Why would Jeff Bezos turn down a $3 billion dollar gift?

[kentuck]

That was the price he was asking, to build another Amazon sweat shop, in the Queens.

But, he turned it down? Why?

Like most very wealthy people, and Bezos may be the wealthiest man on earth, it is better to blame someone that threatens that wealth, like the Democratic Left, and like AOC.

[brooklynite]

1. Because he wasn't certain he was going to get it

Cuomo and De Blasio pitched the deal but weren't able to deliver it. The State Senate Committees doing oversight were dragging their heels and putting up roadblocks.

[kentuck]

4. Good for them!

Amazon don't want no unions...

[Sherman A1]

2. The whole thing may have been a scam

To simply create buzz and attention. There may have never been an HQ2 going anywhere.

[Wounded Bear]

3. Probably because of December sales numbers...

Even Amazon won't be immune to the coming Trump Slump.

The protests and shit gave him an easy out. Why invest all that capital with the economy on the brink, for a measly $3B.

[PubliusEnigma]

5. He can get the same gift somewhere else where L'il Bernie isn't protesting.

New York is the loser here.

[FreepFryer]

8. We had our chance to be a big city and we blew it! /SARCASM (n/t)

[Phentex]

10. This made me laugh

[Blue_true]

16. You are going to have to start calling yourselves the Little Apple.

Honestly, I think the $3 billion potential could be better spent on other business growth.

These big companies don't spin off as much as they claim. Their workers likely commute, so they shop elsewhere. They build their own cafeterias that are run by big companies like Aramark, so small restaurants nearby don't get much business from them.

[BeyondGeography]

6. Because he and his team didn't like being treated like human fire hydrants

Part of me enjoyed seeing them endure old-school NYC public beatings, the part that likes getting too drunk. Sometimes the hangover isn’t worth it though.

[PeeJ52]

7. Or maybe because the news was coming out he doubled his profits and paid no corporate taxes...

Now that wouldn't look good with all the controversy still going on about him getting all that corporate welfare. Better back out, let it die down, and start over again somewhere else at a later date. There's always someone else's money to grab another day.

[WeekiWater]

9. Because he has over two hundred already vetted locations to consider.

The fight clearly isn't worth happening when other areas will be more receptive. This isn't the only area with a sweet pot of incentives for Amazon.

[SunSeeker]

11. Yes, everyone is clamoring for those sweet, SWEET sweat shop jobs.

https://www.newsweek.com/amazon-drivers-warehouse-conditions-workers-complains-jeff-bezos-bernie-1118849

http://digg.com/2018/amazon-workers-pee

Galloping to third world status. SMH

[WeekiWater]

12. I'm no fan of the current state of capitalism in this country.

That doesn't mean I don't understand it. I support those and vote in a manner that will hopefully change it.

[AJT]

13. I thought this was a second headquarters, not a wearhouse.

The jobs would good paying, corporate jobs.

[SunSeeker]

14. Half will be low paying "support" jobs.

https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2018/11/26/half-of-the-25-000-amazon-jobs-coming-to-region.html

And the other half will be higher paying tech jobs, for which there are already 19,000 unfilled positions in the DC area alone. They will likely be staffed by poaching other firms or government or hiring foreign workers. https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/11/16/18095094/amazon-hq2-jobs

[erpowers]

15. He Did Not Want the HQ

I think he is leaving because he never really wanted to build Amazon's HQ2 in New York City.