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Jeff Bezos Thanks Amazon Employees, Customers Who 'Paid' For Space Launch

The billionaire’s comments sparked criticism online.
Elyse Wanshel
By 

Senior Reporter, HuffPost

LOADINGERROR LOADING

Is he Sirius?

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos accomplished the mission of annoying many at a press conference Tuesday for his private rocket company Blue Origin, which made a brief flight into space earlier that day.

“I want to thank every Amazon employee and every Amazon customer because you guys paid for all of this,” the billionaire said.

.@JeffBezos speaking truth after successful #BlueOrigin flight:

“I also want to thank every Amazon employee and every Amazon customer because you guys paid for all of this.” https://t.co/hMS01eRzMs pic.twitter.com/3CueAOX9M8

— Dan Linden (@DanLinden) July 20, 2021

And although the remark seemed to have been in jest, many on Twitter didn’t find it funny.

Space Cowboy Jeff Bezos cuts a heel promo immediately after returning from space…

“Hey… THANKS FOR PAYING FOR MY SPACE FUN NERDS” pic.twitter.com/kkvB90PMiZ

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) July 20, 2021

Jeff Bezos really was like "your stolen wages made this possible!"

— Wagatwe Wanjuki 🇰🇪 🇧🇸 (@wagatwe) July 20, 2021

Jeff Bezos's space flight lasted 11 minutes. On average he has gotten $1.6 million richer every 11 minutes in the pandemic.

An Amazon warehouse employee could work 50 years and still wouldn't make $1.6 million. And they get no paid sick leave in a pandemic.

— Dan Price (@DanPriceSeattle) July 20, 2021

Jeff Bezos busted unions so that the personal wealth he gained as a shareholder from paying his workers lower wages would, among other things, fund his trip to space. https://t.co/JYJQYYVY3h

— Matt Pearce 🦅 (@mattdpearce) July 20, 2021

Jeff Bezos just articulated the honest truth too few of us in the media are willing to voice: his trip was paid for not only by Amazon customers but also by Amazon employees — in the form of wages and protections withheld. pic.twitter.com/524mH61MCT

— Anand Giridharadas @ The.Ink (@AnandWrites) July 20, 2021

Correction: employees didn’t pay for this — their wages were stolen to pay for a billionaire’s space vacation.

Jeff Bezos can thank his workers by treating them with dignity and paying them fair wages….and he can thank us all by paying his damn taxes. https://t.co/tDrrDlOYq5

— Nina Turner (@ninaturner) July 20, 2021

Jeff Bezos has crushed unionizing attempts for decades.

Amazon workers don't need Bezos to thank them. They need him to stop union busting — and pay them what they deserve. https://t.co/HwHYibghHl

— Robert Reich (@RBReich) July 20, 2021

Jeff Bezos was in space for longer than Amazon workers get to pee

— Adam (@adamgreattweet) July 20, 2021

Bezos’ e-commerce giant has a history of treating its employees badly. Amazon employees have reported of high rates of injuries, grueling work conditions and lack of protection during the coronavirus pandemic.

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