The connection between Amazon gazillionaire Jeff Bezos and Washington has become a focal point in recent days, given the financial struggles and controversies of the major newspaper Bezos owns there. It has sparked a broader look at Bezos and Washington, courtesy of the Financial Times.
From the article: "[O]ver the past 18 months, several of Bezos’s big Washington bets have been derailed, blocked or overtaken by events — culminating in the upheaval at the Post, where the billionaire’s handpicked chief executive, Sir Will Lewis, is facing a newsroom revolt triggered by his radical attempts to stem losses at the news organisation, which last year hit $77 [million].”
In painting the picture of the Bezos Beltway struggles, the Financial Times adds this nugget. He wasn’t blocked from buying the Commander by former owner Daniel Snyder. Bezos was “simply outbid” by Josh Harris and his $6.05 billion.
“I don’t think Snyder would have not sold to them if Jeff came in with a bid of $7 [billion],” an unnamed source involved in the process told the Financial Times.
Even if Snyder is as petty as some believe, he surely wasn’t going to turn down a pile of cash in order to make a point. My own belief has always been that, if Bezos is going to spend big on an NFL team, why buy one with a damaged brand and a name that might need to be changed (again) and an outdated stadium that literally has rained raw sewage on customers?
He should wait for the Seahawks to be put on the market. Or any other team that doesn’t need to recuperate from the self-inflicted wounds of the former boss.
Really, if Bezos becomes determined his way in, someone will surely sell — at some number that Bezos (and not many others) can afford.