The minute we thought of Bezos, it was obvious that he embodied both. The magazine is due out today. The company quickly became the Goliath of Internet book-selling and soon branched out into music and video. Now Amazon, trying to build itself into an online superstore, sells everything from software and electronics to toys and home-improvement items. But the company suffers a problem common to Internet ventures.
Some analysts wonder how much longer it can afford to keep growing.
The attempt to build huge companies based on growth but not profit. Bezos said in a telephone interview he is confident Amazon and companies like it will eventually turn a profit. Time editors choose the person of the year by deciding who had the greatest impact during the year. Bezos beat out Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and an idea for a package story based on the shootings at Columbine High School, Isaacson said.