What the National Enquirer Reported About Jeff Bezos
The National Enquirer, published by American Media Inc., published stories in early 2019 that included private text messages and photos linked to Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and Blue Origin. The tabloid reported on Bezos's extramarital relationship with Lauren Sanchez and later published text exchanges that Bezos's security consultant described as attempts to influence him. Bezos publicly accused AMI of seeking political concessions in exchange for withholding private material, a claim AMI denied.
Bezos posted a detailed blog entry on February 7, 2019, outlining what he called a blackmail scheme by AMI and its parent company, American Media Inc. He stated that AMI had obtained private text messages and photographs and suggested the outlet wanted him to stop investigating its ownership and ties to Saudi Arabia. Bezos said he hired a security firm to review the text messages and documents, and the resulting analysis supported his conclusion that the messages were obtained through an extortion-like effort.
Key Details of the National Enquirer Jeff Bezos Text Messages
Origin and Content of the Messages
The text messages at the center of the dispute involved exchanges between Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, as well as messages from Sanchez's brother, Michael Sanchez, who later told reporters he had leaked the material to the National Enquirer. Bezos's team reviewed the messages and concluded that the tabloid used them to pressure him, while AMI maintained that it had received the texts from a source with legal rights to the material.
Bezos's Response and Public Accusations
Jeff Bezos released a statement through his security advisor, Gavin de Becker, saying the National Enquirer had threatened to publish intimate photos unless he stopped investigating AMI's connections. Bezos said he refused to comply and instead chose to release details publicly, including a forensic analysis of the text messages and related communications. He also pointed to a request from Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for Amazon to work with him on a satellite project, a topic Bezos had been researching before the scandal broke.
AMI's Denials and Legal Actions
American Media Inc. denied extortion and said the National Enquirer had legally obtained the Jeff Bezos text messages and photos. AMI's lawyers stated that the outlet acted within its rights and that Bezos's accusations were part of a broader effort to deflect attention from his own public statements about Saudi Arabia. The dispute led to multiple legal inquiries, including a request by Bezos for law enforcement to investigate the hacking of his phone.
Outcome and Fallout
In April 2019, David Pecker, the former chairman of AMI, and the company's lawyer reached a non-prosecution agreement with prosecutors in New York, in which they acknowledged a catch-and-kill scheme involving payments to silence stories. As part of the arrangement, AMI agreed not to publish material that could affect the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign. The deal did not resolve Bezos's claims directly but added context to the broader pattern of tabloid practices that he cited in his public statements about the National Enquirer Jeff Bezos text messages.
Comparison of Key Parties and Outcomes
| Party | Role | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Jeff Bezos | Target of tabloid stories and extortion claims | Released forensic findings publicly; no criminal charges filed against him |
| American Media Inc. | Publisher of the National Enquirer | Reached non-prosecution agreement in 2019 over catch-and-kill scheme |