Sean Parker and his new wife Alexandra Lenas were hit with such “vitriolic” reaction to their lavish $10 million nuptials that he felt like they were on the receiving end of criticism “normally reserved for genocidal dictators.”
The Internet billionaire submitted an epic 10,000-word piece in TechCrunch that spoke about the controversy surrounding his Big Sur wedding at the Ventana Inn & Spa after the two were hit with millions in fines over their lavish wedding because Parker reportedly didn’t get permits in a protected forest.
He recalled waking up the Monday after his fantasy wedding to the intense fury of social media and the false reports of certain Internet publications.
“We awoke that morning to a media backlash of epic proportions, a firestorm of press attacking our wedding with the most vitriolic language we’d ever seen in print. At the same time, a mob of Internet trolls, eco-zealots, and other angry folk from every corner of the Internet unleashed a fury of vulgar insults, flooding our email and Facebook pages.
“These reactions were so extreme, so maniacal, so deeply drenched in expletives, they seemed wasted on us; this was the sort of angry invective normally reserved for genocidal dictators. Some of them were so over-the-top that, had the circumstances been different, we might have found them amusing. Of course, it’s hard to find anything amusing when strangers are publicly attacking your wife two days into your marriage. This was supposed to be the most intimate, sacred, precious and romantic event of our lives: our wedding day.”
The Napster founder concluded that “The natural environment was not harmed, despite widespread claims to the contrary. There was no harm done to redwood trees, other plants, or animals. There were no endangered species on or near the property.
“We voluntarily agreed to cover $1 million in penalties related to the Ventana’s lack of development permits and past violations. We also volunteered to contribute $1.5 million in charitable contributions serving the coastal region of the Monterey Peninsula.”