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Jeff Bezos Accuses National Enquirer of Blackmail
- personjerry 8y agoThis was already posted, original article (by Bezos) discussion here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19109474 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19109474
- nvr219 8y agodang
- mlthoughts2018 8y agoNo need to bring any mods into this. The legal system can handle it.
- stevespang 8y agocouldn't keep it under the zipper,eh Bezos ? Well, now your dirty laundry is fair dinkum for all the slave driving you've been doing at your warehouses . . . Sanchez just wants a piece of your action Jeff, 1 or 2 bil is enough take home for a 2nd divorce . . .
- FreedomToCreate 8y agoTo modify a quote from The Dark Knight: "Let me get this straight, you think one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the world, who owns the Washington Post and pays out of his own pocket to send rockets to space, won't stand up for himself so your plan is to blackmail this person? Good Luck
- kyleblarson 8y agoIt worked swimmingly for Gawker.
- favorited 8y agoWho did Gawker blackmail?
- krackers 8y agoNot blackmail, but outed Thiel
- crazypyro 8y agoAnd seemingly created an enemy so powerful he destroyed their entire business.
- philipov 8y agoThat's the joke. Sarcasm doesn't work well on the Internet.
- EGreg 8y agoHow did he do it
- crazypyro 8y agoIf you are seriously interested, Peter Thiel funded Hulk Hogan's lawsuit surrounding his sex tape and the resulting judgement forced Gawker to declare bankruptcy and end up selling for basically nothing.
- simula67 8y agoGawker destroyed themselves
- nullc 8y agoGawker was extremely and unrepentantly unethical. They destroyed themselves.
- CalChris 8y agoOuting is like revealing a trade secret. Once the trade secret is publicly known it is no longer a trade secret. However that reveal was on Thiel.
- aerovistae 8y agoSame thing I was thinking. That said, I hate the National Enquirer and I am praying this leads to their destruction. On a tangentially related note I also believe there ought to be laws restricting paparazzi from harassing people. I think it's awful every time I see someone trying to walk down the street or out of a hospital or courthouse and swarmed by cameras that won't leave them alone even in moments of grief. They're people. I don't understand why it's considered perfectly acceptable to treat them that way just because they've become well-known. Just a thought connected to my disdain for tabloids.
- gesman 8y agoRegulation is required. Otherwise destroying 1 paparazzi or 1 tabloid will make another 5 pop up in their place.
- aerovistae 8y agoPartially agreed. Journalism should always be unregulated, but justice should act faster and be more reliable when journalism strays to evil. I wish there was any way for the commoners to make public policy proposals. Imagine like a reddit for discussion of policy, but where the most upvoted things actually got looked at by people in decision-making positions. It's very frustrating to me that I sometimes see really deep, interesting analysis of issues (and actual back-and-forth exchanges!) on reddit and never any such thing from actual politicians. Look at this thread here~ [0] Honestly insightful and meaningful discourse that anyone can participate in. They took what sounded on the surface like a great idea and pointed out critical flaws, and suggested superior alternatives. The constructiveness of the thread astounds me. I wish this type of thing actually connected to the government somehow, like in Ender's Game where Ender's siblings construct internet aliases and join policy conversations, slowly gaining influence and popularity through their rhetoric and insight. [0] https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/aicgpz/serious_americans_would_you_be_in_support_of/?st=jrvdhxme&sh=c07361aa https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/aicgpz/serious_a...
- killjoywashere 8y ago
- empath75 8y agoThey’re hosted on aws, too.
- rajacombinator 8y agoKeep in mind the people on the other side of this, according to Bezos, are the Saudis. I’d bet on their luck over his.
- killjoywashere 8y agoThe Saud family won't spend a dime on this. What do you do with a dangerously incompetent employee? You fire them.
- TLC555 8y agoCan someone enlighten me: what is the motivation anyone has to send a di__ pic? Not being rhetorical.
- aerovistae 8y agoOdd though it may sound, many girls enjoy nudes just the same as guys do......when they're coming from someone they're interested in and when it's been requested, which is often the missing factor. So, the motivation is the same as when a girl sends nudes: to excite your recipient, and/or receive compliments.
- Someone1234 8y agoIt is to their mistress, so I assume the intent it to titillate or arouse. Same reason anyone would send a message of a sexual nature.
- basil-rash 8y agoGuys tend to enjoy getting nudes from their SO's. Why would gals be any different?
- MaupitiBlue 8y agoBecause men and women are very different.
- basil-rash 8y agoNot as much as you might think. Many women like sex and engaging in sexual activities, but historically saying as much gets them labeled as "slut"/"whore"/etc. Doesn't mean they don't share the same sexual desires as men. TO BE CLEAR: this only applies to exchanges between consenting adult parties. The examples you see on places like r/creepypm's are not that; and to be honest I wouldn't want an unsolicited nude from a woman either. (Though some guys and gals do like that! Which is cool too! That's why sites like chaturbate and unmoderated omegle, as well as the many nsfw reddits, both male and female-targeting, exist)
- 8y ago
- empath75 8y agoI hope he takes them to the cleaners.
- thisisweirdok 8y agoWorld's richest man uses Medium to post an article? OK.
- rjplatte 8y agoWhere would you post it if you were him?
- aerovistae 8y agoI would buy a newspaper and publish it there, maybe. No, nevermind.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- mikeash 8y agoInclude a copy with every Amazon shipment for the next week.
- grigjd3 8y agoThat would actually be an abuse of power.
- philipov 8y agoI'd buy a country and have it inscribed in the earth so it can be read from space.
- ellius 8y agoYou’re the kind of person I’m rooting for to become a billionaire.
- logicallee 8y ago>Where would you post it if you were him? Wherever he wants! Anyone will publish his editorial, from the Washington Post to the National Enquirer. well maybe not the national enquirer.
- bokumo 8y agoIt appears Jeff Bezos has partially doxed Howard Dylan. In the email he published he removed Dylan's phone number and email address, but the image included, probably as Dylan's signature, clearly shows his phone number and email address.
- jhjhds 8y agoha!
- morpheuskafka 8y agoIf your an exec at a media company, it is understood that your (business) phone and email will become widely shared public knowledge. This wasn't even his personal information, but simple a work email and phone that doesn't even belong to him, but to his employer.
- loeg 8y agoBlogspam; primary source is https://medium.com/@jeffreypbezos/no-thank-you-mr-pecker-146e3922310f https://medium.com/@jeffreypbezos/no-thank-you-mr-pecker-146... , discussion https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19109474 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19109474 .
- CydeWeys 8y agoA New York Times article is not "blogspam".
- loeg 8y agoUsually not, but this one surely is. It's 90% direct quotes and paraphrase from the primary source, adding nothing of value; and it elides the incredibly relevant letters exchanged between Bezos et al and AMI. I think it's a pretty great example of how to blogspam and it's somewhat tragic that the NYT is resorting to blogspam for clicks.
- CydeWeys 8y agoIt's literally a front page article on the most influential newspaper in the country, and it will be in the physical newspaper tomorrow morning. How is that "blogspam"? And there's a huge difference between a neutral third party reporting on something and just seeing one first-hand account of something. With your logic anyone reporting on Trump is just committing "blogspam", with his tweets being the beginning and end of the truth.
- yerich 8y agoWhat's the New York Times supposed to do for their readers? Not publish anything? De Becker, AMI and Amazon were asked for comment and declined. Besides, only a few paragraphs from the story are quotes from the blog post.
- AndrewKemendo 8y agoYes exactly that. It's proof though that they're just an entertainment rag looking for eyeballs. Do some digging, find out more context, get relevant legal precedents, or any precedents for this kind of action. Reference Gawker case, all of the stuff that talks about WHY this is important. They basically just reposted Bezos' letter but in their own words with some of his quotes thrown in.
- JimmyAustin 8y agoPeter Thiel (worth 2.5b) destroyed Gawker with a contribution of 10m to Hulk Hogan's legal fund. If Bezos contributed a similar proportion of his fortune (112b), he would be contributing 448m. Not only is the National Enquirer about to be in the shitfight of its life, but every single other lawsuit it's going to be facing will be armed to the teeth with amazing legal talent. Couldn't have happened to nicer people.
- njarboe 8y agoYou surly meant 2.5b not 2.5m.
- JimmyAustin 8y agoFixed!
- saagarjha 8y ago> worth 2.5m You might want to multiply that by three orders of magnitude ;)
- JimmyAustin 8y agoFixed!
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- throwaway2048 8y agoNot sure that billionaires destroying media outlets is something to be cheered on.
- kajecounterhack 8y agoNot sure national enquirer is a "media outlet." In general I agree that the fourth estate needs protection but I don't think arbitrary words on newsprint automatically makes you qualified.
- labster 8y agoLooks like David Pecker just lost his Prime membership. Enjoy a lifetime of 14 day shipping, bro.
- gh02t 8y agoIt's amusing to imagine an internal "Bezos shit list" at Amazon, where being on this list causes everything you order get flagged and delayed/mispacked/etc.
- basil-rash 8y agoOh god, can you imagine if you consistently got your orders fulfilled by the scam/knockoff providers? Being absurdly rich, yet everything you own is cheaply made and you have no clue why.
- aynsof 8y agoAnd all your EC2 instances have noisy neighbors, no matter how many times you terminate and reinstantiate. A living nightmare.
- mirkules 8y agoWow, you have just described my Amazon shopping experience, except without being absurdly (or even remotely) rich. But seriously, I actually got caught up in Amazon’s anti-fake-review dragnet and my account cannot review anymore without possibility of appeal. Being falsely accused made me irritated just enough to boycott all Amazon services. At first it was tough, but then I realized I spend money on good quality products now, and, because I either have to wait for shipping from other suppliers or go in-person to a store, I’ve eliminated online impulse buys. It’s actually amazing how much fake or cheap stuff there is on Amazon.
- jonnycoder 8y agoFully agree, and walmart online is an easy replacement and often less expensive.
- rhegart 8y agoThis is actually insane. I know how it’s so wrong, but I’ve always been curious at the inner workings of the behind the scenes things for the elite. It’s like a movie...good on Bezos for not giving in, hopefully we’ll see some justice here. Bad on him for cheating though
- dboreham 8y agoBaffling to see a _lawyer_ commit such an obvious and blatant opsec gaffe. Also: can of whup-ass duely opened...
- asdff 8y agoThere is always a market for a lawyer that will say "Sure, I'll do that."
- jamesrom 8y agoSomething about this begs belief. Stand by.
- ilovecaching 8y ago"Hey guys let's threaten one of the most powerful, shrewd businessman on the planet who has more money than God" Well, rest in peace, hope Bezos doesn't launch them into space.
- rhema 8y agoI know it's morally wrong to exploit people like Jeff Bezos. If he were some nobody, this would not be news. As it is, he is undoubtedly one of the richest and most influential people in the world. Because of this, his very human mistakes aired out in public seems tit-for-tat. This is the sword of Damocles in action. It's a natural disincentive for too much ambition and opulence.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- eanzenberg 8y agoThis is pretty disgusting, on the level of the "fappening". Can you imagine if the National Inquirer was blackmailing Jennifer Lawrence over her nude photos?
- ychen306 8y agounfortunately yes
- diogenescynic 8y agoTrump’s minion trying to blackmail Bezos because of the Washington Post’s investigations into the Trump admin. Just further evidence that Trump must be impeached, and sooner rather than later.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- ggm 8y agoI can relate to a plague on both their houses but it is important to worry a bit about 'law of unintended consequences' effects. Bezos is going to get something ordinary mortals cannot, (redress) because of his money. So he isn't a champion for fundamental rights against press abuse, he's a champion for millionaires rights. A real win here is for a global press industry to adopt redress measures ordinary people can use, and for stories to reflect fundamental truths, not twisted outcomes. Jeff is still a union-busting, extractive parasite in my personal opinion. He might have made a worldwide empire which drives the economy, but he also helped wreck small-town shopping alongside costco and walmart, and their international cohort of economically efficient traders. Its lovely to be able to buy anything. Its truly sad to walk past small town life consisting of boarded up shops.
- lxmorj 8y agoI don't buy that "buying your shit at huge markup from a local shop" is some great boone to a community. It's effectively a tax on everyone in town, subsidizing the one family that owns the shop. There are plenty of businesses that are more local-friendly, but household necessities aren't one of them.
- ggm 8y agoThat tax keeps people in jobs. That tax kept social capital i the town heart. The bigstore on the edge of town, and mail-order destroys social capital. I absolutely get the prices were higher. I have lived this experience in different times, and short of cash I resented paying that markup in the corner store. But now, older and I think a little wiser I realize that what I did, was suck energy out of the local community. I miss the corner store, and I miss fresh bread from a local baker, and I miss the small indie bookshop and record store. If the price of these things for a small town is a "tax" then can we be grown up and discuss the tax? I mean sure, you can drive the utility truck down the road to the costco, but what kind of a local are you, if the store-owner is on their hunkers because you stopped shopping? Are you a local at all?
- the_reformation 8y ago
- Waterluvian 8y agoThis seems like absolutely the right strategic move in his position.
- MisterOctober 8y agoAnother thing that strikes me is : Wouldn't that AMI lawyer feel embarrassed to type up that pathetic threat letter? "Hi, I am a high-powered attorney; my client has instructed me to describe some photographs of you that some may construe as naughty..." It just seems, I dunno, like beneath the dignity that one normally associates with being a lawyer? I mean damn, if that's what the job entails, I bet most people would rather drive a truck
- tw04 8y agoThe type of person who asks their lawyer to send a message like that probably only hires lawyers that are willing to send a message like that.
- Lorenzo45 8y agoHere's to hoping that this evidence gets us one step closer to impeaching Trump. The core theme of his letter seems to tie all of this back to the president.
- amrx431 8y agoRIP National Enquirer.
- AndrewKemendo 8y agoI've read both Bezos' letter and this article and I can't find what value this NYT article adds. There aren't any additional details, no comment from AMI or others, no additional context.