Bernie Sanders Blasts Jeff Bezos' $234B Fortune as $100B Automation Plan Threatens 600K Jobs

US Senator Bernie Sanders has criticised Jeff Bezos, accusing the Amazon founder of funding automation that could displace up to 600,000 jobs using his £174.4 billion ($234 billion) fortune.

Sanders, who has long championed workers' rights, described the situation as part of a larger struggle against corporate power. His comments follow the Wall Street Journal's disclosure of Bezos' fundraising efforts, which aim to target industries such as chipmaking, defence and aerospace with artificial intelligence to speed up automation processes.

Sanders Takes Direct Aim at Bezos' Automation Strategy

In a post on X published on Thursday, Sanders drew attention to reports that Bezos is seeking to raise £74.5 billion ($100 billion) for a new fund to acquire and automate manufacturing companies. The move has intensified scrutiny on how technological advances are reshaping the jobs market.

The senator's social media intervention came amid fresh revelations about the scale of Bezos' ambitions. In the post, which has been viewed millions of times, he wrote: 'Jeff Bezos, worth $234 billion, plans to replace 600,000 Amazon workers with robots. Now, he wants to spend $100 billion to fully automate not just his warehouses, but factories in the U.S & other countries. Oligarchs are waging all out war against workers. FIGHT BACK.'

This echoes his actions from October last year when he wrote to Bezos requesting details on how the company would support staff affected by robotics. In that letter, Sanders asked: 'What are Amazon's plans to provide help and support for the many hundreds of thousands of workers you will be replacing with robots and AI?'

The query was prompted by internal Amazon documents suggesting that advances in robotics would limit the need for hundreds of thousands of additional roles in its US operations.

Scale of Amazon's AI and Robotics Investment

Amazon has outlined plans for substantial spending on artificial intelligence and robotics as part of its 2026 capital expenditure, with figures pointing to around £149 billion ($200 billion) in total. The plan reflects Bezos' ongoing commitment to innovation in manufacturing and retail sectors. Sanders has argued that this approach could serve as a model for other large corporations, amplifying the impact on blue-collar workers across the country.

The senator's concerns are not limited to Amazon. He has previously warned that artificial intelligence and automation pose a threat to nearly 100 million jobs in the United States over the next decade. His criticisms target a handful of tech billionaires whom he accuses of waging war on the working class through rapid technological displacement.

Implications for the Future of Work

Critics of Sanders' stance point out that historical waves of automation have ultimately created more jobs than they destroyed by driving economic growth. However, the senator insists that without intervention, the current pace of change will exacerbate inequality.

He advocates for policies such as a reduced working week without loss of pay and enhanced union protections to mitigate the effects. The senator's intervention has once again put the spotlight on the tension between technological progress and job protection.

Bezos, currently the primary shareholder in Amazon, has not issued a direct response to the latest accusations. As the story develops, the debate over Bernie Sanders Bezos automation continues to highlight the challenges of balancing innovation with job security in modern industry. Observers expect further exchanges as both sides navigate the implications for the American workforce.