In a dramatic return to formal leadership, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has appointed himself co-CEO of a groundbreaking artificial intelligence startup called Project Prometheus, according to exclusive reports from the New York Times.
The Return of a Tech Titan
Four years after stepping down as Amazon's chief executive, the world's third-richest person is taking hands-on control again. Bezos will share leadership responsibilities with his co-founder and fellow co-CEO Vik Bajaj, a renowned tech executive celebrated for his work at Google's experimental division X, where he established the health technology spin-off Verily.
The new venture made its first public appearance during Bezos's speaking engagement at the America Business Forum in Miami, Florida on 6 November 2025, though formal announcements about the company's launch emerged later through anonymous sources.
Substantial Funding and Aggressive Hiring
Project Prometheus has already secured an astonishing $6.2 billion in funding - a figure that surpasses the total lifetime fundraising of many established corporations. The startup has rapidly assembled a team of approximately 100 employees, with the Times reporting significant talent acquisition from AI industry leaders including OpenAI, DeepMind, and Meta.
While specific operational details remain closely guarded, the company will concentrate on developing artificial intelligence applications for engineering and manufacturing sectors across multiple industries. Bezos has not yet disclosed the company's headquarters location or detailed how its proprietary technology will function.
Entering a Competitive AI Landscape
Bezos and Bajaj are launching their venture into an increasingly crowded artificial intelligence marketplace, where competitors like OpenAI are receiving billions in investment while tech giants race to develop increasingly sophisticated AI models.
However, some financial experts are beginning to question the sector's sustainability. Notably, Michael Burry - famous for predicting the 2008 housing collapse - recently placed $1 billion in bets against AI-focused companies Palantir and Nvidia. He has publicly accused major technology firms of employing accounting techniques to artificially inflate their earnings.
Despite these concerns, Bezos's return to a formal CEO position signals strong confidence in Project Prometheus's potential. While he has remained actively involved as founder and sole shareholder of aerospace company Blue Origin, this marks his first official executive role since departing Amazon's leadership.
