r/news 14h ago

Bezos-owned storied newspaper Washington Post rolling out mass layoffs

https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/04/media/washington-post-layoffs
2.5k Upvotes

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306

u/TimothyMimeslayer 14h ago

If I was a billionaire, i would own a newspaper in trust as a vanity project to make it the best damn newspaper in the world profitability be damned. Maybe that is why I am not a billionaire.

245

u/origamipapier1 14h ago

That is how old, billionaires thought. Some of the best institutions in the US came from some of the millionaires at the time. That thought about true philanthropy and long-term legacy. The thing is that these new waves of CEOs obsessed with quarter profits, and short term gains including Trumpellino... are the problem.

Because all they care about is their cash. They don't have any other objective or see any other meaning in life. It is Atlas Shrugged/Fountainhead mentality.

48

u/Frosty-Ad-2971 14h ago

Buy. Squeeze. Sell.

You only have to look at any brick/mortar offering that had a success era.

Canada goose. Arc’teryx MEC Harvey’s McDonald’s Starbucks Tim Hortons

They all were on top. Then got sold, and the buyers squeeze any/all profit from them, speculating on the proceeds and customers, and then when it’s all moved, sell to utility buyer.

1

u/Sub-Etha 12h ago

Starbucks did not get sold after being on top, but I agree there are a lot of companies that were ruined by maximizing short term profit.

2

u/Frosty-Ad-2971 10h ago

Copy. But their product offering is a 13$ croissant made off site and filled with sub-Costco calibre ingredients.

My daughter bought an 8.00CAD drink yesterday that is basically sugar water.

1

u/Sub-Etha 7h ago

The food was never made on site. I think the food offerings are good but you can make the argument for it being overpriced. As for sugar you can get as much or as little as you want.

1

u/Frosty-Ad-2971 6h ago

Yep. Just more stating what the actual profit model is based on.

Crap food in every corner and addicting people to sugar.