The FBI still hasn't found proof that Saudi Arabia hacked Jeff Bezos' phone and isn't prioritizing that theory, report says

• The National Enquirer published intimate texts exposing Bezos' affair with Lauren Sanchez in 2019.
• Bezos' team accused Saudi Arabia of hacking his phone and leaking the texts to the tabloid.

The FBI is yet to find proof to substantiate claims that Saudi Arabia hacked Jeff Bezos phone, and is considering an investigation into those allegations a low priority, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Bezos, the founder of Amazon, accused the National Enquirer of trying to extort him in February 2019 after the outlet published intimate texts that exposed his extramarital affair with Lauren Sanchez.

• In a blog post, Bezos said that AMI, the National Enquirer's parent company, had taken "various actions ... on behalf of the Saudi Government."
• Gavin de Becker, the head of Bezos' security team, told The Daily Beast in March 2019 that he believed the "Saudis had access to Bezos' phone, and gained private information."
• A year later, The Guardian reported that a new digital analysis showed Bezos' phone was compromised by a WhatsApp message sent by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
• The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC, said in January 2020 the idea that it was involved in the leak was "absurd."

The FBI began investigating the hacking theory after the National Enquirer story was published, The Journal reported. During the investigation, Bezos held meetings with federal investigators at least once, the outlet said.

The FBI didn't examine Bezos phone as part of the investigation, The Journal said. The newspaper added that it is not uncommon for the FBI to not have access to devices during investigations and that it didn't try "jailbreaking" the phone — meaning to access a locked device without using the password — to get information. It is unclear if "jailbreaking" phones is a common tactic used by the FBI.

However, the bureau did not prioritize an investigation into whether the Saudis hacked Bezos' phone, and did not go to great lengths to examine the theory, The Journal reported. The bureau also hasn't resolved whether the Saudis were involved in the hack, the newspaper reported.

"The FBI was never full throttle," a source told The Journal, adding that this was the case because Bezos wasn't a government official or lawmaker.

The FBI, Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC, and Amazon did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

In his 2019 blog post, Bezos accused AMI of "extortion and blackmail," saying the company threatened to publicly embarrass him unless he came out to publicly say he had no "knowledge of basis" that the National Enquirer was "politically motivated or influenced by political forces."

The Washington Post, which Bezos owns, had previously covered the paper's dealings with then-President Donald Trump.

After Bezos made the claim about AMI, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York opened an investigation into the newspaper, but recently closed it without bringing any charges, The Journal reported, citing sources.

Those prosecutors concluded that the intimate data was leaked by Michael Sanchez, the brother of Lauren Sanchez, The Journal reported, citing its sources.

Michael Sanchez did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Earlier this year The Journal reported that the Enquirer paid Michael Sanchez $200,000 for Bezos' personal information.

Bezos announced he was divorcing his wife, Mackenzie Scott, on January 9, 2019, the same day the National Enquirer story went live.