In May 2018, Amazon's billionaire owner, American Jeff Bezos, received a WhatsApp message from the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman.
Bezos and 'MBS' - as many call the prince - had shared a dinner with other people in California that same year, during a trip to the United States.
The message contained a video file whose content is unknown. At the time there were no alarms, because, although briefly, both knew each other.
But this Tuesday, after a forensic technical analysis of the file, an investigation by The Washington Post revealed that it is "highly likely" that it contained a malicious program to "hack" the businessman's mobile phone.
The newspaper says that a lot of data could have been extracted in a matter of hours.
"Our researchers and several experts concluded with great confidence that the Saudis had access to Bezos's phone and obtained private information," wrote Gavin de Becker, the researcher hired by the businessman to clarify the matter.
The researcher hired by Bezos says that the billionaire's intimate messages were obtained by Riyadh to avenge him for The Washington Post's coverage of the murder of a Saudi journalist. Photo: Getty Images
Bezos sought help after private messages and photos that revealed how he had an extramarital relationship were mysteriously obtained by the sensationalist National Enquirer and published.
Although the Post says it doesn't know for sure what hackers got from the billionaire's phone, Becker says they were the responsibility of Saudi Arabia and suggests that they were used by that country as a reprisal against Bezos.
"An important enemy"
In addition to being the executive director of the world's largest online sales company, the American also owns the prestigious newspaper, which covered in a critical voice the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in early October. 2018.
"Some Americans will be surprised to learn that the Saudi government has been very determined to harm Jeff Bezos since last October, when the Post began its relentless coverage of Khashoggi's murder," de Becker wrote.
"It is clear that 'MBS' considers The Washington Post an important enemy," he added.
Mohammed bin Salman has been accused of planning and issuing the execution order of Khashoggi, who was a declared enemy of the crown , to whom he frequently dedicated columns in the newspaper criticizing violations of human rights by Riyadh.
The prince has denied any responsibility in the murder of the journalist and has not ruled on the accusations of hacking to Bezos's phone.
De Becker says he handed his findings to federal officials in the United States, so that they can take appropriate action.
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