REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
- Jeff Bezos' phone was hacked in 2018 after receiving a WhatsApp message from Mohammed bin Salman, according to an explosive new report from The Guardian, which cites multiple sources familiar with the investigation.
- Bezos reportedly had a friendly texting exchange with bin Salman, after which Salman's sent a video file - believed to be malicious - that compromised Bezos' phone when opened.
- "Large amounts of data" were extracted from Bezos' phone in a matter of hours, according to the report, but it's not clear what information was compromised.
- The report suggests that Saudi officials may have gained private information about Bezos before The National Enquirer published a story about his extramarital relationship last January.
- Bezos' attorney declined to comment, and Saudi Arabia has yet to comment on The Guardian's report.
- Visit Business Insider for more stories.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos was reportedly hacked by Saudi Arabia crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2018, according to a new bombshell report from The Guardian's Stephanie Kirchgaessner.
Citing unnamed sources with knowledge of an international investigation into the hacking, The Guardian report reveals that Bezos' phone was infiltrated after opening a malicious video file sent from the crown prince's number on WhatsApp.
The two men reportedly had a seemingly friendly texting exchange on WhatsApp on May 1, 2018, after which an unsolicited video file was sent from bin Salman's account. After Bezos opened the file, data was rapidly extracted from his personal phone, according to the report.
Saudi Arabia has yet to comment on The Guardian's report, while an attorney for Bezos declined to comment beyond saying Bezos was cooperating with investigations.
Representatives for Bezos and the Saudi Arabian government did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
Bezos' own team begain investigating his phone last January after The National Enquirer published a story exposing his extramarital affair.
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