Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Jeff Bezos

Controversies are a part of history. Explore the biggest scandals linked to Jeff Bezos.

Jeff Bezos is an American businessman renowned as the founder, executive chairman, and former CEO of Amazon, a global leader in e-commerce and cloud computing. As of May 2025, his estimated net worth is $220.9 billion, ranking him as the third-richest person worldwide, after holding the top position from 2017 to 2021.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

May 2014: Named "World's Worst Boss"

In May 2014, the International Trade Union Confederation named Jeff Bezos the "World's Worst Boss".

2015: Denouncing NYT Piece

In 2015, Jeff Bezos sent a memo to employees denouncing a New York Times piece.

2016: Public Criticism

Since 2016, Jeff Bezos's relative lack of philanthropy compared to other billionaires has drawn criticism from the public.

March 2018: Investment in India and Trump's Accusations

In March 2018, Bezos dispatched Amit Agarwal to India with $5.5 billion to localize operations. Also, U.S. President Donald Trump accused Amazon and Bezos of tax avoidance and anti-competitive practices.

May 1, 2018: Probable Start of Bezos Phone Hack

On May 1, 2018, forensic analysis concluded it was "highly probable" that the hack of Jeff Bezos's mobile phone was achieved using a malicious file hidden in a video sent via a WhatsApp message from the personal account of the crown prince.

July 2018: Rekognition Software Criticism

During July 2018, members of the U.S. Congress called on Bezos to detail the applications of Amazon's face recognition software, Rekognition.

September 2018: Stop BEZOS Act

In September 2018, Senator Bernie Sanders introduced the Stop Bad Employers by Zeroing Out Subsidies (Stop BEZOS) Act and accused Amazon of receiving corporate welfare.

2018: Controversy Over JEDI Contract

In 2018, a $10 billion contract with the Pentagon known as the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) project was allegedly written up in a way that favors Amazon, raising controversy.

2018: Criticism of Employee Wages and Benefits

In 2018, more than 400 Washington Post employees wrote an open letter to Jeff Bezos criticizing his poor wages and benefits for his employees and demanding fair compensation and job security.

January 2019: Divorce Announcement and Affair Revelation

In January 2019, Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie released a joint statement revealing they would be getting divorced after 25 years together. Subsequently, National Enquirer revealed that Bezos had an affair with Lauren Sánchez.

February 7, 2019: Accusations of Extortion and Blackmail

On February 7, 2019, Jeff Bezos accused American Media, Inc. owner David Pecker of "extortion and blackmail" for threatening to publish intimate photos of him and Lauren Sánchez if he did not stop his investigation into how his text messages and other photos had been leaked to the National Enquirer.

March 2019: Accusations of Saudi Government Hacking Bezos's Phone

In March 2019, Jeff Bezos's security consultant accused the Saudi government of hacking Bezos's phone, linking it to the Washington Post's coverage of Jamal Khashoggi's murder.

2019: Harvard Business Review Ranking

In 2019, Harvard Business Review did not rank Jeff Bezos in the top 100 CEOs, citing Amazon's low ESG scores.

2019: Expenditure in Seattle City Council Election

In 2019, a PAC linked to Jeff Bezos spent over $1 million in an unsuccessful attempt to defeat the reelection bid of Seattle city council member and activist Kshama Sawant.

January 2020: Report on Bezos Phone Hack Initiation

In January 2020, The Guardian reported that the hack of Jeff Bezos's phone was initiated before Jamal Khashoggi's murder but after Khashoggi wrote critically about the crown prince in the Washington Post.

December 2023: Washington Post Employees' Strike

Around 750 employees at The Washington Post went on a brief strike in December 2023 in response to Jeff Bezos' plans to lay off staff.

July 2024: Bezos-Trump Alliance

In July 2024, Jeff Bezos held a private phone conversation with then-candidate Donald Trump, potentially setting the stage for a "Bezos-Trump alliance" before the election.

2024: Interference with editorial and opinion pages

In 2024, Bezos' ownership of the Post has been subject to scrutiny and criticism regarding his treatment of employees as well as his influence on the paper's content, in particular interference with the editorial and opinion pages.

2024: Controversy Over Washington Post's Endorsement

In 2024, Jeff Bezos blocked the Washington Post's editorial board from endorsing Kamala Harris in the presidential election, leading to criticism and resignations and cancellations of subscriptions.

January 2025: Cartoonist Resignation from The Washington Post

In January 2025, editorial cartoonist Ann Telnaes resigned from the Post after it refused to run a satirical cartoon critical of the relationship between American billionaires and President Donald Trump, sparking conversations about the paper's ownership under Bezos.

February 2025: New Opinion Section Direction and Editor's Resignation

In February 2025, Jeff Bezos announced that the opinion section of the Post will only publish opinions supporting "personal liberties" and "free markets", leading to the resignation of opinion editor David Shipley and a significant loss of digital subscribers.

February 2025: Reports of Bezos-Trump Dinner and Policy Changes at the Washington Post

In February 2025, it was reported that Jeff Bezos had dinner with Donald Trump and announced changes to the Washington Post's opinion policies to promote "free markets and personal liberties," which was seen as a sign of his growing closeness with Trump.