Jeff Bezos
(Picture: AP)Jeff Bezos is being blasted – both into space and by people who think he should keep both feet placed firmly on Earth.
The Amazon founder has attracted criticism for taking to space in the rocket New Shepard, owned by his company Blue Origin, because of the long-running complaints about working conditions at Amazon, and because his estimated fortune – $206bn – could probably resolve a lot of these issues.
Writing on Twitter, people showed how his jolly illustrates income inequality:
"Jeff I know we're here to talk about your space ship but can we discuss how you're the richest man in the world and you're making your drivers pee into bottles?" - something you probably won't see today while he's talking to literally every network
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) July 19, 2021
Tomorrow, Jeff Bezos will ride around on a rocketship for a little over 10 minutes.
— Andy Levin (@Andy_Levin) July 19, 2021
Amazon warehouse workers on “megacycle” shifts will be on their feet for 10 hours.
I’m fighting for an economy that values the dignity of their work, not the multiplication of his wealth.
Class warfare is Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Richard Branson becoming $250 billion richer during the pandemic, paying a lower tax rate than a nurse and racing to outer space while the planet burns and millions go without healthcare, housing and food. #TaxTheRich
— Warren Gunnels (@GunnelsWarren) July 18, 2021
Jeff Bezos is going into space tomorrow.
— Charles Preston (@_CharlesPreston) July 19, 2021
Yesterday, on earth, I saw a man search for food in a trash can.
Amazon has been criticised for years over the conditions for its workers, with reports of staff urinating in bottles for fear of missing delivery rates and regularly working 14-hour days. Meanwhile, Bezos, who has stepped down as Amazon CEO, saw his net worth increase by $70bn during the pandemic.
Responding to his critics, Bezos noted that they had a point. They are “largely right,” he said.
“We have to do both. We have lots of problems here and now on Earth and we need to work on those and we also need to look to the future, we’ve always done that as a species and as a civilization. We have to do both,” he said.
Bezos is not the only billionaire looking to escape the trappings of his home planet. Richard Branson flew to space in his own Virgin Galactic aircraft earlier this month.
He said it was the “experience of a lifetime” and hit back at critics who said the resources could have been used differently.
Bezos’ launch took place today. In an interview with CBS News, he said: “I’m excited. People keep asking me if I’m nervous. I’m not really nervous, I’m curious. I want to know what we’re going to learn.
“We’ve been training. This vehicle’s ready, this crew is ready, this team is amazing. We just feel really good about it.”
The future is now.
