Pecker exposed as Bezos stands firm against Enquirer threats
IF THERE is one thing becoming the world’s richest person teaches, it’s survival.
In a world where billionaires are vilified as lame, unethical and selfish as socialism becomes the new chic, Jeff Bezos, personifies how to withstand whatever life throws at him.
He is the Bear Grylls of Silicon Valley.
But even by Bezos’ standards, he has endured a traumatic month.
He survived a spectacular attempt by US tabloid magazine the National Enquirer, run by Donald Trump’s former pal David Pecker, to ruin him as they revealed his affair with married TV host Lauren Sanchez.
It was humiliating enough for him to announce his split from his wife, MacKenzie, but Bezos was able to bring his marriage to an end with a modicum of dignity.
Within hours, however, it was followed by lurid details of his relationship with Sanchez.
But, after launching an investigation to discover who leaked his tell-all texts about his extra-marital affair to the magazine, he was then the target of a further assault from The Enquirer.
Last week Bezos, who owns The Washington Post, was threatened that if he refused to stop trying to find the source of the story and stop his newspaper’s attacks on the magazine, X-rated pictures he had exchanged with Sanchez would be published.
It was, in his own words, blackmail and extortion.
Again, Bezos’ superior survival senses kicked in. He refused to be cowed and instead decided to publish the emails The Enquirer had sent to him.
“I prefer to stand up, roll this log over, and see what crawls out,” he wrote.
The billionaire’s actions shined a light on the magazine’s dubious practices.
For too long the magazine has threatened those who have been unable to fight back into submission. This is one Pecker we’re all happy to
see exposed.