By Pascal Oparada (Social Media/Tech Reporter)
World’s richest man and founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, has alleged that a U.S. newspaper, National Enquirer, is trying to blackmail him with his nude photos.
In a blog post, Bezos said National Enquirer is threatening to publish his intimate photos and said he is revealing the details rather than succumb to extortion and blackmail.
He said the publication believes the photos are newsworthy because they will show Amazon shareholders that he is terrible with business choices.
Bezos said became aware of the plot when intimate text messages from him with news anchor, Lauren Sanchez, were published in the National Enquirer. He said he engaged private investigators to know how the messages were obtained.
Bezos said his ownership of Washington Post is the reason the National Enquirer is after him.
Washington Post had led an investigation into the affair of President Donald Trump’s affair with Stormy Daniels in which Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, who is serving three-year jail sentence in his role to buy Story Daniel’s silence.
“My ownership of the Washington Post is a complexifier for me. It’s unavoidable that certain powerful people who experience Washington Post news coverage will wrongly conclude I am their enemy,” Bezos wrote.
National Enquirer is owned by American Media (AMI) whose owner, David Pecker is an ally of Trump.
According to Bezos, Trump rewarded Pecker with a White House dinner in which he allegedly brought a guest with strong ties to the royals in Saudi Arabia.
“After Mr Trump became president, he rewarded Mr Pecker’s loyalty with a White House dinner to which the media executive brought a guest with important ties to the royals in Saudi Arabia. At the time, Mr Pecker was pursuing business there while also hunting for financing for acquisitions…” Bezos said.
Bezos published letters his lawyers had exchanged with owners of National Enquirer and threatened them with serious consequences if they go ahead and publish his nude photos with Sanchez.
Bezos parted ways with his wife, MacKenzie Bezos, after 25 years over his affair with Sanchez.