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 and former CEO of Amazon, a global leader in e-commerce and cloud computing. His estimated net worth of over $209 billion makes him one of the wealthiest individuals globally. Bezos held the title of the world's richest person from 2017 to 2021, solidifying his position as a pivotal figure in both the business and technology sectors.

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," citing the inhumanity of employers promoting the North American corporate model.

2015: Denounced New York Times Piece

In 2015, Jeff Bezos sent a memo to employees denouncing a New York Times piece that was critical of Amazon.

2016: Public Criticism for Lack of Philanthropy

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

May 1, 2018: Probable Phone Hack via WhatsApp

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

July 2018: Inquiries about Amazon's Face Recognition Software

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

July 2018: Bezos's Net Worth Reaches $150 Billion

In July 2018, Jeff Bezos's net worth reached $150 billion, an amount sufficient to purchase the entire stock markets of Nigeria, Hungary, Egypt, Luxembourg, and Iran. Following this report, Amazon workers in Poland, Germany, and Spain participated in demonstrations and labor strikes to protest the growing wealth disparity and demand better compensation, labor rights, and working conditions.

September 2018: Senator Sanders Introduces 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, following a report about Amazon workers relying on food stamps.

2018: Controversy over JEDI Project Contract

In 2018, controversy arose over the $10 billion Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) project contract with the Pentagon, with allegations that it was written to favor Amazon.

2018: Washington Post Employees Criticize Bezos

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

January 2019: Bezos Announces Divorce

In January 2019, Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie released a joint statement announcing their divorce after 25 years of marriage. Soon after, news of Bezos's affair with Lauren Sánchez was revealed.

February 7, 2019: Bezos Accuses AMI of Extortion

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

March 2019: Accusations of Phone Hacking by Saudi Government

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, which had ranked Jeff Bezos the best-performing CEO for 4 years in a row since 2014, did not rank him even in the top 100, citing Amazon's "relatively low ESG scores".

2019: PAC Linked to Bezos Attempts to Defeat Sawant

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 Hack Initiation

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

December 2023: Washington Post Employees Strike

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

2024: Bezos Blocks Washington Post 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 from staff.

2024: Criticism Regarding Editorial Interference

In 2024, criticisms arose regarding Jeff Bezos' alleged interference with the editorial and opinion pages of The Washington Post.

January 2025: Cartoonist Resigns from Post

In January 2025, editorial cartoonist Ann Telnaes resigned from The Washington Post after it refused to run a satirical cartoon critical of the relationship between American billionaires and President Donald Trump.

February 2025: Bezos Announces Opinion Section Changes

In February 2025, Jeff Bezos announced that The Washington Post's opinion section would give voice only to opinions that support "personal liberties" and "free markets," leading to the resignation of opinion editor David Shipley and a loss of over 75,000 digital subscribers.

February 2025: Dinner with Trump and Changes to Washington Post's opinion policies

In February 2025, Jeff Bezos reportedly dined with Donald Trump again. On the same night, he announced changes to the Washington Post's opinion policies to promote "free markets and personal liberties" and suppress divergent opinions.