Jeff Bezos from Amazon: Large companies need to be examined but not demarcated

Interviewed by the club president,

Carlyle Group

co-founder David Rubenstein, Mr. Bezos also discussed his new charitable commitments, defended the media and his purchase of the Washington Post, and disappointed the audience connected by D.C.

He also refrained from taking blows to his most vocal critic, President Trump, who blasted Mr. Bezos and Amazon for his use of the US Postal Service, the sales tax and the growing influence.

About 1,400 people, including nearly 20 ambassadors, the governor of Maryland and the American postmaster, gathered in the same ballroom to host the White House Correspondents Association dinner.

The magnitude and dominance of the Amazon market have made it a prime target of left and right politicians, who have criticized the company for the way it treats its workers and pays taxes, as well as its impact on the global economy. fight.

"All major institutions of all kinds will and should be controlled," said Bezos. "It's not personal. It's a bit like what we want to have as a society. "

The same review should apply to US presidents, Bezos said, without citing Mr. Trump. Mr Bezos said that it is important that politicians do not denigrate large companies because they can create a lot of value.

"There are some things that only big companies can do," said Bezos. "Nobody in their garage will build a Boeing 787 all in fiberglass."

Asked about Trump's recent tweets criticizing Amazon, Bezos said he did not need to defend his company, but would defend the Washington Post.

"It's a mistake for an elected to elect to attack the media and journalists," he said. "It's dangerous to demonize the media."

He added that he had had some conversations with the president, but that he wished to keep them private.

At the beginning of the interview, the crowd booed when Bezos refused to reveal the winner of HQ2, the company's second headquarters, which, according to Amazon, will report a $ 5 billion investment and 50,000 jobs. The rumor mill of D.C. appeared this week as part of a regular meeting of the board of directors and multiple appearances of Mr. Bezos.

"We will announce a decision before the end of the year," Bezos said in one of the first public updates on the process since the company announced its finalists list in January. "We have made tremendous progress. The team is working on his buttocks and we will get there. "

The need for a second seat came as Amazon recently became the second largest US company after

Apple
Inc.

break the billion dollar mark. Last year, Bezos surpassed Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates to become the richest man in the world, thanks in large part to his 16% stake in the company.

Mr. Bezos laughed with a joke about his wealth, saying he had met with Mr. Gates recently and that the topic of the richest man in the world had been discussed. "I told you," I beg you, "and he immediately turned to me and said," Thank you. "

"I have never looked for this title," said Bezos. "And it was good to be the second richest person in the world. It worked well.

Earlier in the day, Bezos announced in a tweet that he planned to commit an initial $ 2 billion to fund a new charity aimed at helping the homeless and educating the homeless. preschool children. The Bloomberg Billionaires Index estimates its current net worth at around $ 164 billion.

Write to Laura Stevens at [email protected]