Jeff Bezos posted a heartfelt Instagram thanking retiring Washington Post executive editor Marty Baron: 'You are both swashbuckling and careful'

• Amazon CEO and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos praised retiring editor Marty Baron in an Instagram post.
• "You leave behind a newsroom that is bigger and stronger and more thoughtful than ever," Bezos wrote.
• Baron will retire are the end of February. The Post has not announced his successor.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos praised Washington Post editor Marty Baron, calling him "swashbuckling and careful" in an Instagram post honoring Baron's retirement.

Baron, who has served as executive editor of the Post for the past eight years, announced Tuesday he would retire from his position at the end of February.

"The experience has been deeply meaningful, enriched by colleagues who made me a better professional and a better person. At age 66, I feel ready to move on," Baron wrote in an email to the Post's newsroom, which was shared by publisher Fred Ryan.

The Post has yet to name Baron's successor.

Read more: Washington Post insiders are speculating over who might replace its revered editor Marty Baron and how the paper will adapt to the post-Trump era

Shortly after the news was announced, Bezos posted a heartfelt message to Baron on his Instagram account, thanking him for his tenure at the paper.

"You leave behind a newsroom that is bigger and stronger and more thoughtful than ever," Bezos wrote. "You led with integrity, always - even when it was exhausting (which it often was). You are both swashbuckling and careful. You are disciplined and empathetic."

Bezos added: "You will be missed so much. Not just your intellect but also - and most hard to replace - your heart."

You can read the full message below:

A post shared by Jeff Bezos (@jeffbezos)

Bezos became the sole owner of the Post in 2013 when he bought the paper and some affiliated publications for $250 million. Donald Graham, the paper's former publisher, said at the time that while the Post would have likely continued to survive and be profitable, "we wanted to do more than survive."

Bezos told Business Insider in a 2014 interview that while he didn't know anything about the newspaper business, "I did know something about the internet. That, combined with the financial runway that I can provide, is the reason why I bought The Post." Bezos has famously said that he didn't do any due diligence before buying the paper.

Since then, Bezos has taken a hands-on approach to the business and technology sides of the Post, spearheading a turnaround for the nearly 150-year-old publication.

Though Bezos is not involved in dictating the paper's editorial direction, it became a point of contention during former President Donald Trump's administration. Trump made Bezos and the Post a frequent target, frequently tweeting that the paper spread "fake news" or served as Amazon's "chief lobbyist."