A billionaire's Amazon celebration becomes a scandal in Austria, reaches Parliament
An Austrian toolmaker's celebration featuring a Jeff Bezos impersonator escorted by real police officers has sparked a political controversy. The incident is now under internal police review and has triggered a parliamentary inquiry regarding the misuse of public resources.
Why it matters
It highlights concerns over the intersection of corporate influence and the use of state security forces for private promotional events.
Austrian toolmaker Haidlmair wanted to celebrate a major business milestone with a party that would be hard to forget. It certainly succeeded. The company marked its biggest-ever Amazon order with a helicopter arrival, live performances and a surprise appearance by a man dressed to look like Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. But the celebration soon turned into a political controversy after the fake Jeff Bezos was escorted by three real, heavily armed Austrian police officers.The unusual appearance took place in August at Haidlmair's celebration in Micheldorf, Upper Austria. The officers, however, belonged to the Schnelle Interventionsgruppe (SIG), a special police unit based in Linz. While the man playing Bezos was an impersonator, the armed security detail was genuine.The incident is now facing an internal police review, with questions over who approved the deployment, whether the officers were authorized to take part and who should pay for their presence.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in