Saudi Engages In ‘Phoney’ Business, Hacked Amazon Chief Bezos’ Mobile To Mine Private Details, Says Security Officer

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ security chief has stated that the government of Saudi Arabia had tapped Bezos’ phone and accessed private information through it, reports Reuters.

"Our investigators and several experts concluded with high confidence that the Saudis had access to Bezos' phone, and gained private information. As of today, it is unclear to what degree, if any, AMI was aware of the details,” said Gavin De Becker, a longtime security consultant for Bezos, who is the founder-CEO of Amazon.

This investigation was undertaken by Becker when the US-based tabloid newspaper National Enquirer leaked text messages between Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, a former television anchor. The paper had alleged that Bezos, married to Mackenzie at the time, was dating Sanchez. American Media Inc (AMI) is the parent company of National Enquirer.

Later in February, Bezos accused the newspaper's owner of attempting to blackmail him by threatening to publish "intimate photos" he allegedly sent to Sanchez unless he clarified in public that the tabloid's story on him was not politically motivated.

Linked To Death Of Khashoggi?

In a blog post, Bezos had also insinuated that Saudi Arabia's displeasure at the Bezos-owned Washington Post's aggressive coverage of the murder of its columnist and Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi may have been a reason for the story. Bezos also provided links to media reports about alleged links between AMI and Saudi Arabia.

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