Thousands sign petition to ban Jeff Bezos from reentering Earth after space trip in July
It seems that some people don’t want Jeff Bezos around anymore, as a satiricial online petition has spread calling for the richest man on Earth to no longer return to our planet.
The call comes after news that the Amazon head will go to space with his brother Mark and one mysery bidder on July 20. The trip will be by way of the New Shepherd spacecraft from Bezos’ rocket company, Blue Origin.
The trio will go 62 miles above the Earth's surface for a quick “flight” above the Kármán Line, an invisible boundary between Earth's atmosphere and space. The flight will also occur 15 days after Bezos officially retires from his 27-year role as the CEO of Amazon.
Meanwhile, the change.org petition aptly named “Petition To Not Allow Jeff Bezos Re-Entry To Earth” calls for the billionaire to be banned from Earth once he leaves its surface.
“Jeff Bezos is actually Lex Luthor, disguised as the supposed owner of a super successful online retail store,” the petition led by one Jose Ortiz ironically reads, “however, he's actually an evil overlord hellbent on global domination.”
As of writing, the petition has garnered over 9,529 signatures, a few hundred shy of its goal of 10,000.
Once any change.org petition reaches its goal, the demand will be brought to a decision-maker or "a person or group with the power and authority to affect the issue at hand." Since the petition is purely for online entertainment, Bezos will still return to Earth safe and sound— whether 10,000 people like it or not.
Banner photo from MANDEL NGAN / AFP