Jeff Bezos is gearing up for the maiden launch of Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket (File)
Billionaires Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, both prominent figures in the space exploration industry, have long been known for their business rivalry. Despite past criticisms from Musk, Amazon founder Bezos expressed an openness to the idea of friendship with him in a recent podcast.
When asked about Musk, Bezos, in an interview with podcaster Lex Fridman, said he only knew the Tesla CEO's public persona, adding, "You can't know anyone enough through it - it's impossible."
Jeff Bezos went on to commend Musk's leadership of Tesla and SpaceX, acknowledging him as a capable leader based on the results achieved by his companies.
"There's no way you can have Tesla and SpaceX without being capable one. It's impossible," he said.
During the podcast, host Lex Fridman proposed the idea that Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk should spend time together, fostering a "friendship that would inspire the entirety of humanity."
Jeff Bezos responded positively, stating, "I agree with you, and I think with a lot of these endeavours we're very like-minded. So, I think, I'm not saying we're identical, but we're very like-minded so I love that idea."
Watch the interview here:
Elon Musk is currently the richest man in the world, with a net worth of $254 billion, and Jeff Bezos is the third richest with $172 billion.
The well-known rivalry between Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk in the space race is no secret. Musk had poked fun at Bezos, calling him a "copycat" and mocking his spaceship.
In response, Jeff Bezos had subtly countered and congratulated SpaceX on its achievements.
Presently, Jeff Bezos is gearing up for the maiden launch of Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket, scheduled for December 18. This launch, labelled NS-24, is set to be a cargo mission carrying research and scientific payloads.
Reports indicate that the New Shepard rocket will take off from Blue Origin's private facility in West Texas, carrying both people and payloads beyond the 100 km mark. So far, Blue Origin has successfully flown 31 individuals to the edge of space with the New Shepard.