Why Doesn’t a Politically Independent Billionaire Buy The Washington Post?

And why does Jeff Bezos hold on to a money-losing paper that invites political risk?

I often wonder why a politically independent billionaire hasn’t stepped forward to buy The Washington Post from Jeff Bezos — someone with no political agenda, no corporate axe to grind, just a desire to protect journalism as a public good.
Surely, it would be a noble cause. The Post, like many other legacy newspapers, is financially underwhelming. Quality journalism is expensive, slow to monetize, and constantly under threat from clickbait competition. So why hasn’t someone — say, a tech founder who cashed out and wants to give back — taken it over?
One answer is simple: independence is rare. Most billionaires have strong ideological or business interests. The idea of buying a paper to protect democracy, not control the narrative, is unfortunately out of fashion. For many, it’s just not worth the scrutiny, hassle, or political crossfire.
Which brings me back to Bezos.
Why does a man known for ruthless efficiency keep a sentimental asset that hemorrhages money and makes him a target in Washington?
It’s not about profit. It’s about soft power. Owning The Washington Post gives Bezos influence in ways that Amazon stock cannot. It helps him shape the broader narrative around tech, taxes, regulation, and his own legacy. When the media storms gather around Amazon’s labor practices or antitrust scrutiny, it doesn’t hurt to be in the media tent, rather than outside of it.
There’s also ego. Let’s not pretend otherwise. Owning a historic paper like The Post places Bezos among the pantheon of media barons — Hearst, Sulzberger, Murdoch. He’s not just building rockets and supply chains. He’s building a legacy.
So yes, The Washington Post may be losing money. But for Bezos, it yields something more valuable than quarterly returns: influence, protection, and prestige.
Until someone with both the money and the moral independence comes along to buy it and restore a more nonpartisan role for this vital institution, The Post will remain what it is today — a powerful tool in the hands of one of the world’s richest men.