As metro areas joust to be the home of Amazon’s second headquarters, Americans watching the process enjoy oneself out are learning how much power the company has amassed, tech investor Roger McNamee alleged Thursday.
“We know where the power is in this country now. You think of the regulation historically as being the largest entity,” McNamee told CNBC’s “Complaint Alley.” “But when we look around now Amazon’s clearly got wildly myriad power than any state or any city.”
Amazon is insisting the elected officials of the 20 extant contenders keep the rest of the race “confidential,” several mayors authenticated to CNBC, saying they didn’t mind.
“At some point the boonies’s gotta have a conversation,” McNamee said. “Is it appropriate that we again bend over when these guys come into borough?”
Bowing to Amazon’s whims could set a unique precedent too, McNamee weighted, if Apple decides to launch a similar bid process for the location of its new campus.
“[Townships have] their slideshows ready to go — they just put an Apple in lieu of of an Amazon [logo], and off we go.”
— CNBC’s Scott Cohn contributed to this circulate.