Jeff Bezos In 1999 On Amazon's Plans Before The Dotcom Crash

Jeff Bezos explained his ambitious vision for Amazon in a 1999 interview. He made clear the company’s focus was on “great customer service” and discussed his real estate strategy. Bezos said, “There’s no guarantee that Amazon.com can be a successful company. What we’re trying to do is very complicated.” He added, “Scale is important to us and we’re going to go after that kind of scale.”
» Subscribe to CNBC: cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBC
About CNBC: From 'Wall Street' to 'Main Street' to award winning original documentaries and Reality TV series, CNBC has you covered. Experience special sneak peeks of your favorite shows, exclusive video and more.
Connect with CNBC News Online
Get the latest news: www.cnbc.com/
Follow CNBC on LinkedIn: cnb.cx/LinkedInCNBC
Follow CNBC News on Facebook: cnb.cx/LikeCNBC
Follow CNBC News on Twitter: cnb.cx/FollowCNBC
Follow CNBC News on Google+: cnb.cx/PlusCNBC
Follow CNBC News on Instagram: cnb.cx/InstagramCNBC
#CNBC
Jeff Bezos In 1999 On Amazon's Plans Before The Dotcom Crash

[@wolfgangkeyser3970]

Jeff Bezos's mother: "OMG, he is about to say his first words!" 10 month old Jeff: "The key is customer service"

[@lordfarqward8227]

Loool

[@newsables5181]

Jeff Bezos 1997 Interview kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5u2i2VqrK2njtk

[@ahauntinglybeautifulmelody]

Lmaooo good one

[@rkrkrkrkrk111]

lmao😂💯

[@Musicsperfection09]

Lmaoo

[@sanjidnet]

Legend has it Jeff is still maintaining eye contact with the interviewer

[@SuperGrimfandango]

LOL!

[@jonathanr0824]

haha good 1

[@i6tir]

Even through his window, at night.

[@sanjidnet]

i 6tir lol yeah

[@badsanta2880]

Sanjid Rahman 😂

[@Bdhacker101]

Interviewer: So Jeff, how did you meet your first wife? Jeff: *She was my first customer*

[@sroy7982]

Sounds sus😂

[@tevonbannister8179]

Ayoooo lmaoooo

[@DM-hm4us]

*I was her first customer

[@divakhaleesi8657]

Not true she helped him start the company

[@user-sz9ff6op8m]

Got me dead

[@desimo147]

You could just see the drive and determination within him during this interview to turn Amazon into what it is today. I bet he was working 100 hr weeks back in those days.

[@hahaha5637]

yeah, he's both focused and intelligent, I don't why people laugh at him about repetitively saying customers, he's doing the right thing

[@icedcoldkilla]

Employee: Am I fired? Jeff: No, you're promoted to customer.

[@mavevictor]

the best 🤣 i'll save it for my portfolio

[@ChibDibs]

lmao

[@emmaphilo4049]

Lollll

[@sarah_lee5150]

😂😂😂😂

[@Zach-lw5ii]

lmfao this actually made me laugh. best one

[@kmd4614]

If another guy explains his business plan with that kind of eye contact and belief, we better go buy some of his stocks.

[@cryptosavy9716]

Exactly, that man had determination in his eyes.

[@callumosullivan7546]

stone cold eye

[@serventmike521]

@@cryptosavy9716 He had no soul in his eyes.

[@tim2520]

Check the CEO and founder of Yext. I have not seen that passion and determination for a while now

[@futurevspast32]

Tesla spacex just to name a few

[@shayneoneill1506]

The interesting thing about amazon is at this point people still percieved them as a small online book store. But 3000 employees and a million+ sq feet of distro centers, in *1999* is huge, for the time.

[@HONORTONUMERIC123]

Yup.... That's right....

[@77LUCKYNUMBER77]

almost feels like they wanted to keep amazon low profile, so retail investors wouldn't buy stocks in order to profit off of it...

[@stevew3947]

Just like Tesla today

[@Adam-uz3hj]

@@stevew3947 Tesla has 100k employees and 100s of billions in market cap wtf are you on about lmao

[@stevew3947]

@@Adam-uz3hj come back to this comment in 2055 and see how it aged.... that would be the correct comparison to the one above....

[@larslover6559]

Love him or hate him: a heck of a businessman.

[@jupiterjones3789]

He's the purest of all businsspeople, he analysed the market and the business sharply and acted on that

[@Cuckold_Cockles]

who cares?

[@businessmanager7670]

@@Cuckold_Cockles nobody cares about your comment. people do care about jeff bezos more than your random comment because of his achievements lol

[@jianwei2009]

I’m a firm believer that a company that is obsessed with its customers shall never perish from the planet. There are just too many companies like most car dealership, want to do nothing but cheat their customers😂

[@rodd555]

One could argue he knew what he was talking about for sure

[@icedcoldkilla]

Interviewer: youre losing hair jeff Jeff: i gave it to my customers

[@may4081]

😭

[@patricksyngre]

🤣😂😂😂😂😂

[@evanjanko5975]

All about the customer service

[@Learnsteno44654]

😂

[@fynkozari9271]

Its true, he cares more about customers more than employees. I watched the news. Why cant he care for both?

[@caninho1]

How are you jeff? - it doesnt matter how i feel. but the question is: how does the customer feel?

[@quigon6838]

question is definitely not how do my employees feel

[@Mii.2.0]

@Dex4Sure They have higher minimum wage for sure, but nothing else. 🤔

[@Mii.2.0]

@Dex4Sure I didn't say they should be paid as much as the CEO...

[@martinvannostrand8488]

Jeff should ask “how does the worker feel?”

[@Rick-xx2ck]

@@martinvannostrand8488 It's one of the best paying low skilled jobs available. Level of pay is directly proportional to what an individual can produce in a free market capitalist economy. If one wants to make more money, they have to learn a skill that their employer finds more value in. Just like you wouldn't pay twice as much for the same television, an employer isn't going to pay twice as much for half the value. It just doesn't work out. People that whine about how much money Jeff Bezos is making vs. how much they are making, do not understand how much value he brings to the company. However, if one wants to make as much money as Jeff Bezos can simply follow his formula. Provide a service + Do it better than the competition by obsessing over customer satisfaction + repeat = successful business.

[@g5realestate280]

He gets Oscar for the best eye contact. 👍😊

[@alg5534]

His laugh too

[@jackhansen7305]

I think the eye contact would be Ritalin or the like ahaha

[@omegaman1409]

With his worth he is already ordering a castration on the comment.

[@ryanbinder1294]

​@@jackhansen7305 hes clearly terrifying

[@ryanbinder1294]

He's simply mad. A couple a yams out of the mind chap

[@navjotrehal9423]

The way he answered all the questions is just amazing. Every word on point.

[@fabiankuntzig6507]

that

[@darev6780]

One of Jeff's eyeballs is looking at his customers. The other is looking for new customers.

[@leogonentertainment2024]

I almost spat my water out reading this.

[@thebeechs155]

my god 😂

[@jagdeepsingh9515]

Underrated 😂

[@J4YAH777]

🤣🤣🤣

[@MrMentalSoul]

lmao, such an underrated comment

[@alisinarahimian4576]

He looks like a mix of Kevin Spacey and Nicholas Cage

[@limay6130]

alisina rahimian lol

[@helperboy5020]

on crack

[@rmondave]

Let's hope he controls his perverted temptations better than Kevin and his checkbook better than Cage :)

[@ElweEe]

More like Adam shifty shiff

[@discoverbitcoin4335]

Nailed it

[@Efex1996]

Very interesting to see that Jeff back then looked at the internet in a very different way than the interviewer. Jeff saw back then the internet as a tool to provide the best customer service, while the interviewer (in my opinion) looked at the internet as the product it self.

[@daninmckinney]

100%

[@daninmckinney]

The interviewer sounded to have doubt in JB - smh

[@ravend5595]

Interviewer: do have any friends ,jeff? jeff: I have customers

[@Unfunny_Username_389]

or frienstomers, if you will

[@warnpassion]

Interviewer: "do you have any girlfriends?" Bezos: "I have customers."

[@PodcastClips23969]

Do you love your kids Jeff? They’re my employees I pay them with stock options

[@ryanking6915]

Jeffs Wife: Honey i just got in an accident, its bad. Jeff: Is the customer ok?

[@andrephillips7764]

😂😂😂

[@Zionx77]

His wife divorced him like a year ago bud

[@mariotoralescamacho9746]

Omg I started choking cuase of you 😂

[@BoyDanny93]

😂🤣😂 its unfortunately true and sad

[@theempowerer5718]

Septic r/whoooosh

[@KoryoJK]

20 years later, Jeff Bezo's donated millions to the homeless not because they're starving, but because one day, they too can become customers.

[@Hellsking]

so money can make you younger to

[@dr.franxx6192]

Damn right

[@mikewells4632]

Is he making slaves ?

[@todd6564]

The 100mill donated-equivalent of a person earning 50 thou a year donating 50 bucks lol

[@jamfountain8702]

Damn!!! That's a wild concept

[@markconley3877]

The most important thing that should be on everyone mind currently should be to invest in different sources of income that doesn't depend on the government. Especially with the current economic crisis around the word. This is still a good time to invest in various stocks, Gold, silver and digital currencies....

[@canary7361]

The decision to invest is an acknowledgment that comes with certain risks. Not all investments will do well and some may lose money. However, without risk there would be no opportunity to potentially earn the higher returns that can help you grow your wealth.

[@susanhaynes679]

@@canary7361 I agree with you and I believe that the secret to financial stability is having the right investment ideas to enable you earn more money, I don’t know who agrees with me but either way I recommend either real estate or bitcoin and stocks.

[@ericchk102]

I keep wondering how people earn money in financial markets, i tried trading bitcoin on my own made a huge loss and now I'm scared of investing more.

[@markconley3877]

@@ericchk102 That won't bother you if you trade with a professional like *Mr Gary Mason Brooks* my coach, you may have come across him on interviews relating to bitcoin. He trades, manage trading account and offer mentorship program for clients who wish to become professional investors.

[@ericchk102]

@@markconley3877 You allow people to trade for you? that's interesting, I would love to learn, hope it’s safe?

[@moritz9077]

His passion for his company should be a motivation for every one that wants to have their own business

[@alexanderblanco3518]

interviewer: you cant just disrupt every industry jeff bezos: hold my shminternet

[@davidcorrea4686]

😭😭

[@westechmedia4567]

😂😂😂

[@DanielNyong]

IBrainedMyDamage lmao cost him 34 billion

[@grmbtl]

:D :D :D

[@norpriest521]

@Shajara Wtf is shminternet

[@massojupiter3436]

Jeff looks like he is waiting for the interviewer to say one negative thing about the customers so he can start swinging.

[@hoyelaja]

lmao

[@osmantoplica8912]

Lmaaao

[@jaeSoonerTheBetter]

🥇

[@CrokeyTV]

😂😂

[@JuanMedina-ll5lr]

He’s about to get these hands with free shipping

[@Donut-tell-all]

Jeff represents every aspiring business person who is goal oriented, has clear vision, and who is enthusiastic about starting their business. The interviewer represents every doubting self-absorbed critic who think that they know better.

[@burdine0]

That’s what truly believing in yourself look like.

[@fossil_blue_zx2]

He looks like Kevin Spacey

[@timsrs8863]

This is what I thought. Rarely seen such confidence

[@user-nj2im8vl4r]

Yeah

[@PiyushBhakat]

Jeff's wife: "He's probably thinking about other girls" Jeff: *The key is customer service*

[@peaches3208]

Lmao dude😂

[@hozey777]

Neither is wrong..

[@RaulMartinez-gd3pw]

He was definitely thinking of other women lol

[@anirudh1835]

You watch death note?

[@PiyushBhakat]

@@anirudh1835 Yes, I've watched it twice. I'm into other anime as well.

[@redrum3425]

Seems like a nice guy, hope his book company works out for him.....

[@Axe1524]

Yah I hope so too.

[@Error-_________________]

JMM he went bankrupt sadly

[@fachriandraya8747]

@GODESTINY bruh the only stupid people in this comment thread is the dude who doesn't get that everyone including op is joking (spoiler: it's you lmao)

[@MonkeyDIvan]

GODESTINY what‘s an rwosh?

[@Justin-ou6gq]

@@fachriandraya8747 You look more like an idiot here for the fact that you think someone unironically wrote that

[@evanbesenger5226]

You can tell by this interview, by the way he talks and conducts himself, that Jeff is a very intelligent guy that fully understood what he was doing and what it was going to become.

[@rimshaabir9988]

To summarise everything Jeff said in three words: ✨"BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE." ✨

[@OhItsDared]

"The key is customer service." Ends up the richest man on earth.

[@lunarmodule6419]

Amen!

[@Liquid-Lithium]

Comcast: I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that.

[@QueenetBowie]

“You’re telling me you’re going to take on the established retail industry? How are you going to compete with an indestructible retail giant like Sears huh? With no experience, you might as well take on the astronaut business with no experience..” “Hmmm....”

[@rajashahja8975]

that says a lot about the rest of losers , the 99%er humans

[@amitgarg8393]

by sucking blood of sellers and Customers :D

[@Joshohoho]

The interviewer probably can't sleep normally now.

[@RabbitConfirmed]

he traumatised

[@mikespiano190]

The questions were rational given the context of the time, internet companies in general were seen as risky endeavors and this was on the eve of the Y2K crisis, which was also a rational fear. I’d sleep well knowing I got to interview one of the now most successful CEOs in the world especially when no one had really any idea it was going to end up being this significant

[@CDFortsonIII]

Yeah I couldn’t tell if the interviewer was clueless or was asking valid, hard-hitting questions. 20 years later and Bezos looks like an absolute madman wrapped in pure genius and we hardly recognize true journalism.

[@Pokemonrasta1998]

Hahaha, I know right!!!!!!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@teknacious]

lololololol

[@dljcards]

The new Jeff looks back at the old Jeff while maintaining constant eye contact and providing the best customer service.

[@TammereMusic]

I love this interview, the way the interviewer almost combats what Jeff’s saying makes an entertaining conversation.

[@ARon82]

I bought a $300 item off amazon that didnt offer returns. I called to complain I didnt like the item and they just told me to keep it and gave me a full refund. I was amazed.

[@EvanandDevan]

#anthonyron82 they thrive off giving refunds. I thought I lost three packages once but they were in the front office. They refunded everything and gave me a credit so I bought more stuff. Genius in giving away free things as long as you don’t get too greedy 😩😩

[@jake3736]

#anthonyron82 that's why they're as big as they are

[@gninja92]

They can take the loss because for every one person like you they have a million that don't complain

[@SM-sb4tr]

I ordered a pack of 6 small jars of hazelnut butter. One of them ended up cracked (I presume during delivery). I complained to amazon about this and they told me to keep the rest and sent over a new 6 pack

[@BMDecipher]

The shipping costs probably doesn't make it worth it to ship it back.

[@joshuajethro]

There is absolutely NO GOOD REASON to have music over an interview.

[@dontreldontrel416]

Makes it a little more dramatic kinda like the WWE stars come out to entry music or a soap opera with intense music. Just to dramatize it up a bit

[@nickc9070]

Before 2000, I’m ok with music over interview. Especially a tech interview

[@AnonYMouse-ky4sg]

joshuajethro This music doesn’t work and is way too loud. If you watch well-made documentaries, interviews usually have music over it and it’s much better imo, it makes it seem more dramatic and interesting. Well-made docs are also more fast paced than this however.

[@Spotter000]

@@AnonYMouse-ky4sg are u paying attention to what's being said ? If yes then the music is not loud in my opinion .. his voice level is clearly way above it ...

[@AnonYMouse-ky4sg]

Kid Yetti The point is not that his voice is just loud enough to drown out the music, the music shouldn’t even be noticeable unless you’re looking for it. It’s the same reason something like metal isn’t used for background music most of the time for example.

[@WingofTech]

All of these statements about putting the customer first are actually beautiful points to consider in building any consumer product!!

[@Stephlovespinkk]

His eye contact shows his excitement about the future. He is the Albert Einstein of our time. His confidence is amazing! The internet was so new at that point and it shows how exciting it was. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and being confident in your vision, even in a time when no one understood

[@syk9855]

Look how innocent Jeff bezos used to look. He now looks like Lex Luther.

[@marcozolo3536]

steve kno you have to understand this was in a time before he had met or was aware of Superman. Can you really blame him? 😂

[@JulienTJ]

@@marcozolo3536 Before he met El-on Musk 🚀

[@anddudewaslike]

he looked "older" with his hair still back then than he does now. It's like he was a weird Kevin Spacey

[@mohitoBhau5499]

He is Lex Luthor, Mark Zuckerberg is Braniac, Vladimir Putin will become Vandal Savage hahahah

[@DirtySocrates]

It's called money

[@ngdnhtien]

Every time he blinks he earns 1 million dollars.

[@ePlayablez]

he would have a lot less money than he has now if that were the case..

[@tyan_ldn]

Underrated comment

[@Mii.2.0]

He makes about 300 million a day, a few thousand dollars a second, and the other day, because of stocks, Jeff Bezos has earned up to $13 billion in a single day. O_O

[@VIPK9]

$149,353 per minute holy cow

[@james2091991]

@tatagimpera games 💯 in 2020 aswell! 🤦‍♂️

[@obu2108]

The interviewer didn't believe in Jeff and his vision. Gotta be kicking himself for not investing in AMZ.

[@jennahouston6297]

Lol I knowwwww right

[@_Mr.Tuvok_]

6 distribution centers on 1999 to almost 1200 in 2023.

[@aoutsky]

Jeff looks for customers under his bed before he goes to sleep.

[@dr.s4064]

Yes and sometimes he hides on the the customer's bedstand as Alexa

[@lucacristian5919]

That’s just genius

[@ze2004]

hahahha

[@joyandpeacefullaughter5307]

😂😂

[@j.n-turner]

LMAO!

[@cazkeymekam6427]

I bet it hurts the interviewer buying stuff off Amazon now.

[@FollowTheTrend798]

I don't think they could have predicted the outcome

[@eduardoflores5705]

@@FollowTheTrend798 he kept trying to tho

[@shreekantgaikwad5601]

It doesn't matter... Interviewer might be a happy customer of Amazon

[@kurtwatson9039]

Of course, you’re assuming he didn’t die of embarrassment years ago...

[@globetrotter1002]

it is not mandatory to buy on Amazon ....

[@mr.pasuli3291]

The interviewer tried very hard to make Jeff look bad but Jeff had no filter and told it how it is (and was 100% right).Great Visionary

[@cardbored_]

It’s funny how the interview is almost questioning Jeff in a way that is almost doubtful. Crazy to think how much of a monolith Amazon is now.

[@vpwl]

Based on this interview, Jeff was at least 10 years ahead in thinking of what e-commerce could be one day

[@noahmcdaniel4920]

It's strange it shouldn't have surprised anyone, it makes perfect sense that it became the future of retail. People don't deal with change well and couldn't see through their biases to think logically about it. I'm sure smart people everywhere knew what was coming and they're probably all rich now.

[@siqklinx2021]

More like 20 years. Nobody doing what they're currently doing. Perhaps for another 5 years.

[@1x0x]

@@noahmcdaniel4920 hindsight is 20/20 my guy. can you predict the future right now?

[@noahmcdaniel4920]

@@1x0x regarding some things, sure. If you understand something it’s not that hard to see what kind of place it will likely have in the world in the future. The problem is most people plugged their ears whenever anyone told them the internet was the future of retail. They were so incredulous about their norms changing that they failed to see the utility of the internet.

[@joshuaprieto9336]

@Ron Bali crypto is the future for banking. Why would you want to pay extra fees and have it arrive in a couple days rather than having no middle man and arrived in Seconds. It’s more efficient but I don’t know people want to stick to the traditional way I guess?

[@KTF7324]

Interviewer: What side of the bed do you sleep on? Jeff: There is only one side of the bed... the customers side.

[@garrett1123]

😂😂😂

[@Fractoide]

one of the best versions of that comment!

[@joyandpeacefullaughter5307]

Where the money resides.

[@gregjohnson84]

Fantastic!

[@airplaneseatingsupervisor5230]

lol so funny. I like the part where he outsources the jobs to places with slave labor. So good for our childrens future!! Keep watching cable TV!

[@rdebaron]

Legend has it he still have eye contact with the customer behind the one asking the questions

[@sig8766]

Chris Hansen : Have a seat right over there for me Jeff Jeff : Im just here for the customers

[@moshekatchen2052]

Interviewer: “Jeff, you are now tackling climate change is that right?” Jeff: “Yes of course. Without the planet, there would be no customers.”

[@gabrielgonzalez5791]

Not even that, you can see a change in his voice and ego... he’s disgusting

[@cis4cawky275]

He's a Matrix Robot

[@itdepends5906]

I DIED laughing

[@Okmanl]

@@gabrielgonzalez5791 someone's jelly.

[@humanperson8418]

@@Okmanl I think it's pretty unlikely that anyone here is jelly. How exactly would jelly use a computer?

[@icedcoldkilla]

Interviewer: you havent blinked. Jeff: gotta keep an eye out for customers.

[@jeremyjohnson2466]

can't let one slip away

[@IDonnis1]

😂😂😂

[@realestateinvestordiyer8149]

Lollll

[@SSilvaFilms]

I love this 😂

[@BatmanisBatman]

Lmaooooooooooooo

[@RetailRipper]

Interviewer: "Jeff, why are you sitting like this?" Jeff: "So i can be closer to you, the customer."

[@ml668]

😂😂

[@mazboengineer]

I like this interview. Well said Jeff 👏🏼 A customer first approach will almost always lead to a successful outcome in commercial business.

[@fongaming101]

Young Bezos at the mall for the first time... "Wow, look at all these customers"

[@-chris2259]

😂

[@freq32]

lol

[@cryptonews5943]

😂😂😂

[@stevejobs6396]

Underrated Comment!

[@2222alexi]

😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣

[@abefroman8528]

The interviewer thinks he knows more than Bezos. Beyond hilarious 20 years later

[@djrkim95]

Clearly a pseudo-intellectual socialist cynic. No offense cause my father is one

[@Caracazz2]

@@djrkim95 respect your father

[@Lapestebubbonica]

@@djrkim95 correct

[@michaelmappin1830]

Not necessarily. A good interviewer has to assume what kind of questions are going to be on the mind of the average individual.

[@guyeshel9316]

It being said the interviewer still asks people if they are not arrogant...

[@jerraytomlinson]

This focus and execution is insane. The fact that amazon is what it is now. Wow, just wow.

[@Primiterismm]

This is one of my favorite interviews

[@raunakthakur317]

93 times """customer service "" in 7 minutes video That's the formula for becoming billionaire

[@nauxsi]

It's the formula for anyone who wants to succeed at life whether you are a manager or a janitor. Serve people, help them overcome their problem/need.

[@arnabmahapatra7434]

I counted 94 times

[@KingPossum]

I was too busy trying not to watch him blink to count anything. I think he reprogrammed me via some morse code

[@mattmulvihill]

Count how many times he blinked?

[@freakysnuke2571]

Somebody make a supercut of this

[@articledon4880]

This interviewer sounds like a real non believer. He probally wishes he bought that amazon stock now

[@themiddlekingdom9121]

You meant ...the interviewer wished he had bought the Amazon stock when it became public traded company in 1997.

[@OphiuchiChannel]

He almost looked human.

[@articledon4880]

TheMiddleKingdom yes. I was saying that he wishes now that he had bought then

[@themiddlekingdom9121]

@@articledon4880 Oh......... and only if he a really discipline investor, as a long....very long term investor.....like Warren Buffet.

[@sweetlildevil7597]

Maybe he begged them not to show his face because he feels so humiliated now lol

[@the_great_dreamer4762]

Jeff’s wife: “darling, I cheated on you” Jeff: “Does he buy on Amazon?” Jeff’s wife: “Nope, He buys on Ebay” Jeff: “noooooooooooooo”

[@sroy7982]

*Coughed my drink😂

[@Briandks8228]

What an amazing interview. Wonder how it worked out for him.

[@coryjohnson2486]

His company went under, unfortunately 😬. He went on to manage a McDonalds.

[@bad_writer]

⁠@@coryjohnson2486 the mcflurry machine is never broken at that mcdonalds

[@KaliLife619]

What are you having for lunch Jeff? Jeff: What does the customer want me to eat?

[@jacoblandfield2526]

Apparently gold bullion

[@awttotudokuzy2160]

Lol 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@awttotudokuzy2160]

Lol 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@TheBabygirlnj]

hahaha

[@warehousedave7937]

Answer: "customers"

[@jqpublic3104]

I need to find me a woman who looks at me the way Jeff looks at his customers.

[@agent6567]

0:30 Eye contact is key!

[@rubenaguero7342]

llmfao🤣🤣🤣

[@simonboucher5170]

He looks likes nicolas cage xD

[@codered4422]

Greta Thunberg

[@abotariq257]

@@codered4422 hhhh

[@AtaraxiaStorytelling]

good on Jeff for sticking to his own trajectory in this conversation, even though at every chance the interviewer tried to paint the picture that it was a bad idea and doomed to fail.

[@horscht888]

If the interviewer hadn't been so critical, the interview would never have become as memorable as it is now. It is essentially the job of the interviewer to play devil's advocate and thus give the interviewee a chance to defend themselves and shine a light on all the aspects of their enterprise that they deem necessary to do so. Critical interrogation is probably the best way to do that.

[@cflo1386]

That's why he was the interviewer, and Jeff was the business genius.

[@alexanderrodriguez6772]

Thank you, Jeff. I know you had to endure so much and have given so much back to the world. I'm sorry we don't appreciate your work as much as we should.

[@user-gn1vs8wz9z]

Don’t say thanks he’s a billionaire

[@user-lu6yg3vk9z]

Interviewer: Well you divorced your wife? Jeff: Well, I had to do it. She was talking smack about the customers.

[@awttotudokuzy2160]

😂🤣😂🤣😂

[@estheryayaba]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Jdjfbficjenenwk3736]

marriage shmarriage

[@Chinnnnuz]

🤣🤣🤣👌@@Jdjfbficjenenwk3736

[@quicktemper]

hhahahahahahahaha

[@americancitizen1885]

This guy is a business genius.

[@IAMMILESPROWER99]

McDonald's: Welcome, may i take your order? Bezos: Wait, I'M the customer?

[@tommyleekirby]

Jeff: Customer Service Interviewer: Yeah, but... Jeff: Customer Service Interviewer: Right, but... Jeff: Customer Service Interviewer: Customer Service? Jeff: Customer Service *genius*

[@shaynewilliams4482]

best comment on this video.

[@handofstand]

@@alexl6229 Oh, Jeff and his math...

[@jakeyzealous4907]

The funny thing is that (now) their seller customer service is absolutely terrible. All outsourced to countries like the Philippines who cannot answer simple customer service questions. Shockingly bad in my experience in the UK

[@handofstand]

@@jakeyzealous4907 Comcast does it too

[@handofstand]

@@jakeyzealous4907 My point is that all the big companies do this anymore after a while, and that they have phone people in the Philippines may not be an indicator of quality as far as customer service goes I've gotten someone here in the USA (the country I live in) half the time when I have to call Amazon for something

[@MichaelBarrett1984]

“With all due respect” = I’m about to insult you

[@michellrosamonte9665]

A Clueless MBA

[@michellrosamonte9665]

Can anyone please help me find the name of this interviewer? I need to contact him

[@Blueprint4Murder]

I think he is fantastic in this interview he is so brilliant he laid out the exact blueprint telling his competitors why his model wins; to bet against him is bad math. I also find his mannerisms are very interesting.

[@jeffreyliu7394]

This is not Jeff Bezos in 1999, this is Kevin Spacey playing the role of Jeff Bezos in modern day.

[@DanielTNgoy]

John Smith hahahah!!! 😂😂😂😂

[@monkeyrobotsinc.9875]

lol

[@joshrendon1638]

Fail

[@mainebrown235]

John Smith lmaoooooooo good one🤣🤣🤣

[@thesilentcryptographer]

that’s who I thought he looked like!

[@thedarkfrost2351]

I’ve never seen a man speak with such conviction. His eye contact is ridiculous

[@amex4453]

I know right, like wtf is up with his left eye? Oh wait...

[@mccursedwallpapers7296]

Jeff Mentos is a robot 😂

[@Mii.2.0]

@@mccursedwallpapers7296 Mmmmmmm, Mentos...🤤

[@jays951]

He really believed in Amazon that’s why today it is so successful.

[@Fishoilification]

It's called cocaine

[@TheHaiku2]

This man really leans in to a conversation.

[@johnjones3332]

now he leans back and is on steroids. the man lost his edge.

[@tristandrew5903]

On epstein island Bezos would have leant in to it whilst Steven Hawking was pushed in to it

[@jameshansen8684]

He looks younger now than he did in 1999. Same with Elon Musk.

[@Madzguy007]

Jeff Bezos knew exactly what his vision was. The interviewer didn’t understand nothing about it

[@iRaps1]

No, with all due respect, the interviewer would serve no purpose if he'd just agree with Bezos. Interviewers ask challenging questions not because of their particular beliefs, but to produce interesting answers.

[@Madzguy007]

@@iRaps1 Thing is, he didn't ask any challenging questions. He just didn't understand anything. He couldn't even understand the basic concept of saving cost by having distribution centres instead of stores.

[@jakewestin4176]

@@Madzguy007 of course the interviewer understands 😂 he's an industry expert. It looks like YOU don't understand. He's asking provoking questions to get responses to market sentiment that was relevant to the time. The interviewers job is to challenge someone and for the sake of the program. And yes, questioning the longevity and viability of their business model is challenging

[@AzsiabaSzakadtam]

@@jakewestin4176 all he did was trying to stress that Amazon had brick and mortar stores therefore not "pure" internet company. Wtf that matters? Without internet, there's no Amazon. He could not understand that in the business model the costliest part of the business was replaced by the website (retail units with rents, electric consumption and staff wages). To access huge crowds this was brilliant. No wonder Jack Ma copied it once the political situation allowed him to do so.

[@noobmaster5434]

dude... he is just a reporter

[@Letsberealguys]

This interviewer wanted Jeff to fail so badly.

[@uzoramadi5514]

I don't really think so. I feel that he was just doing his job and asking the questions that a lot of investors who were probably on the fence needed to ask, to be convinced enough to invest in Amazon. I mean, if you were going to give him your hard earned money, then it is really important that you see him look you in the eye and answer those hard questions with the kind of belief that he did.

[@MadOrange644]

The questions were relevant at that point in time

[@fightttttt]

@@uzoramadi5514 asking tough questions is good but can be tasteless if you dont have any positive questions seems like an attack/ambush

[@dylanness2003]

Uzor Amadi well you’re wrong because the interviewer said he didn’t like jeff

[@zachwachs7913]

I hope his company gets unionized.

[@RobinVL]

Internet, Shminernet. -Jeff Bezos 1999

[@outside1473]

@Kevin Prima lmaoo

[@sneed7123]

"the internet? is that thing still around?"- Homer Simpson

[@tomt4569]

@Ali Lavska It basically means, "Who cares?"

[@dbz739921]

@Kevin Prima get a life David Lee Roth😉

[@jamesbond8348]

An amazing quote if you ask me!

[@curioustrades]

As Sam Walton once said "There is only one boss: the customer. And he can fire everybody in the company, from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else." Those who excel put their customers first.

[@lbuday]

"In the long term there is no diference between customer interests and shareholder interests"

[@TagmakersCoUk]

YES... one of my favourite Walton quotes too. Another one I like is when the stock market crashed in 1987. Walton was visiting one of his stores (he spent a LOT of time in the stores talking to regular customers) and the store was buzzing with customers. Outside in the parking lot, as he was getting into his beaten-out station waggon, a journalist approached him and asked: "Mr Walton, your stock holding just devalued by $2 billion... what do you have to say about it?" Walton pointed to the door of the store where people were entering and leaving: "There's the value... going in keen, and coming out happy. Stock?... it's just paper."

[@FeatheredBiped23]

@UsualVinity lol nobody cares about minimum wage employees, If they think they deserve better treatment while doing a minimum wage work, they should honestly look for better jobs.

[@deracks8183]

Victor Sanchez Customers can be dumb. How can one company with no competition be good for the economy or the country.

[@sapito169]

in free market we trust

[@JohnS-er7jh]

23 years later, and I still never order items from Amazon that I can get at my local food store (despite their acquisition of Whole Foods), the prices are ridiculously expensive for food store items (which includes delivery charge, even for prime members and they also force accept substitution of products). I only order items on Amazon that I cannot find at my local stores (but I was doing this on other internet sites, that was until Amazon started offering Prime shipping, without that option I would drop Amazon real quick, and also I have noticed in the past couple years I am seeing less products I order being offered the Prime Shipping, so I just buy from another provider).

[@e.berkeaydin4802]

customer experience, selection, ease of use, low prices, more information to make purchase decisions and customer service.

[@Alex-zx7gh]

Interviewer: How are you doing Jeff? Jeff : The key is customer service!

[@alainmorales1155]

The guy performing the interview is probably like this guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

[@JWB86]

A bit like you...

[@Gh0stNoName]

Yup, you can hear it in his questions. I wonder if he lived long enough to see that Jeff was right and just how right he was.

[@ShawnLamont1997]

Dude became the worlds richest man 20 years later .. he knew what he was doing

[@davidhill431]

It's not like he wasn't rich then

[@diceblue6817]

a complete moron, thinks that a company that sells over the internet can't actually deal with logistics - what a brainlet moron - no wonder corrupt CNBC don't list the interviewer name anywhere

[@DORAEMON-bw8jk]

The interviewer was doubting Jeff's vision in every turn during the interview. Jeff made the correct life decision marrying Alexa.

[@isotropisch82]

Amazon is amazing really, I ordered an iron 10pm, it arrived at 11am. And their returns process is very stress free.

[@DaoQui]

"I'm done with this hair stuff, I'm gonna grow money instead"

[@joec1520]

Best comment

[@corporateraider9766]

Lol

[@AintPopular]

amazon shmamzon

[@rmstitanic8607]

He never said that

[@rafiulhaque2838]

Saitama of Business

[@mikeshahrestani7962]

He was way ahead of the game and people didn't understand his approach!

[@persiathiest1963]

I tried to return a backpack bought from Amazon because it didn't match my needs. Amazon refunded the money and said to keep the item; no return needed! That's what he means by an obsession with customer satisfaction. I know the return shipping cost is the main reason, but still amazing.

[@kevinlopez6395]

"So Jeff would you forgive your wife if she cheated?" "Well as long as it was with the customer and for the customer's best interest yes I can."

[@user-pn6cy6wg7n]

😂 lol

[@arkhamknight4343]

🤣🤣🤣

[@sonicfish3827]

lol!!!!

[@yzyzyz44]

Lmao

[@championundefeatable811]

cnt stop laughing, pls god

[@98opium]

I bet every time the interviewer gets in a disagreement with his wife she reminds him of this interview and shuts him down immediately 🤣

[@Maddy-ht8pg]

That would be epic ! I was laughing for solid 5 mins imagining this conversation :D

[@nstha8848]

:D :D :D :D

[@etorty_dev]

The interviewer was negative and full of doubts about Amazon. I'm glad Jeff finally proved him wrong.

[@ninanoommen]

ahahaha gold!!!

[@user-rt6zc2pi6y]

Interviewer tries to satisfy speculators.. Bezos answers satisfy investors.

[@epoch707]

jeff bezos is a genius. The interviewer was caught in the times thinking about the "internet" and tech boom. Amazon focused on the the customer experience and focused on delighting the customer. What a great business

[@RobertRaubenheimer]

But it's like he said, it wasn't about the internet... that was only the channel they used. The customer experience was the grand focus so at the end of the day what do you attribute the success of Amazon to? The internet and e-commerce? Or do you attribute the meteoric rise of the internet and e-commerce to Amazon's customer orientation?

[@santhoshm2559]

@samuel lee say something new ... everyone knows what to have said ...

[@kieranbetts222]

@@RobertRaubenheimer I attribute Amazon's Success to the Human race tendency for idleness. Not to mention the positive benefit for some people of not having to socially interact with anybody else.

[@mattmarkus4868]

@@RobertRaubenheimer It' not either-or. It's both the focus on customer experience AND the ability to control costs (ie., keep prices low) by using the internet channel. Amazon wouldn't exist without both of those (the latter being more important).

[@mattmarkus4868]

@ISOHaven that's how all businesses should be run. what happened to the standards

[@N.S4L4S]

I'd love to see a follow up interview today, nearly 23 years later. using the same individual who was questioning Jeff here.

[@stouser1296]

This guy seem really proud of his company hope he doing good today

[@jomega3751]

he win the staring contest?

[@GlenESton]

you win post contest

[@dionysus649]

Lmfao

[@amdiosco6332]

You lose grammar contest?

[@jomega3751]

Yes i did.

[@Defy_Convention]

Win contest did he.

[@juiceboxer]

Why do all the most famous business people used to look like characters in the first season of the office.

[@3089280288]

because they don't care about looks as long as the business looks good

[@kevintemido]

Because humans were created by the office

[@jramirez9834]

Because they're aliens 👽

[@UNNAM3D82]

Because they only got famous after decades of very successful work, which is why footage of them at their workplace in the 90s exists. There they of course have that 90s office clothes and style in general, which you associate with The Office, because the style became so cliché it was inserted into the show purposefully for comedic effect.

[@krismine99]

Because it was the 80's, 90's and early 2000's when they got famous

[@Blueberryminty]

I wish the interviewer knew what he was talking about, this would have been a much better interview

[@Shahriar888]

One year and one day before this interview France won the World Cup for the first time and a guy named Zinadine Zidane made a name for himself. The rest is history.

[@justwrapapi]

Fun fact: Jeff Bezos middle name is "customer service"

[@ben-jamin3110]

LMAOOO, well he's got a point, just look at how well he's done

[@ye23.]

“...at the expense of your employees’ wellbeing”

[@memechannel3345]

Jeff Customer Service Bezos

[@ErickG]

The interviewer sounds like he had stock in amazon’s competitors

[@Professional_Youtube_Commenter]

he had stock in ibm and netscape, netscape because its a "pure" internet company.

[@godtrader6102]

Interviewer must work for CNBC!

[@gearsNtools]

yep he's like your gonna fail because you spend too much on customers. Jeff is like.... well customers pay us money shouldn't we take care of them?