Jeff Bezos Reportedly Eyes Buy of CNBC as Tech Billionaires Gobble Up Media

Jeff Bezos is considering shopping for the monetary information community CNBC, in accordance with a brand new report from the New York Submit, which cites nameless sources. Given the harm Bezos has already executed to the Washington Submit, anybody who values the knowledge they get from CNBC ought to most likely be frightened.

An unnamed supply advised the New York Post that Bezos shopping for CNBC would “align effectively along with his pursuits,” and it could stay a “impartial voice.” CNBC is being offloaded by its father or mother firm, Comcast, into a brand new publicly traded firm known as Versant by the tip of 2025. The corporate’s different cable TV networks, which embrace MSNBC, SYFY, the Golf Channel, USA Community, and E!, will even be a part of Versant.

The Each day Beast reported Wednesday {that a} supply “near Bezos” advised the information outlet that he’s “not contemplating a bid to purchase CNBC,” however the man himself has not commented on the likelihood but. The Each day Beast denial can be only one line with no additional rationalization.

Sources may insist to the New York Submit that Bezos solely needs CNBC as a “impartial voice” in his media portfolio, however anybody who thinks Bezos is above tinkering with the editorial content material of his media properties hasn’t been paying consideration. The 61-year-old Amazon founder bought the Washington Submit in 2013 for $250 million and, by all public accounts, didn’t mess with the day-to-day course of the newspaper. However that every one modified shortly earlier than the 2024 presidential election, when the Washington Submit editorial board deliberate to endorse then-Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate who was working in opposition to present President Donald Trump.

Bezos not solely spiked the endorsement of Harris however set about purging the writing employees of liberal voices on the opinion pages. Not too long ago, writers like liberal columnist Jonathan Capehart, TikTok man Dave Jorgenson, and polling skilled Philip Bump have left the paper, taking buyouts supplied to individuals who don’t need to be concerned within the new period of Bezos meddling.

These sorts of modifications are any newspaper proprietor’s proper, however the shift has set off a wave of anger and outrage amongst individuals who see Trump’s presidency as a risk to the way forward for america as a liberal democracy. In response to NPR, Bezos misplaced the newspaper about 250,000 subscribers within the span of every week after information broke concerning the Harris endorsement, and he reportedly misplaced 75,000 more because the billionaire introduced that anybody who didn’t adhere to his specific ideology of “free markets and private liberties” ought to depart the storied media establishment.

Bezos additionally cozied as much as Trump, attending the president’s inauguration in January and extra just lately assembly with the president on the White Home final week, in accordance with CNBC. The dude is outwardly all-in on the MAGA agenda of aggressive oligarchy.

Rumors just lately circulated that Bezos could also be fascinated about buying Condé Nast, the media firm that owns magazines like Vogue and Wired. There was hypothesis that Bezos may even simply carve out Vogue for his new bride, Lauren Sanchez, whom he married final month in Venice, Italy, a marriage that was met by protesters who didn’t admire his proximity to Trump.

At this level, it’s rumors and hypothesis. However typically rumors flip into actuality. And if Bezos buys CNBC, there’s probability it may turn out to be the most recent political instrument of a person value over $200 billion.