Noah Romsdal Hallundbæk Sørensen
Jeff Bezos is stepping deeper into the AI race, co-leading a massive $6.2 billion venture.
Jeff Bezos steps back into an operational role with a major new AI venture, according to a report from the New York Times.
The initiative signals a fresh push into advanced engineering technologies. Details about the startup’s scope and internal structure remain closely held.
Leadership team
The New York Times report said Bezos will share the top job at an emerging artificial-intelligence company called Project Prometheus, which is designed to develop AI tools for industries such as automotive, aerospace and high-end computing. The newspaper cited three people familiar with the effort.
The New York Times also reported that, the startup has secured about $6.2 billion in funding, part of which comes from the Amazon founder himself. That scale of investment places the new firm among the most heavily backed early-stage tech companies globally.
Reuters reported that it could not independently confirm the Times’ reporting. Bezos and his representatives did not immediately reply.
Co-lead with scientist
Bezos will share leadership duties with Vik Bajaj, a scientist with a background in both physics and chemistry. Bajaj previously worked alongside Google co-founder Sergey Brin within Google X.
The new company has already assembled roughly 100 employees, including researchers recruited from several leading AI groups such as OpenAI, DeepMind and Meta.
Back in the operator seat
The move marks Bezos’ most direct re-entry into day-to-day tech management in years, reflecting broader trends of big-name founders turning to AI ventures.
Should the reporting hold, it would be Bezos hasn’t held a hands-on executive position since leaving Amazon in mid-2021 since he left his role as Amazon’s chief executive in mid-2021. While he remains closely linked to his space company, Blue Origin, he holds the title of founder rather than an active management post.
The Times report places Project Prometheus in a competitive market where established giants — including Microsoft-supported OpenAI, Meta and Google — are vying with a wave of smaller startups racing to produce new AI systems.
Sources: The New York Times, Reuters.
