### Jeff Bezos' Washington Ambitions Fall Short

A decade ago, Jeff Bezos appeared poised to become a significant influencer in Washington D.C. In 2013, he acquired The Washington Post for $250 million, and three years later, he made headlines by purchasing two combined mansions in the city for $23 million. These moves were seen as strategic steps to establish his presence among the nation's elite.

Despite these high-profile acquisitions, Bezos, now 60, never fully integrated into the political and social fabric of the capital. Over the years, his visits to Washington have been sporadic, mainly limited to attending glittering events or handling company-related crises. His personal life also drew attention as he divorced his wife and later announced his engagement to Lauren Sánchez, a former Los Angeles TV anchor. In 2020, Bezos set another record by acquiring a $165 million estate in Beverly Hills and also completed a 400-foot-long mega-yacht last year, marking a shift towards a more itinerant lifestyle. He has since relocated to Miami.

While Bezos seemed to retreat from the Washington scene, Elon Musk has emerged as the tech mogul making significant inroads. At age 53, Musk leads SpaceX, Tesla, and X, and his interest in artificial intelligence and space exploration has brought him closer to the capital's power circles. Last year alone, Tesla and SpaceX secured nearly $3 billion across about 100 contracts with 17 federal agencies, underscoring Musk's growing influence.

On Friday, The Washington Post, owned by Bezos, announced it would not endorse a presidential candidate this year, deviating from a tradition that spanned four decades. This move highlights the increasingly fraught nature of political involvement for business leaders with federal ties. Industry experts note that Bezos was rarely seen in Washington, even when regulatory issues concerning Amazon were at their peak. According to Hilary Rosen, a Democratic political strategist, Bezos never seemed to aim for a leadership role in either business or media within the capital, and ultimately, he did not achieve such status.

In contrast to Bezos, Musk's multiple ventures, especially SpaceX's collaboration with NASA, have granted him substantial leverage and visibility in Washington, reinforcing the divergent paths taken by these two tech titans.