Update your 2025 bingo cards to include a potential Jeff Bezos collaboration with arch-rival Elon Musk here. DOGE.
The Amazon The founder said Wednesday that he is ready to support President-elect Donald Trump’s deregulation agenda — a top priority for the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Bezos spoke during this The New York Times DealBook Summit 2024 with Andrew Ross Sorkin.
“I’m actually very optimistic this time,” Bezos said of Trump winning a second term, stressing that he was actually “super optimistic.”
“He has a lot of energy around reducing regulation. And my view is, if I can help him do that, I’m going to help him.”
Jeff Bezos Live at DealBook Summit 2024 https://t.co/PcXa2yMZx6
— Andrew Ross Sorkin (@andrewsorkin) December 4, 2024
He added that Trump appeared “calmer this time” and “more settled.”
“You’ve probably grown up in the last eight years,” he told Sorkin. “He has too.”
Regulation has been a key focus for Trump and his newly created DOGE, which he has led Tesla And SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and biotech founder Vivek Ramaswamy. So far, Musk and Ramaswamy have said they will act on the rules, floating ideas End daylight savings, Get rid of all government agenciesAnd even start An official DOGE podcast.
By offering to cooperate with the new administration, Bezos may be taking a page from Musk’s playbook. Musk’s SpaceX has been a fierce competitor of Blue Origin Position yourself As a key partner of Govt. Bezos’ gesture could be a strategic move to mend fences and protect his companies’ interests, from Amazon’s antitrust fight to Blue Origin’s search for federal aid. However, Bezos said he had taken Musk’s promise that he would not leverage his position in government to benefit his companies or hurt his competitors on core value.
“Again, I could be wrong about that,” Bezos said. “But I think it might be true.”
Bezos said that he has achieved great success in life by not being cynical. “I’ve rarely benefited as a result,” he said. “It’s happened a few times, but not too often…why be rude about it? Let’s hope that the statements made are correct, that this is being done above board in the public interest. If it turns out to be naive, then, “we’ll see,” Bezos said.
Whether Musk would be open to working with Bezos, whom he has derided as a “copycat” in the past, is an open question. Moreover, whether Trump will accept Bezos’ offer remains to be seen, as the two have a long-standing relationship, rooted in both personal and professional clashes.
Trump frequently criticized Bezos during his presidency, often targeting him The Washington Postwhich Bezos owns, accuses it of unfair and biased coverage. Trump has also targeted Amazon in the past, accusing the company of exploiting tax loopholes and underpaying. US Postal ServiceThe claims have been denied by Bezos and Amazon.
