The 2026 Met Gala 2026 was not only about fashion and celebrity outfits this year. The biggest story behind the glamorous event was the growing power of tech billionaires and major technology companies.
Known as “fashion’s biggest night,” the Met Gala is a yearly fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City. The event is organized by Vogue and takes place every year on the first Monday of May.
In 2026, the gala raised a record $42 million for the museum’s Costume Institute. That is a major jump from the $31 million raised in 2025. The Costume Institute is the only department at the museum that pays for all of its own exhibitions and operations, making the gala one of its biggest money-makers.
This year’s biggest sponsors were Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos, who served as honorary chairs. Reports say the couple contributed nearly $10 million. It was also the first time a major tech billionaire played such a large role in leading the event.
READ: Met Gala 2026: Who is Mona Patel? Indian American entrepreneur channels Leonardo da Vinci (May 5, 2026)
The co-chairs for the evening included Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour.
Getting into the Met Gala is expensive and exclusive. Tickets are not sold to the public and guests must receive an invitation. This year, one ticket reportedly cost $100,000, up from about $75,000 last year. A table for 10 guests started at $350,000.
Big tech companies were among the biggest buyers. Amazon, Meta, OpenAI, and Snapchat all reportedly bought tables at the event. The gala has now become more than a fashion event. It is also a place for powerful business leaders, celebrities, and brands to connect and promote themselves.
Several tech executives attended this year’s event. Guests included Evan Spiegel, Adam Mosseri, Sergey Brin, Charles Porch, along with Amazon executives Christine Beauchamp and Jenny Freshwater. Mark Zuckerberg also attended for the first time, although he and Bezos skipped the red carpet entrance. Lauren Sánchez Bezos walked the carpet wearing a Schiaparelli outfit.
Behind the red carpet photos and celebrity headlines, the Met Gala also supports a huge fashion business. Luxury brands spend millions of dollars to dress celebrities because the event gives them worldwide attention.
Most celebrities do not buy the expensive outfits they wear to the Met Gala. Fashion brands usually loan the clothes, jewelry, and accessories to them. Many of these custom-made outfits can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Some couture dresses are worth as much as a home in Los Angeles, as per the FAB.
READ: Social media calls Chanel’s Met Gala styling for Bhavitha Mandava ‘racist’ (May 7, 2026)
Brands see the Met Gala as one of the best marketing opportunities in fashion. A celebrity wearing their design can generate massive attention through photos, social media posts, magazine covers, and online articles. After the event, the outfits are usually returned to the fashion houses, cleaned, and stored in archives.
Celebrity stylists also make huge money from these events. Famous stylists like Law Roach, Karla Welch, and Maeve Reilly can earn millions of dollars each year through styling deals, fashion partnerships, and consulting work with luxury brands.
The Met Gala has had tech sponsors before. Amazon first sponsored the event in 2012, and companies like Apple, Instagram, Yahoo, and TikTok have also been connected to the gala over the years. But in 2026, the tech industry played a much bigger role than ever before.
The event showed how fashion, celebrity culture, technology, and big business are becoming more connected. What started as a museum fundraiser has now turned into one of the biggest networking and branding events in America.