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Jeff Bezos could be forgiven for feeling he needs a drink after Donald Trump phoned him on Tuesday morning to tear into Amazon for flirting with telling customers what tariffs will do to them.
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But he might find the wine cellar bare: His Washington Post boss seems to have emptied it.
On Sunday, the morning after the White House Correspondents Dinner, a lavish brunch was thrown by Will Lewis, the publisher and chief executive officer of the Washington Post—and Bezos’ most high-profile employee.
It was held on the rooftop terrace of Ned’s Club, the happening establishment in D.C. that counts Mark Cuban and Howard Lutnick as members. Under a clear blue sky guests admired views of the White House and Washington Monument while indulging in no-expense-spared food and drink.
Bartenders doled out Don Julio 1942, Macallan 12 yr on the rocks (the ice was branded “WP”) and Perrier-Jouet champagne from magnums. One bar served bloody Marys with an array of garnishes and smoked bacon. Another specialized in martinis served in glasses chilled by liquid nitrogen.
Guests—outside journalists were banned—helped themselves to wagyu striploin and lobster tails fresh off an outdoors grill; to a raw bar with Maine lobster claws and Alaskan snow crabs; and to a round table filled to the brim with scones and sandwiches for afternoon tea.
Waiters brought around cones filled with caviar and crème fraîche. The caviar supplier boasted of bringing 3kg of Petrossian’s Royal Ossetra, worth than $12,000, asking a good question: Without 3kg of caviar, is it even brunch? The caviar menu was a work of art itself; on the terrace the chairs had been accessorized with custom cushions.
On the way out guests were gifted fresh flowers wrapped in Washington Post newspapers. Despite a ban on photography at Ned’s, a source smuggled pictures of the brunch to The Swamp.
Lewis presided over the festivities, greeting guests personally with handshakes and giving a few welcome remarks. He was all smiles, showing no sign of the stress he’s been under during his first year at The Washington Post. Under his leadership the paper has seen a mass exodus of journalists and subscribers after it canceled its presidential endorsement and censored its opinion pages.
But unknown to the guests—and perhaps to Lewis too—a storm was gathering on the other side of the Atlantic, one entirely unrelated to Bezos and Trump. And it’s one that yet again threatens to engulf Lewis and is buried deep in his past.
Lewis was appointed General Manager of Rupert Murdoch‘s News International in 2011 when The News of the World, one of its papers, was accused of engaging in phone hacking, police bribery, and other criminal means in pursuit of stories. It blamed “rogue” reporters and Lewis oversaw what it said was a clean-up effort after their crimes. The long-running saga had seemed settled when Prince Harry accepted a damages payout in the English courts, ending his attempt to ask Lewis under oath whether the clean-up was actually a corporate cover-up during which he had lied to police.
But on Monday, Britain’s former prime minister Gordon Brown accused Lewis and other executives of obstructing justice during the investigation and filed a criminal complaint. Lewis is now, once again, facing the possibility of being investigated by detectives from Scotland Yard. Brown would like to see him interviewed under caution and possibly even prosecuted. Lewis has long denied any wrongdoing and continues to do so.
All of which puts the Sunday bacchanal in a new light. The man nicknamed “Thirsty Will” when he was the high-flying editor of London’s Telegraph newspapers made sure nobody could go without—and then some.
While other parties during the WHCA weekend had corporate partners or alcohol sponsors (not to mention prosecco, sliders and free pens, not Perrier-Jouet, caviar and bouquets), this one seemed funded solely by Bezos and The Washington Post. The message was not lost on guests.
“It’s f--- you money,” said one, of Sunday’s festivities.
Hair of the dog, Jeff?
The Swamp is written by David Gardner, Alyson Kreuger and Sarah Ewall-Wice.
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