Jeff Bezos Takes the CEO Seat for a $6.2 Billion AI Bet

Bezos and Former Google X Leader Vik Bajaj Co-Pilot ‘Project Prometheus’ into Crowded Tech Waters.

Jeff Bezos, the billionaire founder who relinquished the Amazon CEO title four years ago, now claims the top executive role again. Sources cited by The New York Times confirm that Bezos appointed himself co-CEO of a new artificial intelligence venture: Project Prometheus.

The startup targets developing AI specifically for engineering and manufacturing across diverse fields. This focus comes backed by an initial war chest of $6.2 billion, a funding figure many companies never achieve in their entire existence.

Leading the company alongside Bezos is co-founder Vik Bajaj. Bajaj is a well-known physicist and chemist whose background includes founding the health startup Verily during his time at Google's X, the company’s moonshot factory. This pairing brings together Bezos’s operational mastery with Bajaj’s deep scientific pedigree.

Project Prometheus aggressively staffed its ranks, reportedly hiring 100 employees. The Times noted the startup poached multiple key hires from competitors like OpenAI, DeepMind, and Meta.

Little public information exists about the project's technology function or where the company bases its operations. However, becoming co-CEO marks the first formal executive role for Bezos since his Amazon departure. While he remained closely involved as the founder and sole shareholder of Blue Origin, this is a full-throttle return to operational leadership.

What can a global-scale visionary deliver when his focus shifts entirely to AI development?

Bezos and Bajaj throw their substantial weight into a fiercely crowded AI market. The sector already sees billions flowing toward major competitors like OpenAI, with more billions fuelling rapid AI model development.

But does the financial model hold up?

Market experts increasingly question the long-term sustainability of the AI industry's valuation spree. For example, the noted investor Michael Burry, best known for accurately predicting the 2008 housing crisis, recently placed a $1 billion bet against Palantir and Nvidia shares.