Jeff Bezos Calls Washington Post His Worst Investment, Criticizes Laid-Off Staff as 'Terrible'

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has characterized his ownership of The Washington Post as the worst investment of his life, according to excerpts from an upcoming book by New York Times writers Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman titled "Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump."

At a December 2024 dinner with President Trump, Bezos complained about Post staff members, saying "The people there are terrible. They don't listen. My other companies, they listen." This conversation occurred approximately two months before Bezos laid off more than 300 employees at the newspaper. The remarks, revealed ahead of the book's June 23, 2026 release, provide insight into tensions between the billionaire owner and the newsroom he has sought to reshape.

Bezos' attempts to exert control over the publication's editorial direction have been documented. In the weeks before the November 2024 election, he personally intervened to prevent the paper from publishing an endorsement of Kamala Harris. In February 2025, following the staff reductions, Bezos posted on X that the Post's opinion section would focus on "personal liberties and free markets." According to Swan and Haberman's account, Trump claimed Bezos had told him he lost half his friends over the investment, though Bezos disputed this characterization to others, saying people close to him had urged him to sell the newspaper.

While Bezos has attributed the layoffs to the Post's $100 million in losses during 2024, the authors suggest his motivations may be more complex and emotionally driven. The layoffs and editorial changes have contributed to significant subscriber losses at the nearly 150-year-old institution. Bezos' frustration with the Post contrasts with his more successful investments, including Amazon's acquisitions of Whole Foods, Audible, and Twitch, though his other ventures like Blue Origin have experienced their own challenges.