Bezos says AI will help while defending billionaires

Bezos defends – In a wide-ranging interview, Jeff Bezos defended billionaires against mounting public anger, argued the U.S. should ease taxes for lower earners, and rejected claims about “buy, borrow, die” tax tactics. He also pushed back on fears that AI will cost jobs, say

Jeff Bezos didn’t start his defense of billionaires with a slogan. He started with a story about two different American lives.

“It’s kind of a tale of two economies,” Bezos told CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin, after being asked about growing criticism toward billionaires. “You have a bunch of people in this country who are doing really well, but you also have a bunch of people in this country who are struggling.”

From there. the Amazon and Blue Origin founder shifted into arguments that have become central to his public fight with critics: taxes should follow economic fairness at the lower end. the rich are being “vilified. ” and big fears—about AI and about billionaires gaming the system—don’t match what he says is happening.

Bezos backed a tax idea that resembles proposals promoted by some Democrats: eliminating income taxes for the bottom half of U.S. earners. He framed it with a specific example he said would be recognizable to many households.

“A nurse in Queens who makes $75,000 a year pays more than $12,000 a year in taxes,” Bezos said. “Does that really make sense?”

He then pivoted to a broader charge that the political response to inequality is misdirected. After acknowledging financial strain for many Americans, Bezos accused politicians of using an “age-old technique” of “picking a villain and pointing fingers.”

“The problem is, that doesn’t solve anything,” Bezos said.

That view shaped how he responded to recent celebrity-style battles between billionaires and officials. Bezos criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani over a much-discussed video calling out billionaire Citadel CEO Ken Griffin while unveiling a new pied-à-terre tax.

“It isn’t right” for the mayor to “stand in front of Ken Griffin’s house and act like he is some kind of villain,” Bezos said. “Ken Griffin isn’t a villain, he hasn’t hurt anybody, he’s not hurting New York, in fact quite the opposite.”

Asked whether his proposal to cut lower-income Americans’ taxes should come with higher rates for top earners, Bezos said it’s a debate worth having—but he objected to the tone of the fight.

“We already have the most progressive tax system in the world,” he added, arguing that overspending, not revenue, is the root of the country’s fiscal problems.

He also pushed back against a direct accusation that has dogged him in particular: that he doesn’t pay enough.

“People sometimes say that, you know, I don’t pay taxes. Not true. I pay billions of dollars in taxes,” Bezos said.

Bezos argued that simply raising his taxes wouldn’t fix what people are struggling with day to day. “You could double the taxes I pay, and it’s not going to help that teacher in Queens. I promise you.”

Mamdani responded later Wednesday in an X post: “I know a few teachers in Queens who would beg to differ.”

The interview also tackled what Bezos said is driving the pressure people feel—starting with rent. He blamed high rent prices on government intervention in markets.

Bezos said there is “way too much influence in politics” from corporations and, in some cases, wealthy people. But he also called out unions for political interference.

He was equally blunt in denying a popular claim about billionaire tax strategy: “buy, borrow, die,” in which some say the wealthy can borrow against their assets to lower their tax burden.

“There’s no truth to this ‘buy, borrow, die’ thing. I don’t even know where this comes from,” Bezos said. He added. “I’m selling Amazon stock routinely.” When Sorkin pointed out that Elon Musk. the world’s richest man. takes out large loans against his stock. Bezos said. “I’m a little skeptical that that’s a true loophole. but if it is. can we fix it?. Then we should.”.

Even then, Bezos insisted the broader question wouldn’t change what matters most to everyday workers.

“That nurse in Queens … it’s not going to help her at all,” he said.

And when it came to the moral argument at the center of much of today’s anger—whether billionaires’ wealth can be earned fairly—Bezos rejected the premise. He said it’s “not correct on its face” that wealth at that scale can never be fairly earned. and he pointed to big consumer businesses as an illustration.

He named fast-food chains In-N-Out Burger and Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers.

“The way … you make $1 billion, or $100 million or $10 million or anything, is you create a service that people love, and if millions of people choose your service, you’re going to end up with a billion dollars,” Bezos said. “Just try it with a chicken franchise.”

That sense of confidence extended to his argument about AI—an area where public perception has shifted sharply downward in recent months. While many people fear AI will displace workers, Bezos dismissed that concern and said the technology will instead augment employees and strengthen the economy.

“I think those people are dead wrong,” he said of AI naysayers. “What’s really going to happen is that it’s going to elevate all of these people.”

He predicted AI-driven productivity gains, including deflation across a range of goods and services—but only if the country allows the technology to develop without rushing into regulation.

“Let this technology play out and don’t hamstring it with regulation too early,” he said.

His optimism arrives as surveys show anxiety, not excitement, about AI. A Pew Research Center survey found half of U.S. adults are more concerned than excited about AI’s increased use in daily life. Respondents pointed to potential harms of AI on creativity and relationships and expressed pessimism about its impact on education and jobs.

Public worry has also grown around AI infrastructure—particularly the rapid expansion of AI data centers that can span hundreds of thousands of square feet. prompting backlash from people concerned about impacts on nearby residents. And fears about labor disruption have concentrated on coding work as AI tools accelerate.

Bezos addressed that directly, saying AI coding tools are not a threat to software engineers. He referred to tools from companies like Anthropic and Cursor, and to the broader trend where tech companies tout productivity while cost-cutting efforts have led to mass layoffs.

“It’s just that the work is going to be done at a higher level,” Bezos said. “It’s going to be done with a bulldozer instead of a shovel, and that’s going to be a good thing.”

He also turned to politics. telling Sorkin he believes President Donald Trump is a “more mature. more disciplined version of himself than he was in his first term.” Bezos said Trump has “lots of good ideas” and that he has been “right about a lot of things. ” and credited him accordingly. without offering specifics.

Bezos noted that Trump’s second-term administration has repeatedly pushed into free-market areas to boost certain companies, including Intel and Boeing to U.S. Steel.

He rejected accusations that Amazon’s decision to release a pricey documentary on first lady Melania Trump was intended to curry favor with the president. “The Melania thing is a falsehood that will not die,” he said.

Bezos framed his efforts as nonpartisan. He said he has been in touch with former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and argued that business leaders should provide input into an administration regardless of who the president is.

“We need our business leaders to provide input into the administration, regardless of who the president is,” he said. “I’m on the side of America,” he added, insisting that business leaders should be, too.

The through-line in Bezos’s argument was clear: criticism of billionaires may feel morally urgent to many Americans, but he kept returning to a different priority—lowering taxes for working people, removing what he calls market distortions, and allowing AI to develop without heavy early restraints.

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