect for the historical tombs.
Million Dollar Listing New York real estate agent Ryan Serhant took to his Instagram page on May 3 to showcase his point of view from the lavish wedding ceremony of billionaire tech CEO Ankur Jain and Erika Hammond.
Highlights
- Billionaire tech CEO Ankur Jain's wedding at the Great Pyramid of Giza sparked outrage and was seen as tone-deaf.
- The lavish event included performances by Lindsey Stirling and guest appearances by celebrities like Lance Bass.
- Many Egyptians expressed offense and sadness over the privatization of their cultural heritage for a wedding.
In the first video, Ryan combined various footage from the exorbitant event, which included fellow guests Lance Bass, Robin Thicke, and Shark Tank’s Kevin O'Leary, as well as a performance by Lindsey Stirling.
He also showed glimpses of The Manial Palace in addition to himself and other guests roaming around the pyramids and the Great Sphinx of Giza, which were shut down specially for the wedding.
A billionaire's extravagant wedding at the Great Pyramid of Giza sparked outrage
Image credits: Abdelrhman Allam
Image credits: ankurjain
The video rubbed many viewers the wrong way, as an Instagram user commented: “This video got so much hate for all the right reasons.”
A person wrote: “I live really close to the pyramids, on the wedding day I woke up terrified because of the amount of fireworks they fired for a really long time, I thought that we [were] being attacked or something.”
Someone else penned: “As an Egyptian, this is extremely sad to see.
“That the country is being pimped out to a bunch of wealthy Westerners just because the government needs extra $$$$.”
Many people felt it was an ostentatious display of wealth and disrespectful toward the historical tombs
Image credits: ankurjain
Image credits: ryanserhant
An additional commentator said: “And under the same sky a genocide is taking place.”
Another viewer commented: “As an Egyptian, renting out the fucking PYRAMIDS is beyond disrespect.
“I'm not blaming you, I'm blaming whoever allowed it.”
An observer added: “As an Egyptian, I feel offended that they shut down the pyramids area for a wedding.”
Ankur Jain is the founder and CEO of Bilt Rewards
Image credits: ankurjain
A separate individual chimed in: “A wedding in a cemetery??”
The second video ignited just as much criticism, as a viewer argued: “Honestly, this is such a gross display of wealth that it’s not even enjoyable to watch.
“Especially with the state of the world.
“Especially being in the middle ground between Africa and the Middle East.”
The cost of the three-week-long wedding celebrations of 34-year-old Ankur Jain and 32-year-old Erika Hammond has not been revealed
Image credits: ankurjain
Image credits: ankurjain
“And knowing so many people could be aided with this type of money.
“The amount of waste the temporary buildings most likely contributed to.
“The families in America are struggling here on our own shores.
“It’s just, I don’t know, so wasteful, so grotesque.”
"And under the same sky, a genocide is taking place," a person commented
Image credits: ankurjain
“And sadly statistically most couples who have such extreme weddings, are divorced within six months.
“I’m not being insulting, it’s just, I mean, read the room….the entire world’s on fire.”
The Pyramids of Giza are three 4th-dynasty (c. 2575–c. 2465 BCE) pyramids erected on a rocky plateau on the west bank of the Nile River near Al-Jīzah (Giza) in northern Egypt, Britannica explains.
In ancient times, they were included among the Seven Wonders of the World. The ancient ruins of the Memphis area, including the Pyramids of Giza, Ṣaqqārah, Dahshūr, Abū Ruwaysh, and Abū Ṣīr, were collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979.
Million Dollar Listing New York's Ryan Serhant showcased his point of view from the lavish wedding ceremony
The pyramids were constructed as tombs for ancient Egyptian pharaohs and were originally filled with burial chambers and sarcophagi containing the remains of the pharaohs.
However, over thousands of years, these tombs were looted, and the remains were removed.
The cost of the three-week-long wedding celebrations of 34-year-old Ankur Jain, the founder and CEO of Bilt Rewards, and his bride, 32-year-old Erika Hammond, a renowned celebrity fitness trainer, has not been revealed, but they are estimated to have been worth millions of dollars.
The festivities started with a three-night African safari and continued to take place at the Great Sphinx of Giza, with an afterparty at the base of the Pyramids, the Daily Mail reported on May 1.
“Ankur went to Egypt as a child and teenager with his family, and had always talked about how it was so inspiring and one of the best experiences and trips he had ever been on,” Erika, who got engaged to Ankur in November 2022, told the British tabloid.
While many criticized the wedding, others admired it
