[e17]

IMO you have to maintain or exert some control over a nation in order to be an oligarch. So Jeff and Elon are out, but David Koch and Robert Mercer meet the definition for me. These guys have exerted huge control over the US over the last 30-40 years.

[fallingknife]

Jeff Bezos owns the 2nd largest newspaper in the country, and now a major movie studio. I would say he qualifies.

[e17]

How has he used that newspaper to exert political control over the US?

[scotth]

How easily is that question answered?

[Tepix]

Would you like a list of stories they decided not to run?

[peteretep]

…yes? I’ve seen articles openly critical of Bezos in the WashPo and ones supportive of Amazon workers unionising.

[80mph]

He might not have used his newspaper, but AWS was instrumental in de-platforming Parler after the Jan 6 mutiny.

[vorpalhex]

Johnny Depp would basically qualify under that definition.

[fallingknife]

According to Google his net worth is $150 million, so that is 0.1% of Bezos, and he owns 0 powerful companies to Bezos' 3. Not remotely in the same league.

[gameswithgo]

Perhaps they are not able to move the lever as much as russian oligarchs, but both have some levers to pull.

[HaggardFinical]

Given that Russia has mostly an oil based economy roughly the size of Italy, the levers they are moving are quite a bit smaller than their American counterparts.

Bezos or Koch or Hamm or DeVoss can't move their American levers as far, but the overall output is quite substantial compared to what Abramovich can achieve with his.