What Jeff Bezos really thinks of Elon Musk's close ties with Trump?

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Blue Origin and Amazon, has dismissed concerns that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk might use his ties with US President-elect Donald Trump to undermine Blue Origin.

Bezos who recently witnessed the debut launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, shared his thoughts on the future of space exploration and the influence of Elon Musk during an interview with Reuters.

“Elon has been very clear that he’s doing this for the public interest and not for personal gain,” Bezos said. “And I take him at face value,” he added.

Musk, a prominent figure in the space industry, has reportedly had significant influence on Trump’s space policies. Last month, Musk advocated for bypassing the moon and prioritising missions to Mars, a stance that has raised concerns about potential disruptions to Nasa’s space exploration plans.

Bezos offered a contrasting view, calling for a balanced approach. “We need to go to the moon and Mars. What we shouldn’t do is start and stop projects. The lunar program must continue,” he said.

Blue Origin, founded by Bezos in 2000, is set to challenge SpaceX’s dominance with its New Glenn rocket, a massive 30-story vehicle designed to launch satellites. The company also holds a $3 billion contract with Nasa to land humans on the moon later this decade, following SpaceX’s Starship missions.

Despite concerns over Musk’s influence, Bezos expressed optimism about the incoming administration’s space agenda, highlighting the importance of collaboration and steady progress in advancing humanity’s reach into space.

Amazon has also contributed $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund and will stream the event on its Prime Video platform.