'I still tap dance into the office': Jeff Bezos joked about his sex text saga during an Amazon staff meeting
- Jeff Bezos joked about his rough start to the year in an all-hands Amazon meeting last week, according to CNBC.
- The Amazon CEO reassured staff that he remains focused on his job and said he still does a "tap dance into the office" every morning.
- Investigators are still working on Bezos' behalf to establish exactly how and why his texts to Lauren Sanchez were leaked to US tabloid The National Enquirer.
Jeff Bezos may have had a tumultuous start to 2019, but he can still see the funny side.
That's according to CNBC, which obtained a recording of an all-hands Amazon meeting last week, in which Bezos joked about the saga of his sex texts to TV presenter Lauren Sanchez.
During the meeting, Bezos asked how the start of the year had been for employees, before referring to his own circumstances, which has seen his intimate messages beamed across the world after they were obtained by the National Enquirer.
"If you don't mind, just raise your hand, if maybe - just maybe - you've had a better start to your 2019 than I have. Anybody?" Bezos asked staff, according to CNBC. "I noticed that a couple hands didn't come up - I'm sorry for you guys."
The founding CEO then sought to calm any nerves about his commitment and focus to Amazon, the world's third most valuable company after Microsoft and Apple. Bezos said that he still goes to work with a spring in his step.
"I am as engaged and focused on Amazon as ever. I still tap dance into the office. I get to work with remarkable people. I get to live and work in the future. And that's where I like to be, so thank you," he reportedly said.
The Bezos sex text investigation continues
While Bezos had a reassuring message for staff, investigators are still working on his behalf to establish exactly how and why his texts to Sanchez were leaked to the Enquirer.
The investigation is being led by Gavin de Becker, a longtime ally of Bezos. He has concluded that Sanchez's brother, Michael Sanchez, leaked the written messages to the Enquirer, while his attentions have turned to Saudi Arabia as to the reason why the publication was so sweet on the story.
Vanity Fair reported that de Becker is preparing a 90-page report that is expected to accuse the Enquirer of running the story as a favor to its Saudi investors. Bezos has also hinted at Saudi motives for wanting to smear his reputation, writing in a now-famous Medium blog post that his ownership of The Washington Post is a "complexifier."
"The Post's essential and unrelenting coverage of the murder of its columnist Jamal Khashoggi is undoubtedly unpopular in certain circles," Bezos said.
Saudi Arabia has denied any involvement in the story. "I've been watching it on television and reading about it in the paper. This is something between the two parties. We have nothing to do with it," said minister of state for foreign affairs, Adel al-Jubeir, last month.