Bezos sells another $1.8 billion in Amazon stock
Capitalism in space? Jeff Bezos last night sold just under a million shares of his Amazon stock, earning in cash an estimated $1.8 billion.
Unlike a similar sale of stock by Bezos last April, there is no statement from Bezos about what he intends to use the money for. Then Bezos made it clear that he intended to periodically sell his stock to raise money for Blue Origin and its various space ventures. Today’s sale was the third since he said this, with total earnings from all three sales totaling about $4 billion, and all are likely aimed at funding that space company.
I might have increasing concerns about Blue Origin because of what appears to be a stalled rollout of New Shepard and New Glenn, but with deep pockets such as this, it would be surprising if the company fails to achieve its goals.
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Capitalism in space? Jeff Bezos last night sold just under a million shares of his Amazon stock, earning in cash an estimated $1.8 billion.
Unlike a similar sale of stock by Bezos last April, there is no statement from Bezos about what he intends to use the money for. Then Bezos made it clear that he intended to periodically sell his stock to raise money for Blue Origin and its various space ventures. Today’s sale was the third since he said this, with total earnings from all three sales totaling about $4 billion, and all are likely aimed at funding that space company.
I might have increasing concerns about Blue Origin because of what appears to be a stalled rollout of New Shepard and New Glenn, but with deep pockets such as this, it would be surprising if the company fails to achieve its goals.
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
Do we witness in the case of Bezos the transformation of a billionaire into a millionaire as a result of space obsession ?
Do we witness in the case of Bezos the transformation of a billionaire into a millionaire as a result of space obsession ?
Do we witness in the case of Bezos the transformation of a billionaire into a millionaire as a result of space obsession ?
Nibor brings up the old joke, how do you make a million dollars launching rockets? Start with a billion dollars…
Bezos has his new, lady friend to take care of. A couple hundred million probably headed that way.
Some hobbies are more expensive than others.
“The only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys”
Ya, know, despite any foolishness we may see, it’s his money. If he wants to blow on fast cars, fast horses and fast women, a failing space company or even to make a pile of $100 bills, dose it with gasoline and set it alight, he’s got every right.
” …with deep pockets such as this, it would be surprising if the company fails to achieve its goals.”
Bob, I’m asking this seriously, I forget (or never knew), just what are its goals?
Col Beausabre: At first it looked like Bezos wanted to make money from space, with New Shepard and New Glenn. Then he seemed to shift to a desire to provide services for the government, military and civilian.
More recently, I’m not sure. He talks publicly a lot about getting civilization into space to save the Earth, but how he intends to do this is now unclear.
I have mentioned before that there is a difference in philosophies between Blue Origin and SpaceX. SpaceX depends upon rapid development, because it does not have the deep pockets of NASA or of Bezos; SpaceX has a sense of urgency with its projects, and it cancels anything that stops being seen as profitable or contributory (e.g. Falcon 1, Falcon 5, unmanned Dragon to Mars as a lander/probe, and propulsive landing for Crewed Dragon). Blue Origin can afford to take its time developing a project, just as NASA has not been urgent with SLS.
In an ironic way, a lack of resources became a SpaceX strength. An abundance of resources has resulted in a lack of urgency at Blue Origin, slowing the rate of development.
Col Beausabre asked: “Bob, I’m asking this seriously, I forget (or never knew), just what are its goals?”
Bezos has made clear that he wants to get people back onto the Moon.
This is a goal similar to Musk’s desire to get people onto Mars. There has been much debate as to which goal we should do first (by “we” people have meant NASA), but it is clear that this has been a moot debate for several years. We have people — or companies — with the desire and means to do each one, so my view on this is that we are now in a race between two private firms, not governments, to see which goal we achieve first (by “we” I mean free market capitalists — capitalism in space).
The only thing more expensive than marriage is divorce, so perhaps that has something to do with this sale not being publicly explained.
I don’t knock someone whose lifestyle I aspire to though, so no criticism from me : )
Has there been any indication as to why New Shepard (in particular) has been so stalled in development? I could see an unforeseen problem w/ the BE-4 slowing down New Glenn, but NS seems to be working well.
Why does it have such a lackadaisical launch schedule?