Amazon employees openly believe Jeff Bezos may return to run struggling e-retail giant after current CEO Andy Jassy announces unexpected wave of layoffs welcomed.
Speculation that Bezos may attempt to replace Jassy as CEO has intensified as Amazon’s stock continues to fall. In a recent blog post, Michael Batnick, managing his partner at Ritholtz Wealth Management, suggested that Bezos may “draw out Bob Iger” this year and return to stabilize the company he founded. bottom.
Employees reportedly discussed the possibility on Thursday on an internal message board dedicated to the subject of layoffs. The same day I mentioned my sexuality. The screenshot of the message was obtained by Insider.
“Obviously, even Andy isn’t safe,” one employee reportedly wrote, along with a link to Batnick’s interview with CNBC discussing why Bezos’ return home felt possible. .
“He should come…he’s the best,” another worker said, referring to Bezos.
One colleague responded with a screenshot that read, “The return of the king,” while another shared a photo of Bezos with the caption, “Do you still want to see me?”
Bezos handed over the CEO role to Jassy in 2021, but he still serves as Amazon’s chairman. The Amazon founder currently ranks as the fifth richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of his $109.4 billion, according to Forbes.
But Bezos’ net worth plummeted last year, along with Amazon’s valuation, when the tech sector suffered a deep recession. Shares of Amazon and other tech giants have fallen steadily as a series of rate hikes by the Federal Reserve sparked fears of a recession.
Jassy has responded to the worsening economic outlook and lower earnings with several cost-cutting measures, including layoffs this week.
One employee on Amazon’s internal chat board noted the company’s recent dismal performance.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if there were rumors [Bezos] I’m back.probably asking [Jassy] What are you doing to my company, ”the worker wrote.
So far, Bezos hasn’t suggested that he plans to return to more prominent roles or that Jussie’s gig is in jeopardy.
Some employees have also been critical of messages from Amazon executives as they embarked on layoffs, including the company’s decision to announce job cuts in a public blog post on Thursday, according to insider reports.
Amazon reportedly declined to comment on Bezos’ possible return when an insider reached out for comment. Instead, the company addressed internal grievances about how it communicated.
“We increasingly communicate important news about our company through our internal employee site (Inside Amazon) and our external Amazon news site (About Amazon),” the spokesperson said in a statement. increase.
“The overwhelming majority of the feedback we have received has been as positive as this difficult news. If we feel there is something to learn, even if it is in the minority, we will make adjustments in the future,” the spokesperson added.
The Washington Post has reached out to Amazon for comment.