Amazon founder Jeff Bezos expressed his willingness to collaborate with Donald Trump to eliminate government regulations that he believes stifle economic growth.
During the New York Times’ DealBook Summit in New York City, Bezos criticized the U.S. for its “excessive permitting and regulation,” adding that “We need a growth orientation in this country.”
Following Trump’s election, Bezos congratulated him, calling it “an extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory.” At the DealBook Summit, he shared, “I’m actually very optimistic this time around,” referencing Trump’s focus on reducing regulations. “He seems to have a lot of energy around reducing regulation. If I can help him do that, I’m gonna help him.”
When asked about Trump’s temperament, Bezos noted, “What I’ve seen so far is he is calmer than he was the first time [in the White House] and more settled.” He also spoke about Elon Musk, his competitor and a key Trump adviser, saying he didn’t think Musk would use his influence to harm competitors, explaining, “I’ve had a lot of success in life by not being cynical.”
Bezos also addressed the controversy surrounding his decision for the Washington Post not to endorse a candidate in the 2024 presidential election, a move that sparked backlash. He explained, “We just decided [an endorsement] wasn’t… going to influence the election one way or the other,” and added that the benefits of an endorsement were “very small.” Reflecting on the timing, he wished he had made the change earlier, but “I’m proud of the decision.”
In response to former Post editor Marty Baron’s criticism, calling it “cowardice, with democracy as its casualty,” Bezos defended the decision: “We knew there would be blowback, and we did it anyway.” Bezos admitted to being a “terrible” owner of the Washington Post due to conflicts with his Amazon and Blue Origin ventures but emphasized his support when the paper needs resources. “When the Post needs financial resources, I’m available. I’m like the doting parent in that regard.”
Bezos also addressed his role at Amazon, saying that while he stepped down as CEO in 2021, he remains active as executive chairman. He spends 95% of his time on artificial intelligence, with Amazon building thousands of AI applications. Despite this, Bezos revealed that his long-term vision for Amazon was to create a company that would “outlast me… I want Amazon to go off without me.”
As the founder of Blue Origin, Bezos emphasized his vision for the future of space exploration, asserting that the Moon could be a stepping stone for humanity beyond Earth. While he admitted that Blue Origin is “not a very good business, yet,” he believes it could ultimately become “the best business I’ve ever been involved with,” supported by his Amazon stock.
