Speculation heightens following the billionaire’s surprise visit to the Post last week

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After telling senior staff last week that the Washington Post is not for sale, Amazon owner Jeff Bezos may be quietly considering unloading it to grease the skids for a purchase the NFL’s Washington Commanders from Dan Snyder, who despises the hometown paper, the New York Post reported Monday.

“Chatter is growing that Amazon’s billionaire founder is looking to clear the way for a purchase of the Washington Commanders by selling the Washington Post — with speculation boosted last month by leaked video of publisher Fred Ryan disclosing layoff plans at an unruly town hall meeting,” the New York Post reported.

The Washington Post dismissed the speculation outright, with Vice President, Communications Shani George writing in an email that “The Washington Post is not for sale.”

The report cites an anonymous source “close to the situation” who said a “logical bidder” for the Washington newspaper believes it is indeed for sale, and plans on making a bid. The source did not tell the New York Post who the bidder was, however.

Another source told the New York Post that “Bezos told the paper’s senior staff in private meetings that he had no plans to sell.” The report suggests that Bezos would need to unload the Post as a condition for Snyder, whose hatred of the paper is no secret.

Snyder has been openly critical of the paper since it published exposes levying allegations of toxic management throughout the NFL team’s organization. Media observers have gone so far as to suggest the reporting was intentional – alleging Bezos “encouraged the tough coverage in 2020 in a bid to force (Snyder) to sell him the team.”

Bezos bought the Washington Post a decade ago for $250 million. Last week, a staffer donning a t-shirt with the logo of the Post’s Guild union confronted Bezos about the rumored layoffs.

Messages sent to Amazon and the Washington Post were not immediately returned Monday.

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