Jeff Bezos insists Amazon MGM Studios’ decision to buy and release the first lady’s documentary “Melania” was smart business and not an attempt to curry favor with her husband.
In an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Wednesday, the Amazon founder was asked about whether the company acquired “Melania” as a way to gain influence in the Trump administration.
“The ‘Melania’ incident is an indelible lie,” Bezos said, adding that while “I keep seeing reports that I’m somehow involved in this,” “I had nothing to do with it.” Bezos stepped down as Amazon’s CEO in 2021 and currently serves as the e-commerce giant’s executive chairman.
In an interview with CNBC, the billionaire said it was “absolutely not true” to say that Melania’s deal with Amazon was “a way to buy influence,” but acknowledged that “I understand why people say that.” “We denied it. Melania Trump’s office denied it. It’s not true,” Bezos said.
Bezos commented, “This seems to have been a good business decision, by the way. It did very well in theaters, it did very well on streaming. People are very interested in Melania. So even if I had nothing to do with it, it seems like the team at Amazon made a very smart business decision.”
Amazon MGM paid $40 million for “Melania” and another $35 million to promote the move, an unusually high sum for a documentary film. “Melania” grossed approximately $16.6 million at the worldwide box office. This is a great result for a documentary, but it doesn’t come close to recouping the original investment.
Among those criticizing the studio’s “Melania” deal was Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who accused Amazon-MGM Studios of spending lavish funds on the documentary and engaging in “blatant bribery.” In March, Massachusetts Sen. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) led an investigation into whether Amazon MGM’s investment in Melania was “part of an improper compensation arrangement with the Trump administration.” Warren noted that Amazon-MGM’s offer was $26 million more than the next highest bidder, Disney.
“The fact that Amazon is paying far above market prices to produce and promote a Trump family film while seeking preferential treatment from the Trump administration calls into question its ability to be prosecuted under federal anti-bribery laws,” Warren and Johnson wrote in a March 15 letter to Amazon. “Americans deserve assurance that powerful companies are not using their funds to gain political influence or preferential treatment in public funds, and that these companies are not violating federal bribery laws.”
In response to the lawmakers’ allegations, Brian Huseman, Amazon’s vice president of public policy, said in a March 30 statement obtained by Variety: “We disagree with any suggestion that Amazon’s decision to license this film and its accompanying series was inappropriate. We regularly release documentaries that offer unique perspectives on cultural and historical figures across the political spectrum.” Huserman added, “Amazon MGM Studios became the licensor of this film and its accompanying series after an exhaustive competitive bidding process. ‘Melania’ gives us unprecedented access to a historic presidential transition through the perspective of a first lady and gives us the opportunity to tell a story that has never been told before. Our decision was based on the film and series itself: access, story, and its cultural and historical relevance.”
When Amazon MGM acquired Melania in early 2025, a studio spokesperson said, “We licensed this movie for one reason: we thought our customers would love it.”
Meanwhile, in an interview with CNBC on Wednesday, Bezos was asked about his impressions of President Trump’s second term. “I think he’s a more mature, more disciplined version of himself than he was in his first term,” Bezos said. “Again, I’ve worked with every president, and I will continue to work with every president…If they hire me, I would continue to do so, but we need business leaders who will provide input to the administration, regardless of who the president is.”
Mr. Bezos added that Mr. Trump had “some good ideas” and “has done a lot of things. He was right about a lot of things. You have to give him credit where credit is due.”
