Jeff Bezos has appeared as the heir apparent to President Donald Trump's good favor after Elon Musk's departure from the White House, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
Trump and Bezos have spoken directly at least twice this month, and a representative from Bezos' space exploration company, Blue Origin, met with a White House official to meet with Trump's Chief of Staff, the Journal noted. This comes as Blue Origin seeks to overtake rival SpaceX in the private space industry by becoming a dominant contractor with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
The Journal noted that Musk's falling out with Trump opened an opportunity for Bezos.
Musk was one of Trump's presidential campaign megadonors, spending over $280 million to help him get elected. In turn, Musk was given unprecedented access to the West Wing. He was also allowed to run the Department of Government Efficiency, which sought to find waste, fraud, and abuse in the government's coffers.
However, their relationship ended by early June. Musk's demeanor in the White House did not sit well with other administration officials, and Musk reportedly engaged in multiple shouting matches with cabinet members and other officials.
Since leaving the White House, Trump has threatened to cut off all government contracts to Musk's companies. Trump also said Musk will face "serious consequences" if he begins backing Democrats in next year's primary elections.
There are still some kinks to work out in the Trump and Bezos relationship, the Journal reported. For instance, Trump reportedly wants to see a manned spaceflight during his term in office. However, Blue Origin has not yet demonstrated that it can handle that mission, unlike SpaceX.
SpaceX has also landed some large contracts with NASA this year. In April, the company received $5.8 billion for 28 flights. Blue Origin was awarded $2.5 billion for seven flights, according to the report.
