WASHINGTON, June 18, 2026, 12:59 (EDT)
- Jeff Bezos called The Washington Post his “worst investment” at a dinner with Donald Trump in December 2024, according to a forthcoming book.
- The account follows the Post laying off about a third of its staff and tightening some news and opinion coverage.
- The episode puts new focus on whether Bezos can bring back a national news brand as he faces off with bigger players like The New York Times.
Bezos told Trump in December 2024 that buying The Washington Post was his “worst investment,” according to upcoming book excerpts by New York Times reporters Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman. The story, picked up by the New York Post and Fox News, connects a private complaint from the billionaire to the bigger dispute about the Post’s direction. Fox News
The timing is key. Reuters said four months ago the Post started major layoffs, cutting about a third of staff, according to a spokesperson. The layoffs ran across international, editing, metro and sports desks, with management telling employees the paper needed a new way forward and a sounder foundation.
“Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump” says Bezos told Trump that Washington Post leadership ignored his input. “They don’t listen,” Bezos said, per Fox News. Trump, a frequent critic of the Post’s reporting, told Bezos the paper was “really unfair,” the report said. Fox News
The disputed “terrible” comment looks like it was aimed at the business side, not editorial. A Washington Post spokesperson told Gizmodo that Bezos’ wording showed frustration with “the business side” of the paper and his hopes to turn it profitable. Gizmodo
Business issues at The Post showed up before the book excerpt appeared. In 2024, Reuters said over 200,000 people dropped digital subscriptions because the paper stopped short of endorsing a presidential candidate, holding back support for Democrat Kamala Harris. Bezos backed the call, saying endorsements bring “a perception of bias.” Reuters
Bezos pushed to recast the opinion section with a focus on “personal liberties and free markets,” which led opinion editor David Shipley to exit. Reuters said the section will still run pieces on different subjects, but won’t publish arguments against those two themes. That’s a much tighter scope for what’s usually a general-interest opinion page. Reuters
Post’s February cuts hit hard. The paper dropped its sports section, pulled back on foreign bureaus and books coverage, AP said. Executive Editor Matt Murray called it a tough but necessary decision, saying the Post “can’t be everything to everyone.” AP News
The gap with rivals is a concern. AP said The New York Times has pushed out into games, Wirecutter, and The Athletic, broadening its consumer business. The Post is still tied closer to old news patterns and has taken more heat from readers over ownership moves.
Some critics warn the impact could linger. Martin Baron, former Post executive editor, described it as “near-instant, self-inflicted brand destruction,” according to AP. Margaret Sullivan, a journalism professor at Columbia and former Post media columnist, said the layoffs are “devastating news” for journalism. AP News
Bezos faces a key risk: cutting costs can’t fix the Post’s trust issue. A smaller newsroom might help stop the losses, but it could also cut into the reporting range that drew subscribers to the paper.
The latest book excerpt puts a more political spin on the Post’s problems. Bezos picked up the paper in 2013, planning for the long haul with the brand. But by late 2024, he was talking to Trump about it like it was a lost investment.
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