Amazon

Amazon (Amazon.com, Inc.) is an online trading company that was founded in July 1995 by its CEO, Jeff Bezos. The website started as an online bookstore but quickly became the world's largest online "anything store". Besides offering millions of books, music, and DVD's, it also sells electronics, clothing, prescription drugs, and auto parts. The company is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. In May 1997 the company was floated on the stock exchange. (Its Nasdaq symbol is AMZN.)

CEO Jeff Bezos is listed in Forbes as having a personal fortune of US$5.1 billion.

Top competitors are Barnes & Noble, Columbia House, and eBay.

Support for the American Legislative Exchange Council
Amazon was a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) as of 2011. A spokesperson announced at a shareholder meeting on May 24, 2012 that it had decided not to renew its membership in ALEC in 2012. Amazon had been a member of ALEC's Communications and Technology Task Force in 2011. In August 2011, Amazon was a "Director" level sponsor of ALEC's 38th Annual Conference ($10,000 in 2010). Furthermore, Braden Cox, Amazon's Director of U.S. State Public Policy, was a featured speaker at the 2011 ALEC Annual Meeting at a Workshop titled, "Exploring ALEC Positions on E-Commerce and E-Taxes."

Political contributions
Amazon gave $88,500 to federal candidates in the 2006 election through its political action committee - 54% to Democrats and 46% to Republicans.

Lobbying
The company spent $735,000 for lobbying in the first half of 2007. Two lobbying firms were used - Bockorny Group and DLA Piper.

People

 * Jeffrey Bezos - Chairman of the Board, President, CEO & Founder
 * Jeffrey Blackburn - SVP, Business Development
 * Andrew Jassy - SVP Web Services
 * Steven Kessel - SVP Worldwide Digital Media
 * Marc Onetto - SVP, Worldwide Operations
 * Diego Piacentini - SVP, International Retail
 * Thomas Szkutak - SVP and CFO
 * H. Brian Valentine - SVP, Ecommerce Platform
 * Jeffrey Wilke - SVP, North America Retail
 * L. Michelle Wilson - SVP, General Counsel, Secretary
 * Tom Alberg - Managing Director, Madrona Ventures Group
 * [[John Seely Brown - Visiting Scholar and Advisor to the Provost at USC
 * William B. Gordon - Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
 * Myrtle S. Potter - CEO Chapman Properties
 * Thomas O. Ryder - Former Chairman and CEO, Reader's Digest Association, Inc.
 * Patricia Q. Stonesifer - CEO, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Former Members

 * Richard Dalzell - Former SVP and CIO
 * Mark Peek - Former SVP and CAO
 * L. John Doerr - General Partner, Kleiner Perkins and Caufiled

Contact details
1200 12th Avenue South Suite 1200 Seattle, WA 98144 Phone: 206-266-1000 Web: http://www.amazon.com