According to recent reports, Jeff Bezos, a billionaire American entrepreneur, is considering divesting from The Washington Post in order to acquire a professional American football team, specifically the Washington Commanders. The information was allegedly reported by The New York Post.
The report, which cites unnamed sources, states that there has been increasing speculation about the potential sale of The Washington Post following a leaked video that apparently shows the newspaper’s publisher, Fred Ryan, discussing plans for layoffs at a recent town hall meeting.
The report also notes that the potential acquisition of the Washington Commanders football team by Jeff Bezos may be complicated by the team’s current owner, Dan Snyder, who is reportedly displeased with the newspaper’s coverage of alleged issues of toxic management culture within the team.
However, the reports of the potential sale of The Washington Post have been denied by representatives of both the newspaper and Jeff Bezos, who have stated that the newspaper is not currently for sale.
Bezos purchased The Washington Post in 2013 for $250 million. Recent reports indicate that he has sparked concerns about potential layoffs at the newspaper during a recent visit to the newsroom. Additionally, it has been reported that the Washington Commanders football team has received initial bids from prospective buyers, and Bezos is not among them.
Bezos, who is also the owner of the space exploration company Blue Origin, has not publicly commented on the matter of the Washington Commanders football team. However, in a November interview, he mentioned that he has heard the “buzz” and that football is his favorite sport.
Bezos has previously stated that owning a newspaper was never his aspiration. The former owner of The Washington Post, Donald Graham, approached Bezos in 2013 to purchase the newspaper in order to provide financial stability and support online growth. Under Bezos’ ownership, the newspaper expanded rapidly with increased staffing and coverage, but it was projected to have financial losses in 2022 due to a decline in readership following the end of the Trump administration.
