All articles tagged with #jeff bezos
The Met Gala’s $42 million Bezos–Sánchez sponsorship has sparked anti-Amazon protests and a broader debate about the fashion industry’s reliance on tech billionaires, highlighting concerns about wealth inequality, influence, and whether the prestige economy can be sustained as billionaires become regular fixtures at fashion’s biggest stage.
Jeff Bezos said on CNBC that New York City's public-school spending (about $44,000 per student) is inefficient and wouldn’t be tolerated in business, arguing funds don’t reach teachers and calling for root-cause solutions rather than higher taxes on the wealthy; NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani responded, while Bezos and the family later pledged up to $150 million for early childhood education in NYC (including a $100 million donation and $25 million contingent on matching funds) to support expanded childcare programs.
Bezos told CNBC that Trump has grown more mature and disciplined and has been right about many ideas, a remark that sparked a wave of critics online who accused him of pandering to protect his fortune and influence. The piece notes Bezos’s ownership of The Washington Post, past tensions with Trump, and related business ties (including Amazon's investments and a Melania Trump documentary) that critics say complicate any praise.
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon told Bloomberg TV he’ll judge NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani by outcomes rather than rhetoric, warning that if affordable housing and other core issues don’t improve, the city won’t attract people or business. Dimon cautioned that Mamdani’s left-leaning agenda must compete for talent with global hubs, as the mayor pushes higher taxes on corporations, a 2% income tax hike for the wealthy, and a luxury levy on second homes. Dimon also backed Jeff Bezos’s call for reducing taxes on lower earners to zero, and supported Bezos after he criticized Mamdani for naming Ken Griffin in a video. The comments followed a meeting with Mamdani and other business leaders and underscore growing tension between NYC’s business community and the mayor’s policy aims.
Jeff Bezos publicly supports Mayor Mamdani's pied-à-terre tax on New York City properties valued over $5 million that aren’t primary residences, arguing such taxes can be reasonable if applied judiciously. He also pushed back against criticisms that singled out Citadel CEO Ken Griffin, saying Griffin isn’t a villain. Bezos noted he would be affected since he owns NY properties but lives in Florida. The tax originated with Gov. Hochul and was later backed by Mamdani, and it remains subject to legislative approval amid broader opposition.
Bezos tells CNBC the Amazon MGM Studios deal to acquire and release Melania was a smart business decision and denies it was a way to buy influence with the Trump administration, stating he had nothing to do with it. Amazon MGM paid about $40 million to acquire the film and $35 million to market it; Melania has performed well theatrically and on streaming, grossing roughly $16.6 million worldwide. Critics like Senator Elizabeth Warren have questioned potential pay-to-play implications, while Amazon defended the deal as a competitive licensing process. Bezos also commented on Trump’s presidency during the interview, saying he hopes to work with future administrations.
Bezos says the Melania documentary was a “very wise business decision,” stressing he had no involvement in acquiring the project and noting solid performance in theaters and on streaming after an estimated $75 million spend; he also defended the Washington Post’s cost-cutting asnecessary for profitability while emphasizing investigative reporting remains central, and he even quips about regretting not greenlighting Project Hail Mary.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos argues US should exempt low earners from income tax, using a Queens nurse earning about $75,000 as the example of how the tax burden hits working families. He calls the 2026 US economy a 'tale of two economies' in a K-shaped recovery and questions the fairness of progressive taxation while noting California’s billionaire tax and his own wealth as context. He suggests reducing taxes on low earners could ease living costs and discusses universal basic income as a potential alternative, arguing that higher taxes on the wealthy wouldn’t directly solve everyday struggles for workers.
Michael Wolff argues Melania Trump’s unpredictable moves, including a Washington Post Mother’s Day op-ed praising motherhood, are creating a White House liability and hint at a break with Donald Trump; readers mocked the column, Wolff warned the timing could be dangerous for the President, and there was no comment from either the Post or the White House.
Veteran costume designer Molly Rogers, who helped shape the Devil Wears Prada films, said she wouldn’t have attended the Bezos-hosted Met Gala 2026 and expressed disappointment in those who did, during a Fashionphile panel as the event raised a record $42 million for the Met’s Costume Institute.
Bezos reportedly spent about $10 million to sponsor this year’s Met Gala but arrived late by sneaking in through the back, joining Elena Sánchez Blair inside while his partner walked the carpet in couture, and sticking to a plain tux with a notable beard rather than a theme-driven look.
The 2026 Met Gala embraced its Costume Art theme with a wild, sculpture-meets-fashion showcase: Bad Bunny aged with prosthetics, Rihanna and Beyoncé delivered futuristic, sculptural looks, and many guests wore masks or armor-inspired ensembles. Highlights included Lauren Sánchez Bezos toning down her Schiaparelli gown, John Galliano’s first Zara collab dressing Stevie Nicks in a stadium-sized ballgown, and masked moments from stars like Gwendoline Christie. Protests targeting sponsor Jeff Bezos and the event’s publicity overshadowed some of the spectacle, prompting debate over the theme’s wearability and meaning while fashion-as-art dominated the chatter.
Lauren Sánchez dominated the Met Gala interior, becoming the room’s gravitational center as insiders say Anna Wintour labeled Bezos the event’s ‘bankroll’; Sánchez’s influence—financing projects and closing deals—made her the night’s central figure, drawing top celebrities and designers while Bezos faced scrutiny off the red carpet.
At the 2026 Met Gala, attendees highlighted the 'Fashion is Art' theme tied to the Costume Art exhibit with notable looks, but sponsorship by Jeff Bezos—rumored at $10 million—along with his absence from the red carpet drew significant backlash and activist protests, overshadowing the fashion commentary.
The Met Gala has shifted from a prestige-only fashion night toward a corporate-driven spectacle, with Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez serving as honorary chairs and reportedly spending over $10 million to sponsor the event; critics say the red carpet looked like a collage and the art-inspired theme struggled to feel fresh, even as the gala raised a record $42 million for the Costume Institute.