Amazon payments to Bezos' Blue Origin reach $1.8B as shareholders cite conflicts of interest

Amazon disclosed in its proxy filing that it paid roughly $1.8 billion last year to Blue Origin — nearly triple the prior year’s amount — as part of about $2.2 billion in total satellite launch agreements tied to its Project Kuiper LEO constellation. The disclosure has amplified a shareholder proposal seeking a mandatory independent board chair, citing potential conflicts from Jeff Bezos’ outside ventures (Blue Origin, Project Prometheus and the Washington Post). The company also announced a $10.8 billion deal to acquire Globalstar and has deployed 243 of a planned 3,236 satellites, while seeking an FCC extension to meet launch deadlines. The filing and related governance concerns could pressure investor sentiment around Amazon (AMZN.OQ) by raising questions about related-party contracting and board oversight, even as the Globalstar deal and Kuiper deployment reflect substantial capital commitments and strategic ambition.