Jeff Bezos is reshaping rocket maker Blue Origin with Amazon.com Inc.’s AMZN demanding corporate culture as he seeks to accelerate the company’s progress against Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

What Happened: The world’s third-richest person has appointed former Amazon executives in key leadership positions, including CEO Dave Limp, who joined in late 2023. Several other Amazon veterans now occupy C-suite roles, bringing the tech giant’s aggressive management style to the space venture.

This cultural transformation has already produced significant changes. In February, about 10% of Blue Origin’s 10,000-plus workforce was laid off despite January’s successful New Glenn rocket launch, the company’s first orbital mission. Meanwhile, employees report longer working hours, with some moved to permanent 50-hour weeks and badge scanners tracking attendance.

“We grew and hired incredibly fast in the past few years, and with that growth came more bureaucracy and less focus than we needed,” Limp told employees in an email obtained by the Financial Times.

Blue Origin did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comment.

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Why It Matters: Blue Origin lags significantly behind SpaceX, which has reached orbit more than 450 times compared to Blue Origin’s single success. The company spends approximately $2 billion annually while generating just over $1 billion in revenue, according to the report.

Bezos, who stepped down as Amazon CEO in 2021, has taken a more active role at Blue Origin.

The company is also making headlines with its passenger space tourism business. This spring, Blue Origin will launch its first all-woman crew, including Bezos’ fiancée Lauren Sánchez, pop star Katy Perry, and CBS journalist Gayle King.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.