All articles tagged with #bezos
Bezos and DiCaprio face backlash over a $200 million pledge to protect 100 critically endangered species via the Phoenix Species Project, with critics accusing the effort of greenwashing while highlighting Bezos's Amazon emissions and broader environmental footprint.
Jeff Bezos and Leonardo DiCaprio unveiled the Phoenix Species Project, pledging $200 million to protect 100 of the world’s most endangered species across 30 countries, a move that drew polarized reactions with critics accusing it of greenwashing given the billionaires’ own environmental footprints, while supporters argue it could bolster biodiversity and climate-positive impacts.
Jeff Bezos plans to sell up to 15 million Amazon shares worth about $4.07 billion under a prearranged Form 144 through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, a small portion of the company’s 10.78 billion shares. The move comes as Amazon posted a second-quarter beat (revenue $200.61B, EPS $5.75) and issued Q3 guidance below estimates, helping AMZN climb about 20.6% since earnings. On Monday the stock closed around $284.02, up 4.6% for the day, while CNBC’s Jim Cramer called the sale a “buzzkill.”
Melania Trump's $75 million Amazon-produced documentary flopped at the box office, grossing just $16 million, while disclosures show she earned about $10.7 million from the film plus additional income from her memoir and NFTs. The project drew sharp criticism from reviewers and lawmakers who questioned Amazon's ties to the Trump family, and Bezos denied any influence, even as talks of future projects like The Apprentice linger.
Bezos told VivaTech in Paris that AI will unlock new opportunities and create demand for builders and entrepreneurs, arguing the technology could produce a labor shortage rather than mass unemployment as ideas are turned into reality.
Jeff Bezos’s AI startup Prometheus plans to build AI-powered engineering tools for designing physical products across robotics, drug design, and manufacturing. After a $12 billion funding round, Prometheus is valued at about $41 billion, with Bezos and Vik Bajaj as co-CEOs and roughly 150 employees. The tools are pitched as an “artificial general engineer” that could benefit hardware-heavy firms like Blue Origin.
Bezos and Vik Bajaj's Prometheus has raised $12 billion in a new funding round (valued at about $41 billion) to build 'physical AI'—an effort to equip engineers with advanced computational tools to speed up invention, aiming for an 'artificial general engineer' that could drive broad technological breakthroughs. The round includes major institutional backers and Bezos’s own investment, with around 150 employees and a focus on large compute investments; while no specific products are announced yet, Prometheus is positioning itself for a potentially broader $100 billion portfolio fund to back related ventures.
Larry Ellison’s wealth rose enough to surpass Jeff Bezos and Sergey Brin, moving him to No. 3 on Forbes’ real-time billionaires list as Oracle shares reached a new high, illustrating how stock moves can shift billionaire rankings.
Futures edge lower as Nvidia beats on AI demand with a massive data-center boost and a new $80 billion buyback; SpaceX moves toward a Nasdaq IPO (SPCX) amid a $28.5 trillion TAM, with OpenAI potentially filing for IPO soon. Walmart issues a weaker full-year outlook while E.l.f Beauty climbs on strong Q4 results and tariff relief; Fed minutes show officials leaning toward higher rates if inflation stays elevated, though cuts could come if labor/inflation cools. Jeff Bezos defends AI optimism and weighs in on tax policy, and Intuit announces a 17% workforce reduction with $300–$340 million in restructuring charges.
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani pushed back at Jeff Bezos after Bezos said raising billionaire taxes wouldn’t help “that teacher in Queens,” while Bezos urged eliminating federal income taxes for the bottom half of earners. Mamdani and Gov. Hochul back a pied-à-terre tax on luxury $5 million+ city homes to fund services, with comptroller projections around $340–$380 million annually (contested by higher- or lower-end estimates). NYC teacher salaries are set to rise in 2026, illustrating the city’s ongoing tax-the-rich strategy to address affordability and fund services.
Jeff Bezos told CNBC that the bottom half of U.S. earners should pay no federal income tax, arguing zero taxes would ease financial strain and spur entrepreneurship, while stressing he’s not proposing tax relief for the poor. The idea appears amid Democratic wealth-tax proposals (e.g., Warren’s Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act and California’s billionaires tax) and Republican critiques of tax breaks. Data show the bottom 50% paid about 3.7% on average in 2023, versus about 26.3% for the top 1%.
Jeff Bezos argues that raising taxes on the ultra-wealthy won’t help the average American, saying a policy that demonizes billionaires won’t solve real issues like what a Queens teacher faces. He notes that many households don’t pay income tax and contrasts that with his own vast wealth. New York City Mayor Mamdani pushes higher taxes on the wealthy, including a pied-à-terre tax, while NYC business and luxury markets show resilience. Public polling and several states have explored or enacted billionaire taxes, but federal action remains unlikely with Republicans in power.
Bezos told CNBC that even if AI investment bubbles form, the resulting funding could drive long-term progress and healthy innovation. He notes that many experiments are funded now, with good ideas eventually winning out, and mentions Prometheus—his standalone AI venture backed with about $6.2 billion and led by Vik Bajaj—aims to develop practical AI models for manufacturing, engineering, and drug design.
The 2026 Met Gala drew attention for controversial co-chairs, including the Bezos family and Beyoncé, and a softball-themed dress code, with cultural commentary linking the spectacle to John Singer Sargent’s Madame X scandal to show how bold fashion and celebrity power ignite public debate.
Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are lead sponsors and honorary chairs of this year's Met Gala, triggering protests and a growing anti-billionaire backlash across social media and activist groups; critics highlight wealth inequality and counterprogramming, while supporters note the gala raises a record $42 million for the Met's Costume Institute.