Jeff Bezos Is 'Fascinating' Because Of 'Inspiration, Intimidation, Invention': Author Brad Stone Talks New Book 'Amazon Unbound'
(CBS Local)-- Amazon is one of the biggest companies in the world and its founder Jeff Bezos is currently the richest person in the world with a net worth of over $200 billion. The company and its CEO are the subject of new book from author Brad Stone called "Amazon Unbound." The book was published by Simon & Schuster and features a comprehensive history of the biggest moments in Amazon's history and conversations with current and former Amazon employees.
CBS Local's DJ Sixsmith spoke with Stone about why he decided to write another book on Amazon, what fascinates him the most about Bezos and how Amazon became ubiquitous.
"Amazon dominates our lives and it was a crutch during the pandemic and it raises questions about the dominance of one company and the power of one man," said Stone. "He is the wealthiest person in the world right now and Amazon is a force that deserves scrutiny. The book is an examination of how it happened and how Jeff Bezos amassed a $200 billion fortune."
Stone says the visible transformation of Amazon and Bezos himself happened right before our eyes. The author is most interested by how the Amazon CEO has been ready to meet every challenge he's faced along the way.
"He kind of has the whole package, the good and the bad," said Stone. "I write about the invention of the Alexa and that was kind of invention that sprung right out of his head. He literally sends an email to executives saying we should build a computer in the cloud that responds to voice commands. Then he runs meetings where he will rip up a document and throw it down the table because he is disappointed or spotted a mistake. It's that combination of inspiration and intimidation and invention that makes him such a fascinating character."
In his book, Stone writes in detail about major moments in the company's history like Bezos' purchase of the Washington Post, what inspired Amazon to buy Whole Foods and the search of Amazon's HQ2. The author hopes his book gives reader a look into why Amazon has become the company it is today and what is next for Bezos.
"Jeff Bezos has a philanthropic legacy that people are demanding he creates," said Stone. "He has amassed a $200 billion fortune and he has to give that money away. He has dedicated a lot of his time to that and fighting climate change. I will interpret that optimistically. You want to see him succeed with that. It will be an interesting second act and it will be interesting to see how to evolves."
"Amazon Unbound" is available now wherever books are sold.