With much lobbying and organizing across the counry for Amazon’s HQ2, it’s possible the nation’s capital has a lock for a very simple reason: Amazon’s company CEO is plunking down millions for a home in Washington, DC.
That’s at least the theory put forth in a recent piece on CNBC.
“If the history of corporate relocations teaches us anything, it’s that CEOs often move their companies near their homes. When Newell Brands moved from low-tax Atlanta to high-tax New Jersey, everyone was puzzled — until they learned that CEO Michael Polk lived in New Jersey, about 25 miles from the new headquarters.”
“After buying The Washington Post in 2013, Bezos bought the most expensive home in the district, paying $23 million for the former Textile Museum in Kalorama. The Obamas and Kushner-Trumps live nearby. He’s spending at least $12 million more to renovate it and turn the 27,000-square-foot mansion into a lavish complex for living and entertaining.”
This is not the typical Washington pied-a-terre for the occasional lobbying trip. It’s a true family home for the world’s richest man. Bezos already checks in regularly with Washington Post Editor Marty Baron. Having the headquarters in D.C. or nearby northern Virginia or Montgomery County, Maryland, would allow him to fulfill both his corporate and journalistic duties in the same regular visits.
Amazon’s announcement is expected to be made later this year, ending the speculation once and for all.