ReportWire

Tag: Jeff Bezos

  • Lauren Sanchez Shares Emotional Statement After Reports She & Jeff Bezos Are Going to Court For Money: ‘It’s Time’

    [ad_1]



    Does Lauren Sanchez Have Dyslexia?




























    ad









    Quantcast



    [ad_2]

    Lizzie Lanuza

    Source link

  • The 3 Words That Capture Jeff Bezos’s Approach to Coming Up With Great Ideas

    [ad_1]

    Jeff Bezos built his career and reputation on being a data-driven and execution focused leader. While Googlers dreamed of moonshots during their company sanctioned 20 percent time, Amazon employees worked from cheap door desks to get things done in a third of the time others thought was possible

    Amazon never seemed much like a company built by a daydreamer. The focus is on reality and execution. 

    Which is why, if you happened to be in the audience at Italian Tech Week in Turin recently, you might have been surprised to hear Bezos up on stage waxing poetic about the importance of wandering for success, and how exploring can open you up to make huge breakthroughs. 

    Bezos on the power of wandering

    “You have to wander,” Bezos, sporting some new post-wedding stubble, told the audience. Yes, he acknowledged, many people see wandering as inefficient. But he views it as essential.

     “Wandering is so important because wandering is a kind of humility,” he continued. (Bezos is a huge fan of humility.) “The only way to go straight to your destination is if you know where you’re going. And sometimes you know where you’re going, but sometimes you don’t.”

    “Wandering is that acknowledgement that in life and in business and in exploration and in invention, in building a company, a lot of the time you can see the mountaintop, but you can’t see the trail and you have to explore and you have to wander. It may feel very inefficient, but it’s actually very valuable,” Bezos concluded. 

    The exploration-execution machine 

    If this doesn’t sound much like the hard-charging Jeff Bezos you’ve heard about over the years, don’t be too alarmed. The Amazon founder went on to stress that while wandering has its place, nose-down execution is essential as well. 

    “Sometimes when you know where you’re going, yes, you should be very efficient,” he answered when the host pressed him on how much wandering is too much. 

    “I think for exploration, but also determined execution, you just need to do both. And they actually do feed each other. It’s the things that come out of the execution [that] gives you new data and new ideas about what the next step should be in your exploration. So the two things don’t work against each other, they work together,” he said. 

    In this view exploration and execution work together like two parts of a machine to churn out achievement. Without one of the other, the machine breaks down and progress stalls. It’s an intriguing image, but not one that’s unique to Jeff Bezos. 

    In fact, scientists have looked into how breakthrough ideas happen in the real world and found something very close to what Bezos described in Turin. 

    A 3-word mantra for success

    A few years ago Northwestern University economist Dashun Wang and his collaborators got curious about a phenomenon they observed in many fields. Whether you’re looking at the arts, science, or business, great minds often produce their best work in bursts of productivity

    Einstein, for instance, published his most influential papers over the course of his ‘annulis mirabilis’ or miracle year. Van Gogh’s best known works all come from a single two-year period.  

    What caused these fluorescences of brilliance, Wang wanted to know. To find out, his team pulled together data on the careers of more than 2,000 artists, 4,000 film directors, and 20,000 scientists using public data sources like IMDB and Google Scholar. Then they looked for patterns. 

    After crunching the data, the economists came up with a formula for how to get on a hot streak at work, whether you’re a business titan or a film director. Derek Thompson, writing for the Atlantic, crystallized it in three simple words: “Explore, then exploit.”

    Before the hot streak that makes their names, great minds almost always spend a period of time bumbling around in the intellectual wilderness. They explore blind alleys and endure a series of failed experiments. They appear to produce little during this time. Only afterwards does the value of this period of wandering become clear. 

    “Neither exploration nor exploitation alone in isolation is associated with a hot streak. It’s the sequence of them together,” Wang commented. Great success usually follows a pattern of unfocused wandering followed by relentless execution. 

    Impatient? Remember Jeff Bezos’ words 

    Sound familiar? If this strikes you as pretty much identical to the formula for coming up with great ideas that Jeff Bezos described is Turin, then I wholeheartedly agree. The economists just backed it up with data. And Thompson did the world the favor of packaging it memorably 

    His three word formula should make the takeaway here easy to remember the next time you’re worried that your wandering is costing your valuable execution time. If you know exactly what you’re doing then it probably is. Time to buckle down. 

    But wandering is an essential part of the process of accomplishing great things. If you’re too proud or impatient to explore and experiment, chances are poor that you’ll settle on the right idea to work on. So remember Jeff Bezos and this three-word formula next time you’re tempted to beat yourself up for not making speedy enough progress. 

    Wandering is an essential ingredient for eventual excellence.  

    The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

    [ad_2]

    Jessica Stillman

    Source link

  • Jeff Bezos’ Ex-Wife Slashes Amazon Stake After Report He & His New Wife Are Going to Court For Money

    [ad_1]

    The Jeff Bezos and Mackenzie Scott drama is pretty well known. At this point in the story, Scott has moved on—with a lot of money—and Bezos has married again, to journalist Lauren Sánchez. So, people are mostly worried about the new couple and, of course, Mackenzie Scott’s charitable endeavors. Because that’s what the former Mrs. Bezos has mostly spent her money on.

    And now, come reports that Scott has slashed her stake in Amazon by about 42%, or $12.6 billion, over the past year. That’s quite a number, and yet not one that seems to have made as much of a dent as one would believe in her fortune. The philanthropist now holds 81.1 million shares of the company her ex-husband founded, down 58 million from this time last year, according to Bloomberg.

    Related: How do Jeff Bezos’s kids feel about Lauren Sanchez?

    Scott, who has vowed to donate most of her fortune in life, has reportedly donated over $19 billion dollars since her 2019 divorce from Bezos. Yes, billions with a b. She has gained a reputation for giving donations to small nonprofits with no conditions. Her net worth is reported to be around about $32.5 billion, according to Forbes. Not a shabby number considering how much she’s donated so far and how much she’s said she would be donating in the future.

    Bezos, meanwhile, owns around 9% of the company he founded in 1994 and his net worth is $230.2 billion.

    All this talk about Mackenzie Scott’s charitable endeavors comes after reports that the legal battle her ex and his new wife are involved in with her estranged brother, Michael Sánchez, continues. Page Six reported that their legal team filed a motion in California Superior Court demanding that Michael Sánchez pay $182,374 in attorney’s fees and $8,182 in legal costs, “incurred in connection with (1) her successful Special Motion to Strike, and (2) this Motion for Attorney’s Fees and Costs.”

    This all ties back to Scott, in a way. Reports of an affair between Bezos and Sánchez first surfaced while she was still married to Patrick Whitesell. Those reports indicate the relationship started while Bezos was married to Scott, as well. And the reports came with proof, in the form of X-rated photos from their private texts. At the time, her brother was accused of being the source of those leaks.

    Michael Sánchez denied this, calling his sister and her new husband “liars and cheaters.” He then sued them for defamation. The Los Angeles County Superior Court, however, ruled in Bezos’ favor. That’s when Bezos asked for legal fees to be covered by Michael Sánchez.

    In the meantime, Mackenzie Scott got her divorce and seemingly remains unbothered by the drama of her ex and his new wife. She’ll just continue using the money she got in her divorce settlement in the way she feels she can do the most good, which—to the philanthropist—means donating most of it to what she considers worthy causes. Something to be admired, for sure.

    [ad_2]

    Lizzie Lanuza

    Source link

  • MacKenzie Scott Just Donated $42 Million to This Education Nonprofit

    [ad_1]

    Billionaire author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott is continuing her tradition of donations to educational programs, offering a $42 million grant to 10,000 Degrees, a San Rafael, California-based nonprofit that provides college scholarships to low-income students.

    The donation, which came through Scott’s Yield Giving organization, will help 10,000 Degrees in its mission of disrupting cycles of poverty.

    “A gift like this, when we think about what’s going on around us, this has put such wind into our sails and such hope that MacKenzie Scott is spreading throughout the world,” says Kim Mazzuca, CEO of 10,000 Degrees. 

    The organization was founded in 1981 and, over the course of its history, has given $113 million in scholarships to more than 80,000 students. Over the past year, 10,000 Degrees has handed out $9 million in scholarships and helped students secure $73 million worth of financial aid.

    The nonprofit does not require participating students to meet GPA or test score qualification levels. It, instead, pairs scholarship funds with college and career mentors. It boasts an 80 percent graduation rate for four-year college students.

    Mazzuca says the grant will be used in a number of ways. 10,000 Degrees is just completing a five-year strategic plan. The upcoming one is more ambitious about reaching students and plans to expand beyond the San Francisco Bay Area and Utah, where the company operates now. There are also plans to explore taking parts of its model national, working alongside other nonprofits. Some of the money will also go toward 10,000 Degrees’ endowment fund, where it can grow.

    Mazzuca got the call informing her about the grant on September 10, she says, but she had to keep it a secret from the board and the rest of the company until the money was transferred to the corporate account. (Staff learned of the grant Wednesday at noon PT.)

    The company’s chief financial officer, however, was on vacation when the funds were transferred on September 22 and couldn’t be reached. Mazzuca says she got an urgent call later that day from the CFO saying “something happened to our account.”

    MacKenzie Scott’s history of giving

    The gifts from Scott follow a number of donations she made to educational groups last month. In September, she gave $70 million to the United Negro College Fund, which offers scholarships to Black students and provides scholarship money to 37 private historically Black colleges and universities. That same month, she donated $50 million to the Native Forward Scholars Fund, which offers educational support to Native American undergraduate and graduate students.

    Scott had previously made smaller donations to both organizations in 2020.

    In 2022, she gifted the Southern Education Foundation, a 155-year-old nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing education equity and opportunity in the South, $6 million. That same year she also donated $5 million to Breakthrough Collaborative, which offers Teaching Fellowships to recruit college students to become teachers.

    Scott announced plans five years ago to donate the majority of her $33 billion fortune. That amount is tied to Amazon stock, and has since increased substantially as the company’s stock has increased about 35 percent over that time.

    Scott, who divorced Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2019 after 25 years of marriage and was part of the founding team of the company, has given roughly $19.3 billion to more than 2,450 nonprofits so far. Some of those donations have been widely announced. Others have not.

    Scott has opted to focus her philanthropic efforts on organizations that are working to address societal and community issues, including early learning, affordable housing, and gender and race equity. Included among the organizations she has made large gifts to are the Girl Scouts of the USA (which received $85 million in 2022 to help it recover from the pandemic); Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America, which received $25 million that same year; and Local Initiatives Support Corp., which she gave $65 million last year to aid with community development and housing stability.

    Despite her philanthropic giving, Scott remains the world’s 49th richest person, according to Bloomberg, with a net worth of $42.1 billion. 

    [ad_2]

    Chris Morris

    Source link

  • Bezos predicts that millions will live in space kind of soon | TechCrunch

    [ad_1]

    Amazon founder Jeff Bezos made a rare public appearance at Italian Tech Week in Turin on Friday and used the opportunity to predict that millions of people will be living in space “in the next couple of decades,” the Financial Times reports.

    Speaking with John Elkann, a scion of Italy’s Agnelli dynasty, Bezos, who also founded rocket company Blue Origin, insisted people will be living in space “mostly because they want to,” and that robots will handle the grunt work, while vast AI data centers float overhead.

    The pronouncement sounds a little like Bezos trying to one-up his space rival. Elon Musk has spent years predicting humans will colonize Mars and suggested a million people could live there by 2050, which is right around the corner, basically. Maybe both gazillionaires are losing touch, or else they know something the rest of us refreshing Zillow do not.

    Bezos was equally bullish on other fronts, defending the AI investment boom as a “good” kind of bubble given that it’s “industrial” rather than “financial.”

    “There has never been a better time to be excited about the future,” he reportedly declared, as audience members (in our imagination) exchanged uncertain glances across the Turin auditorium.

    [ad_2]

    Connie Loizos

    Source link

  • MacKenzie Scott Donates $50M to Nonprofit Boosting Native Student Scholarships

    [ad_1]

    Angelique Albert has headed the Native Forward Scholars Fund since 2017. Courtesy Native Forward Scholars Fund

    When Angelique Albert, CEO of the Native Forward Scholars Fund, received a call from a representative of MacKenzie Scott, she initially thought her organization was about to receive a $15 million donation. In reality, the gift was $50 million for America’s largest provider of scholarships to Native students. “What do you do but cry?” Albert told Observer.

    Scott’s contribution, one of the largest-ever gifts to a Native nonprofit, marks the second time the philanthropist has supported the Native Forward Scholars Fund with an unrestricted donation. In 2020, she gave $20 million to the group, enabling it to launch an endowment fund, create six programs and strengthen its internal operations.

    This time, Albert is determined to channel the money directly to students. Native Forward has already earmarked part of the donation to award scholarships to an additional 400 students, while also considering the creation of a pooled endowment to ensure long-term support.

    “I don’t know that people really understand how transformative it is when you take a $5,000 scholarship and put it into the hands of someone who is brilliant and talented,” said Albert, who has led Native Forward since 2017.

    Alumni supported by the Albuquerque, N.M.-based nonprofit include Debra Haaland, the first Native person to serve as a U.S. cabinet secretary; Pulitzer finalist Tommy Orange; and Cynthia Chavez Lamar, director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian.

    Founded in 1969, Native Forward offers scholarships, programming, funding and mentorship to Native students pursuing undergraduate, graduate and professional opportunities. Its impact, which includes contributing to 1,700 law degrees and 2,200 Ph.D. degrees, has aided some 22,000 scholars from more than 500 Tribes across all 50 states.

    Still, demand far outpaces supply. “We can only fund about 22 percent of the students who apply—and that’s on a typical year,” said Albert, who noted that scholarship applications have surged 35 percent in 2025. Of roughly 7,000 applicants this year, only about 1,000 have received aid.

    Albert attributed the increased need in part to a rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies and recent changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). “It’s critically important that we are intentional with this funding so that it can continue to give to students in the future in the most impactful way,” she said.

    The size and flexibility of Scott’s gift align with her broader trust-based approach to philanthropy, which relies on quiet research and major, unrestricted donations. With an estimated net worth of $33.1 billion—much of it tied to her Amazon shares—Scott has given away nearly $20 billion since pledging in 2019 to donate most of her fortune.

    Her giving has increasingly emphasized education. In September, she donated $70 million to UNCF, a nonprofit that supports historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), boosting endowments at more than three dozen schools across the U.S.

    “She is changing the landscape of Native higher education, not to mention all of the other fields that she’s impacting,” Albert said of the philanthropist. Given the transformative results of the 2020 gift, she is eager to see what this new one will accomplish. “It’s a much different world than it was five years ago, and I look forward to seeing what this looks like in another five years.”

    MacKenzie Scott Donates $50M to Nonprofit Boosting Native Student Scholarships

    [ad_2]

    Alexandra Tremayne-Pengelly

    Source link

  • Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin Wins Contract to Take NASA Rover to the Moon

    [ad_1]

    NASA’s VIPER lunar rover could be delivered to the moon by Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ aerospace company. The US space agency has awarded the company a task order to design a delivery plan for the rover, with a future delivery option.

    The award, worth $190 million, was issued through NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, which the agency is using to buy delivery services to the moon from private companies. The award does not directly imply a delivery agreement; first, NASA will verify whether Blue Origin is capable of successfully sending the expensive VIPER rover to the moon’s south pole. To be eligible to take on the VIPER delivery, the company must place its Blue Moon MK1 lunar lander—complete with a NASA technology payload—on the lunar surface by the end of 2025.

    Blue Origin won this contract to send cargo to the moon in 2023, and designed the Blue Moon MK1 in order to fulfil it. On this mission, it will carry NASA stereo cameras that will conduct surface surveys, in addition to small spheres equipped with laser technology for mission tracking.

    “There is an option on the contract to deliver and safely deploy the rover to the Moon’s surface. NASA will make the decision to exercise that option after the execution and review of the base task and of Blue Origin’s first flight of the Blue Moon MK1 lander,” the agency said in a statement.

    On the same day as NASA announced the award, Blue Origin wrote on X: “Our second Blue Moon MK1 lander is already in production and well-suited to support the VIPER rover. Building on the learnings from our first MK1 lander, this mission is important for future lunar permanence and will teach us about the origin and distribution of water on the Moon.”

    VIPER—which stands for Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover—has been designed by NASA scientists to explore the moon’s south pole for ice and other resources of interest. It is about 2.5 meters tall, weighs nearly 500 kilograms, and has a one-meter drill and three scientific instruments. The vehicle had been scheduled to launch in 2023, only for that date to be pushed back. Then, in the face of rising costs and further delays, in July 2024 NASA said it had cancelled the mission. The CLPS award to Blue Origin now appears to have revived the program.

    The arrival of private space companies has the potential to reduce the traditional costs of space exploration while allowing mission managers to focus on scientific issues. Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace, and SpaceX are just some of the companies that have emerged in this sector and won CLPS contracts with NASA.

    “NASA is leading the world in exploring more of the Moon than ever before, and this delivery is just one of many ways we’re leveraging US industry to support a long-term American presence on the lunar surface,” said acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy in a statement. “Our rover will explore the extreme environment of the lunar South Pole, traveling to small, permanently shadowed regions to help inform future landing sites for our astronauts and better understand the Moon’s environment—important insights for sustaining humans over longer missions, as America leads our future in space.”

    This story originally appeared on WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish.

    [ad_2]

    Jorge Garay

    Source link

  • Lyft CEO on the time Bill Gates told him he was making ‘the stupidest decision I’ve ever heard anyone made’ | Fortune

    [ad_1]

    Before David Risher was tasked with scripting a “comeback story” for ride-sharing company Lyft, he made a career move so audacious that it prompted a direct, and blunt, intervention from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. In a recent appearance on Fortune‘s Leadership Next podcast, Risher shared the moment Gates told him he was making “the stupidest decision I’ve ever heard anyone made.”

    The year was 1996, and Risher was enjoying a successful career at Microsoft during the heyday of Windows. In fact, Risher noted he and his wife just had their 30th wedding anniversary, having met “on the first day” at Microsoft. He said it was a very formative time for him and his career at a very competitive company.

    But he had been in talks with a man named Jeff Bezos, who was running a brand-new startup called Amazon. When Risher decided to leave the tech giant to join the fledgling online retailer, Gates himself sent an email and called him into his office.

    “He says, ‘Hold on for a second. You mean to tell me you’re leaving this company for some tiny, little internet bookstore that nobody’s ever heard of … that has got to be the stupidest decision I’ve ever heard anyone made,’” Risher recalled.

    While Risher admitted the move wasn’t “entirely rational,” he said he was drawn to the opportunity. He had first connected with Bezos a year earlier, when the Amazon founder was conducting a reference check. What ultimately convinced Risher to take the leap was Bezos’s intense focus on the customer. “He was very customer-obsessed,” Risher said, noting Bezos’s logic that on the internet, “everyone is one click away from somebody else, so you have to create a great customer experience.” (In fact, Bezos’s management style stressed to Amazonians that they should approach every day from a “day one” mindset.)

    Bezos also laid out a compellingly ambitious vision: to grow the then-$15.6 million business into a billion-dollar company by the year 2000. Risher, an avid reader, was captivated by the chance to build something new at the “crazy intersection of technology and culture.” He joined Amazon as its 37th employee, tasked with helping build the “everything store” by adding music, video, and toy categories. The company hit its billion-dollar target a year early, in 1999. The move paid off so well that a “Thank You” letter from Bezos to Risher, dated February 2002, remains on Amazon’s website to this day.

    One of the great comebacks

    Now, as CEO of Lyft, Risher is applying that same foundational principle of customer obsession to engineer what he hopes will be “one of the world’s great comeback stories.” He said when he took the job in 2023, the company had “lost its way” a little bit, as it was losing market share, and it wasn’t profitable. (Lyft stock is down roughly 20% over the last five years, but has risen 60% year-to-date.) Risher’s strategy has been to return to the basics: understanding what customers actually want.

    To achieve this, he famously works “undercover” as a Lyft driver in Napa Valley and San Francisco to learn firsthand about the rider and driver experience. A conversation with a passenger stressed by variable pricing led directly to the creation of Lyft’s “Price Lock” feature. He insists on viewing drivers as customers, too, which led to a 70% earnings guarantee—ensuring drivers always receive at least 70% of what riders pay, a move that has given Lyft a 19-point advantage in driver preference over competitors.

    This obsessive focus on improving the service is part of Risher’s fight against what he calls “enshittification,” borrowing the phrase from Cory Doctorow that was named the “word of the year” by both an Australian dictionary and the American Dialect Society for how it summed up widespread frustration with the tech sector, even with modern life. Risher described it as the gravitational pull that makes services worse over time due to profit and investor pressures. By breaking down problems piece by piece, his team has drastically improved the user experience, cutting the driver cancellation rate from a “super irritating” 15% down to below 5%.

    From receiving a stark warning from a tech titan to earning a permanent thank-you from another, Risher’s unconventional career has been defined by taking on ambitious challenges. Now, he’s betting that the same customer-first philosophy that turned a small online bookstore into a global empire can drive Lyft’s next chapter of growth.

    For this story, Fortune used generative AI to help with an initial draft. An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing. 

    Fortune Global Forum returns Oct. 26–27, 2025 in Riyadh. CEOs and global leaders will gather for a dynamic, invitation-only event shaping the future of business. Apply for an invitation.

    [ad_2]

    Nick Lichtenberg

    Source link

  • What’s Going on With Sydney Sweeney and Scooter Braun?

    [ad_1]

    We’ve all seen the pictures. She looks absolutely beautiful. And he’s there.
    Photo: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images; Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Paramount+

    Ithaca Holdings’ latest acquisition? Sydney Sweeney’s phone number. Sweeney and Scooter Braun were spotted on a cozy pizza and pasta date in Los Angeles September 24. TMZ got pics of the two at Jon & Vinny’s (the same restaurant where Jeffrey Katzenberg met a former LA City Council Member to discuss his plan to solve homelessness by making it illegal to sit on the sidewalk). It’s the first public outing for the potential couple, but there have been stories in the ‘bloids about them for a while.

    Braun and Sweeney reportedly met at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s wedding in Venice. A source told Page Six that Braun was “obsessed” with Sweeney. People says the pair are “causally” dating, and celebrated Sweeney’s birthday together earlier this month. “He’s not really her type, but she enjoyed the attention,” one source said. While another source said his main attraction was being “easy to be around.” Please, sources! You’re going to make Braun blush with all this fawning praise.

    [ad_2]

    Bethy Squires

    Source link

  • Kamala Harris disparages Washington Post, LA Times over non-endorsements in 2024

    [ad_1]

    NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

    Former Vice President Kamala Harris called out The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times in her new book, “107 Days,” over their refusal to endorse a presidential candidate in 2024. 

    “The Los Angeles Times, my hometown newspaper, published its electoral endorsements,” she wrote, recalling the Oct. 14 piece published by the paper. “The very first line of the article stated: ‘It’s no exaggeration to say this may be the most consequential election in a generation.’ But there was no mention of the most consequential race of all.”

    The LA Times, owned by Patrick Soon-Shiong, declined to endorse a presidential candidate and The Washington Post, owned by Jeff Bezos, followed suit. 

    “The pre-capitulation of these powerful billionaires alarmed and dispirited me. As it turned out, they were early adopters of the feckless posture that would be embraced by a raft of business leaders and institutions once Trump was elected. They’d just been the first in line to grovel,” Harris wrote after noting the Post’s non-endorsement and in reference to President Donald Trump’s eventual election victory. 

    WASHINGTON POST UNION, STAFFERS REVOLT OVER DECISION NOT TO ENDORSE A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, BLAME BEZOS

    Jeff Bezos takes the stage during the New York Times annual DealBook summit at Jazz at Lincoln Center on December 4, 2024, in New York City. Kamala Harris speaks onstage during the HumanX AI Conference 2025 at Fontainebleau Las Vegas on March 09, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Los Angeles Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong during an event on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in El Segundo, California.  (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images; Big Event Media/Getty Images for HumanX Conference; Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

    Harris’s new book was released on Tuesday and recounts her historically short presidential campaign that followed former President Joe Biden’s decision to exit the race.

    The LA Times announced in late October the editorial board wouldn’t be endorsing a candidate for the first time since 2008. As a result, the paper’s editorials editor Mariel Garza resigned over what she alleges was the owner’s decision not to endorse Harris. 

    The LA Times told Fox News Digital, “an endorsement by the Los Angeles Times is an important decision that can influence a large number of voters. After thoughtful consideration, the owner, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, could not endorse Vice President Harris, based on the record of the Biden Administration and her own track record. Competence matters!”

    The Post announced days later that the editorial board would not be endorsing a presidential candidate in the 2024 election or any future presidential election.

    William Lewis, publisher and CEO of The Washington Post, called the decision at the time “a statement in support of our readers’ ability to make up their own minds on this, the most consequential of American decisions — whom to vote for as the next president.”

    BEFORE NON-ENDORSEMENT DECISION, WASHINGTON POST CALLED TRUMP ‘DREADFUL’ AND ‘WORST PRESIDENT OF MODERN TIMES’

    Former Vice President Kamala Harris

    Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the Emerge 20th Anniversary Gala in San Francisco, California, on April 30, 2025. (CAMILLE COHEN/AFP via Getty Images)

    The paper has only endorsed Democratic presidential candidates, except in 1988 when it declined to endorse Democrat Michael Dukakis.

    The Washington Post did not immediately return a request for comment.

    USA Today and The Minnesota Star Tribune also declined to endorse a presidential candidate in the 2024 election.

    Harris quoted former Washington Post editor Marty Baron’s reaction to the paper’s non-endorsement in her book, “This is cowardice, a moment of darkness that will leave democracy as a casualty. Donald Trump will celebrate this as an invitation to further intimidate The Post’s owner, Jeff Bezos (and other media owners). History will mark a disturbing chapter of spinelessness at an institution famed for courage.”

    CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

    Vice President Kamala Harris

    Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally at Jenison Field House on the campus of Michigan State University, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

    Harris also highlighted Alexandra Petri, who now writes for The Atlantic but previously served as a political humor columnist at the Post.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    “But if I were the paper, I would be a little embarrassed that it has fallen to me, the humor columnist, to make our presidential endorsement. I will spare you the suspense: I am endorsing Kamala Harris for president, because I like elections and want to keep having them,” Petri wrote at the time.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Thousands protest on NYC streets ahead of climate week

    [ad_1]

    Thousands of climate activists marched through Manhattan streets today as part of a coordinated global wave of protests demanding urgent environmental change.

    The demonstration took place on the eve of Climate Week NYC, the world’s largest climate event, which runs September 21-28 across all five boroughs of New York City.

    Why It Matters

    The timing of these protests underscores growing tensions between grassroots climate activism and institutional climate discussions.

    As world leaders, business executives, and policy makers prepare to gather for Climate Week NYC’s official programming, activists are demanding more aggressive action from those with the greatest economic and political power.

    Climate Week NYC bills itself as a platform for “inspiring heads of government, ministers and climate envoys, and some of the most prominent leaders from the world of business, tech, academia, and civil society.”

    Protestors march through Manhattan up to Central Park at the “Make Billionaires Pay” climate protest, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, in New York.

    AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis
    NYC Climate protests
    People march through Manhattan in the “Make Billionaires Pay” climate protest, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, in New York.

    AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis

    What To Know

    Protesters specifically targeted Billionaires’ Row and Trump Tower, chanting “Make Billionaires Pay” while connecting climate justice to broader social and political issues. The march linked environmental concerns with calls for democracy, gender equality, free speech, immigration reform, and a ceasefire in Gaza.

    Climate Week NYC features hundreds of events across New York’s five boroughs, from policy gatherings and climate fintech discussions to community-led initiatives and art installations. Most official events are free and designed to be accessible to all participants.

    The week addresses what organizers call “the biggest challenges of our time,” focusing on competitive strategies in a changing world, cost reduction, barrier removal, and clean technology investments.

    However, protesters argue that current approaches remain insufficient given the urgency of the climate crisis.

    NYC climate protest
    People carry a “Climate Polluters Bill” the length of an Olympic swimming pool (50 meters long) through Manhattan at the “Make Billionaires Pay” climate protest, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, in New York.

    AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis
    NYC climate protest
    A woman dressed as the Statue of Liberty marches through Manhattan in the “Make Billionaires Pay” climate protest, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, in New York.

    AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis

    What People Are Saying

    Climate Week NYC Organizers: “The need for immediate climate progress grows every year, every month, every day. There has never been a more important time than right now.”

    NYC climate protest
    Protestors sit for a moment of silence for the Global South at the “Make Billionaires Pay” climate protest, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, in New York.

    AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis
    NYC climate protest
    An art piece of Jeff Bezos with bloody hands carrying the globe is marched through Manhattan at the “Make Billionaires Pay” climate protest, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, in New York.

    AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis

    What Happens Next?

    Climate Week NYC continues through September 28, with events scheduled across Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, and Staten Island.

    The week’s programming includes both high-level policy discussions and community-focused initiatives.

    NYC climate protest
    People march through Manhattan at the “Make Billionaires Pay” climate protest, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, in New York.

    AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis
    NYC climate protest
    An effigy representing Elon Musk with a bloody hand holding a globe is marched through Manhattan at the “Make Billionaires Pay” climate protest in New York, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025.

    AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis

    Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Lauren Sanchez Announces Emotional News After Report She & Jeff Bezos Are Going to Court For Money: ‘Not Afraid’

    [ad_1]



    Lauren Sanchez Announces Book After Jeff Bezos Wedding



























    ad









    Quantcast



    [ad_2]

    Lizzie Lanuza

    Source link

  • Salma Hayek Pinault, Colman Domingo, Demi Moore, Jessica Chastain and More Raise a Record-Breaking $4.5 Million as Cohosts of the Kering Foundation Caring for Women Dinner

    [ad_1]

    “You empower women and families not to survive, but to thrive. And you pick the organizations that incite them to dream and give them the tools to make their dreams come true,” Salma Hayek Pinault told Vanity Fair at the fourth annual Kering Foundation Caring for Women Dinner on Thursday.

    Francois-Henri Pinault, Salma Hayek PinaultRoy Rochlin

    Hayek Pinault served as cohost for the annual event alongside Colman Domingo, Demi Moore, Jessica Chastain, Julianne Moore, Dolores Huerta, Jeff Koons, and her husband, François-Henri Pinault. Held at The Pool on Park Avenue, the event raised a record $4.5 million for organizations committed to ending gender-based violence and empowering women and girls globally. Some 200 guests from across creative disciplines gathered in the candlelit space where stars like Lenny Kravitz and keynote speaker Diane Von Furstenberg were spotted taking selfies. Baz Luhrmann could be seen adjusting the train of Lauren Sánchez’s dress as she entered the room with her husband, Jeff Bezos. Dakota Johnson, who turned heads in a sheer Gucci gown, took a seat next to Kirsten Dunst to chat, while other guests like Seth Meyers, Linda Evangelista, Adrien Brody, and Georgina Chapman made their way to their seats as the lights began to dim.

    Lenny Kravitz Diane Von Furstenberg

    Lenny Kravitz, Diane Von Furstenberg

    Kevin Mazur

    Jeff Bezos Lauren Sanchez Bezos

    Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez Bezos

    Kevin Mazur

    “It’s about creating a sense of community,” said Hayek Pinault. “Everybody is here to participate in trying to figure out better ways to grow together.” As she spoke on the importance of collaboration and empowerment, she spotted her fellow cohost and personal hero Dolores Huerta, the trailblazing labor activist and pioneer of the Chicano civil rights movement. As they embraced, Hayek Pinault became visibly emotional, wiping tears away as she expressed her admiration, taking out her phone to get a photo together.

    Julianne Moore Jessica Chastain

    Julianne Moore, Jessica Chastain

    Kevin Mazur

    Diane Von Fursternberg Seth Meyers

    Diane Von Fursternberg, Seth Meyers

    Kevin Mazur

    Dinner guest and longtime women’s rights advocate Mariska Hargitay also became emotional when speaking on the matter, holding back tears as she cited the resilience of the human spirit in the fight for equality. “Progress looks like not giving up in a world where people are so beat down and so afraid right now, like a huge tank is coming to steamroll everyone,” she told Vanity Fair. “It’s so important not to be anesthetized and to be beaten down by fear and by everything that’s coming at us, and to keep the fight going.”

    [ad_2]

    Daniela Tijerina

    Source link

  • Jeff Bezos & Lauren Sanchez Just Sent a Telling Message About Their Relationship After Reports They’re Going to Court For Money

    [ad_1]

    Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s wedding was a big deal. The wedding in Venice reportedly cost over $50 million and was attended by celebrities like Oprah, the Kardashians, and even Leonardo DiCaprio. But a big wedding doesn’t always necessarily translate to a happy marriage. So, how are the Amazon founder and his new wife doing these days?

    Considering their recent PDA-packed dinner, the relationship is doing just fine. The pair, who have been faced with many rumors since their marriage, some good, some bad, were recently seen out to dinner and being very romantic with each other. And though Bezos hasn’t bought Vogue for his new bride as was reported for a while, and the two did reportedly sign a prenup, none of that seems to be affecting their current happiness.

    Related: How do Jeff Bezos’s kids feel about Lauren Sanchez?

    Proof the relationship is doing just fine comes after updates on the legal battle Sánchez and Bezos have been having with her estranged brother, Michael SánchezPage Six reported that their legal team filed a motion in California Superior Court demanding that Michael pay $182,374 in attorney’s fees and $8,182 in legal costs, “incurred in connection with (1) her successful Special Motion to Strike, and (2) this Motion for Attorney’s Fees and Costs.” The hourly rates for the lawyers range from $549 to $1,125.

    But what is the drama about? Well, reports of an affair between Bezos and Sanchez surfaced when she was still married to Patrick Whitesell. At the time The National Enquirer reportedly had X-rated photos from their private texts, with fingers being pointed at Michael Sánchez, who according to The New York Times signed a nondisclosure agreement about their alleged affair.

    Michael Sánchez denied being the source of “below the belt,” texts and photos, calling his sister and her new husband “liars and cheaters.” The Los Angeles County Superior Court ruled in Bezos’ favor. When the Amazon founder recently married Lauren Sánchez, her brother was obviously not invited. In fact, in a June 2025 interview with The Times, Michael confirmed he hadn’t seen his sister in person since 2019 and hadn’t heard a word from her since 2020. 

     All of this also comes after Lauren Sánchez stirred speculation about her marriage with a recent Instagram post. The former journalist posted a picture of a sunset and the caption “Sometimes the hardest work is tolerating the unknown,” with a white heart emoji at the end, which led people to wonder if it was a subtle reference to marriage problems, or the issues with her bother.

    Of course, it could also be a message about grief, as Sánchez also recently posted a goodbye to her mother in law, Jacklyn Bezos, who passed away at the age of 78. She wrote, “Those we lose leave us with a quiet instruction… to live with more tenderness, more gratitude, more love. I carry that reminder with me today.”

    Whatever that message meant, the marriage is clearly doing just fine. No second messy divorce in Bezos’ future, it seems.

    [ad_2]

    Lizzie Lanuza

    Source link

  • Lauren Sanchez Just Posted About ‘Tolerating the Unknown’ Weeks After Reports She & Jeff Bezos Are Going to Court For Money

    [ad_1]

    When Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez got married, their wedding was considered one of the social events of the year. In fact, their Venice celebration was attended by a who’s who of celebrities, including Oprah, the Kardashians, and even Leonardo DiCaprio, and it was rumored to cost upwards of $50 million. But after the wedding, how have things been for the couple? Is it happily ever after?

    By all reports, the two seem to be doing okay, but Sánchez recently made people second-guess that assessment with a cryptic message on Instagram. The former journalist posted on her Instagram stories on Wednesday, September 3, “Sometimes the hardest work is tolerating the unknown,” with a white heart emoji at the end.

    Related: How do Jeff Bezos’s kids feel about Lauren Sanchez?

    The text was placed over a picture of the sunset, with Lesfm Oxley’s At Sea as the chosen music. No details were given about what unknown issues Sanchez could be facing.  

    Instagram is a good place to check up with Jeff Bezos’ new wife and at least get an idea of what’s going on in her life. Recently, Sanchez posted another emotional message on Instagram, this time after her mother-in-law, Jacklyn Bezos, passed away at the age of 78. On that occasion, she wrote, “Those we lose leave us with a quiet instruction… to live with more tenderness, more gratitude, more love. I carry that reminder with me today.”

    She also shared her complicated feelings after leaving her son, Evan Whitesell, at the University of Miami. “Dropped off Evan at college today. Eighteen years of early mornings, late night snacks and family dinners…. and then there he was building his own dorm cabinet,” she wrote. “A small thing but in that moment I saw the start of his next chapter. Proud. Heartbroken. Grateful,” she finished. Sánchez shares son Evan with her ex-husband, Patrick Whitesell.

    This comes after Sánchez and Bezos continued on with their lengthy legal battle against her estranged brother, Michael Sánchez. Page Six recently reported that their legal team filed a motion in California Superior Court demanding that Michael pay $182,374 in attorney’s fees and $8,182 in legal costs, “incurred in connection with (1) her successful Special Motion to Strike, and (2) this Motion for Attorney’s Fees and Costs.” Bezos and Sanchez’s lawyers’ hourly rates range from $549 to $1,125.

    All of this can be traced back to reports of an affair between Bezos and Sanchez, when she was still married to Patrick Whitesell. The National Enquirer at the time reported they had X-rated photos from their private texts, with The New York Times at the time saying that Lauren’s brother had signed a nondisclosure agreement about the couple’s alleged affair.

    Michael Sánchez denied leaking texts and photos “below the belt,” but that wasn’t the end of it. In February 2020, he sued Bezos for defamation, calling the couple “liars and cheaters.” The Los Angeles County Superior Court ruled in the Amazon founder’s favor.

    Obviously, after all of this, Michael Sánchez was not invited to his sister’s wedding to Bezos. In a June 2025 interview with The Times, he revealed that he hadn’t seen his sister in person since 2019 and hadn’t heard a word from her since 2020. 

    All in all, plenty of things she could be referencing in her cryptic post.

    [ad_2]

    Lizzie Lanuza

    Source link

  • Here’s How US Billionaires Got Rich, From Tech to Finance | Entrepreneur

    [ad_1]

    Some of the richest people in the world — Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg — made their fortunes in Silicon Valley. However, a new report in the Wall Street Journal suggests that most U.S. billionaires did not amass their wealth in tech. Instead, it’s the banking and finance fields that have produced most of the country’s super-rich.

    According to data shared with the WSJ from wealth intelligence company Altrata, there were 1,135 billionaires in the U.S. last year, up from 927 in 2020. Approximately 300 billionaires made their money in banking and finance, while an estimated 110 came from the tech sector. Meanwhile, 75 billionaires earned their money in real estate.

    Many, of course, got a head start by inheriting wealth. One-third of U.S. billionaires received some or all of their wealth from an inheritance, per Altrata.

    Related: This 30-Year-Old Billionaire Says Life ‘Hasn’t Really Changed That Much’ After Making Billions. Here’s Where She Spends Money.

    The data shows that U.S. billionaires are worth $5.7 trillion in total. Musk, Bezos, and Zuckerberg alone comprise about $1 trillion, or nearly one-sixth, of that wealth.

    Altrata also found that billionaires tend to live in one state above all others: California. The highest percentage of them, about 255 people, live in the Golden State. However, they have primary businesses in nearly every U.S. state, except for Wyoming and Alaska.

    The list of U.S. billionaires includes some recognizable names, including Oracle founder Larry Ellison and Google co-founder Sergey Brin, as well as some more private individuals, like Diane Hendricks, co-founder of ABC Supply, North America’s biggest distributor of building products.

    Hendricks, who is the richest self-made woman with a net worth of $22.3 billion, is one of 150 female billionaires based in the U.S., joining stars like Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez. Most of the list, 86%, is comprised of men.

    Related: Is Selena Gomez the Next Beauty Billionaire?

    When it comes to philanthropy, Altrata data shows that billionaires have donated or pledged to donate about $185 billion to charitable organizations over the past decade. Among them is Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett, who donated a record $6 billion to different foundations in June.

    Nearly half of all overall donations from billionaires, $90 billion, went towards two causes: education and medical research. Some of the most popular organizations that received donations were the Central Park Conservancy in New York City, which received funds collectively worth about $100 million from 89 individuals, and Johns Hopkins University, which received donations from about 30 individuals totaling $7.5 billion.

    However, charitable giving isn’t a priority for all billionaires. One in four has donated less than a million dollars each since 2015.

    Some of the richest people in the world — Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg — made their fortunes in Silicon Valley. However, a new report in the Wall Street Journal suggests that most U.S. billionaires did not amass their wealth in tech. Instead, it’s the banking and finance fields that have produced most of the country’s super-rich.

    According to data shared with the WSJ from wealth intelligence company Altrata, there were 1,135 billionaires in the U.S. last year, up from 927 in 2020. Approximately 300 billionaires made their money in banking and finance, while an estimated 110 came from the tech sector. Meanwhile, 75 billionaires earned their money in real estate.

    Many, of course, got a head start by inheriting wealth. One-third of U.S. billionaires received some or all of their wealth from an inheritance, per Altrata.

    The rest of this article is locked.

    Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.

    [ad_2]

    Sherin Shibu

    Source link

  • OMG! Sydney Sweeney & Scooter Braun Really ARE Dating!! – Perez Hilton

    [ad_1]

    Well we’ll be damned!

    Over the weekend, rumors exploded across social media that Sydney Sweeney was dating controversial talent manager Scooter Braun. All the chatter stemmed from footage resurfacing of them hanging out at Jeff Bezos’ wedding extravaganza in Venice, Italy earlier this summer, but there wasn’t much to the rumor beyond that.

    We thought for sure it was just ridiculous speculation. But it turns out it was TRUE! At least according to the latest sources…

    Related: Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce Are Not In ‘The Wedding Planning Phase’ Yet

    On Tuesday, TMZ confirmed that the Euphoria star is indeed dating the record executive! An insider told them the pair first met at the wedding, but they were unsure of when they actually started seeing each other. Sources did, however, make clear they aren’t a serious couple or anything; they’ve been on multiple dates but are keeping things “casual”:

    “Sydney has just ended a relationship and she’s doing what women in their 20’s do — she’s dating.”

    There have been rumblings about the in-demand actress been linked to other guys, though none quite so concrete as this.

    As we’ve been following, Sydney broke off her engagement to fiancé Jonathan Davino, 42, earlier this year and has been the most eligible bachelorette in Hollywood ever since! And Scooter was the guy she went with? Huh. We guess she has a thing for men in their 40s. She’s 27, and he’s 44!

    Fans mostly reacted with disgust after the rumors spread, with Scooter being persona non grata among Swifties (who make up a pretty darn big part of the population!) after what he did to Taylor Swift!

    But what are YOUR reactions to this news, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments down below!

    [Images via MEGA/WENN]

    [ad_2]

    Perez Hilton

    Source link

  • Jeff Bezos’ Complicated Relationship With His Dad Revealed After His Mother’s Devastating Death

    [ad_1]

    Jeff Bezos wasn’t close to his biological father. The Amazon founder has spoken fondly about his mother, Jaclyn Gise, but little is known about his father, Ted Jorgenson.

    Jaclyn and Ted married in 1964 and were together for 17 months. She gave birth to Jeff when she was 17 years old. Shortly after their marriage dissolved, Jaclyn moved on to marry Miguel Bezos in 1968, who adopted her son and gave Jeff his current surname.

    Ted Jorgensen drifted away from his son to the point that he had no clue that his son was a billionaire or the CEO of one of the biggest e-commerce sites to date. “Jorgensen said he didn’t know who Jeff Bezos was and was baffled by my suggestion that he was the father of this famous CEO,” author Brad Stone wrote in his book The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon when he approached the bike shop owner. “The old man’s face flushed with recognition. ‘Is he still alive?’ he asked, not yet fully comprehending.” Ted admitted he “wasn’t a good father or a husband” in his younger days.

    Ted confessed that it was the “biggest mistake” to cut off contact with his ex-wife and son in an interview with Inside Edition in 2014. He died in 2015.

    Related: Jeff Bezos Just Made an Eyebrow-Raising Financial Decision Weeks After News He Signed an Iron-Clad Prenup With Lauren Sanchez

    Jeff Bezos revealed that he never was in contact with his real father after her mother divorced him. He told Wired in 1999, “I’ve never met him.”

    The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

    On Sale 33% off

    “But the reality, as far as I’m concerned, is that my Dad is my natural father,” he continued. “The only time I ever think about it, genuinely, is when a doctor asks me to fill out a form. It’s a fine truth to have out there. I’m not embarrassed by it.”

    Meanwhile, Jeff had a loving relationship with his parents. Miguel and Jackie were the first investors in Amazon, giving $245,000 for the then-book e-commerce site in 1995.

    He even credited his step-father to be a “role model” in his life. He spoke of Miguel at the 2022 Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Awards, “I think in every immigrant you’ll find a deep optimism and a deep resilience too. My dad is an intense hard worker. My dad is warm and he teaches an easy smile.” Miguel and Jackie served as founding members of the Bezos Family Foundation.

    The Washington Post owner announced the death of his mother on Aug. 14, 2025 weeks after his wedding to Lauren Sánchez. “Her adulthood started a little bit early when she became my mom at the tender age of 17,” the Amazon founder wrote in a tribute on social media. “That couldn’t have been easy, but she made it all work. She pounced on the job of loving me with ferocity, brought my amazing dad onto the team a few years later, and then added my sister and brother to her list of people to love, guard, and nourish. For the rest of her life, that list of people to love never stopped growing. She always gave so much more than she ever asked for.”

    [ad_2]

    Lea Veloso

    Source link

  • Jeff Bezos’ Ex-Employee Goes After Him After His $50M Wedding to Lauren Sanchez: ‘What’s Saddening Is… ‘

    [ad_1]



    What Happened With Jeff Bezos & The Washington Post?



























    ad









    Quantcast



    [ad_2]

    Lea Veloso

    Source link

  • Jeff Bezos doubles down on unprecedented block of a presidential endorsement from ‘The Washington Post’ but admits ‘I am not an ideal owner’

    Jeff Bezos doubles down on unprecedented block of a presidential endorsement from ‘The Washington Post’ but admits ‘I am not an ideal owner’

    [ad_1]

    Amazon founder Jeff Bezos might not allow The Washington Post to run its traditional endorsement of a presidential candidate, but he’s willing to pen and run an op-ed justifying his move. It’s all in the name of keeping the media unbiased, Jeff Bezos insists.

    Last Friday, the Post announced it was not endorsing a candidate in the upcoming election, which has been deemed by some to be one of the closest in America’s modern history. Sources said two Post writers produced an article that endorsed Kamala Harris, but the story was killed by Bezos, the outlet’s billionaire owner. 

    Facing backlash, Bezos is standing by his words. But Bezos’ op-ed indicates this is a change of policy for future elections. On the topic of endorsements, he said “ending them is a principled decision, and it’s the right one.” He called his decision “a meaningful step in the right direction” when it comes to regaining the trust of readers amidst disillusionment with the sector in general.

    Citing Gallup’s data regarding slipping belief in institutions including the media, Bezos wrote “our profession is now the least trusted of all. Something we are doing is clearly not working.” Despite being the owner of the Post since 2013, Bezos made his wealth and spent most of his career in the tech sector where he founded Amazon. Amazon did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

    “It would be easy to blame others for our long and continuing fall in credibility (and, therefore, decline in impact), but a victim mentality will not help,” Bezos wrote. “Complaining is not a strategy.” Going on to claim that “presidential endorsements do nothing to tip the scales of an election,” Bezos said all they do is “create a perception of bias.” 

    Research from professors at Brown University shows that said endorsements are actually pretty influential “in the sense that voters are more likely to support the recommended candidate after publication of the endorsement.” But influence varies based on one’s bias. 

    Even Bezos admits the timing is a little off, as the election is only two weeks away from when the decision was announced. Calling the move “inadequate planning, and not some intentional strategy,” he insists there’s “no quid pro quo of any kind at work here.” That’s all despite Dave Limp, chief executive at Bezos’ Blue Origin, meeting with Republican candidate Donald Trump the day of the announcement. 

    Bezos said he didn’t know about the meeting beforehand, and implored people to trust him. Calling upon his track record at the Post, Bezos said his views are “principled.” 

    Perhaps this is not the job for a billionaire, concedes Bezos (though without any apparent desire to resign). “When it comes to the appearance of conflict, I am not an ideal owner of The Post,” he wrote, noting that officials at Amazon, Blue Origin, or other company he’s invested in are often meeting with politicians. “I once wrote that The Post is a ‘complexifier’ for me. It is, but it turns out I’m also a complexifier for The Post.” 

    The newspaper with the slogan “democracy lies in darkness,” has endorsed a candidate since 1976—the only other time the Post declined to do so was in 1988, according to NPR. The choice to stay on the sidelines was met with some swift backlash from both internal and external figures. 

    Editor-at-large Robert Kagan resigned the same day as the announcement regarding the change in endorsements, telling CNN that the policy was “obviously an effort by Jeff Bezos to curry favor with Donald Trump in the anticipation of his possible victory,” as “Trump has threatened to go after Bezos’ business.” Three out ten people on the Post’s editorial board also stepped down because of the decision, while other journalists and columnists also quit in response. 

    An op-ed signed by 21 Post columnists disavows the choice as a “terrible mistake,” adding it “represents an abandonment of the fundamental editorial convictions of the newspaper that we love.”

    Bezos’ choice also caused a dent in readership: As of Monday, more than 200,000 people—representing around 8% of the outlet’s total subscriber base—canceled their subscriptions to the Post, sources told NPR.

    “It’s a colossal number,” former Post executive editor Marcus Brauchli told NPR of the dip in subscribers, adding there’s no way to know “why the decision was made.:

    A likely crucial element to America’s distrust of the media is their growing skepticism of the rich. As wealth inequality balloons, more than half of (59%) of Americans reportedly believe billionaires create a more unfair society per Harris Poll’s released survey of more than 2,100 U.S. adults.

    While respondents have some regard for billionaire’s influence over the economy, many want them out of certain spheres. One of them is the media, as 42% of Americans don’t think billionaires should be able to purchase businesses in the media sector.

    As one of the richest people in the world, Bezos’ wealth isn’t just the elephant in the room; it’s basically the whole room. “You can see my wealth and business interests as a bulwark against intimidation, or you can see them as a web of conflicting interests,” he wrote in his op-ed. It seems that some Americans see it as the latter.

    [ad_2]

    Chloe Berger

    Source link