Rise above the cloud: Amazon’s new chief executive
Economist Podcasts
The Economist
4.3 • 5K Ratings
🗓️ 3 February 2021
⏱️ 20 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Jeff Bezos is relinquishing the reins—partly—of the firm he founded. We take a look at Andy Jassy, who will replace him as chief executive at a profitable but tricky time. Our annual Democracy Index isn’t brimming with great news; we examine how democratic norms are faring worldwide. And the capture of the biggest drug lord you’ve probably never heard of.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome to the Intelligence on Economist Radio. |
| 0:07.0 | I'm your host, Jason Palmer. |
| 0:09.0 | Every weekday, we provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world. |
| 0:17.0 | The Economist Intelligence Unit has just published its annual Democracy Index, a ranking of how democratic norms are faring all over the world. |
| 0:26.6 | COVID-19 has surely put pressure on civil liberties, but democracy was sliding even before the pandemic. |
| 0:34.5 | And the tale of Tsechi Lop, the biggest drug lord you've probably never heard of. |
| 0:40.3 | We trace the roots of his trade in Asia and how the authorities at last caught up with him. |
| 0:46.3 | First up, though. |
| 0:59.1 | Thank you for standing by. |
| 1:01.1 | Good day, everyone, and welcome to theamazon.com, Q4, 2020 financial results at teleconference. |
| 1:08.1 | Yesterday, as it does every three months, Amazon held an earnings call. |
| 1:12.8 | It detailed a record quarter. |
| 1:14.9 | The firm reported more than $100 billion in sales for the first time. |
| 1:19.5 | Then came another disclosure. |
| 1:21.5 | Today we announced that our founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos, |
| 1:24.3 | will transition to the role of executive chair in the third quarter this year. |
| 1:27.8 | Jeff Bezos, at one time the richest man in the world, will step away from the helm of the company |
| 1:32.9 | he founded. Well, mostly. And I will reiterate that Jeff is not leaving. He is getting a new job. |
| 1:39.8 | He's going to be executive chair of the board. Super important role. |
| 1:44.7 | The board is super... |
| 1:46.0 | His successor will be Andy Jassy, a 20-year Amazon veteran and head of Amazon Web Services, |
| 1:52.0 | the company's enormous cloud computing arm. |
... |
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