Jeff Bezos says he gets why socialism is surging—but politicians blaming ‘greedy landlords’ have housing all wrong

Jeff Bezos says he understands why socialism is gaining traction in America. The affordability crisis is real, especially when it comes to housing. But the Amazon and Blue Origin founder argues that some politicians are blaming the wrong culprit.

In an interview with Fox News' Bret Baier that aired Wednesday on Special Report , Bezos said government intervention has often been counterproductive in housing, while some politicians point fingers at "greedy landlords" instead of addressing what he called a basic supply-and-demand problem. "It's econ 101," he said. In the same interview, Bezos predicted AI could usher in a three-day workweek , as Fortune reported. He has also argued that raising taxes on billionaires won't fix affordability .

Americans are growing more receptive to socialism, as their views of Big Business sour.

Capitalism still has broader appeal, with 55% of Americans viewing it positively, according to a Gallup poll released in September . But a record 43% now view socialism positively, the highest share since Gallup began tracking the question in 2010. Meanwhile, positive views of Big Business have fallen from 49% in 2010 to just 35%.

The generational divide is stark. Among Americans ages 18 to 34, 57% view socialism positively, compared with 43% who view capitalism favorably. For Americans 55 and older, the picture is reversed: 65% view capitalism positively, versus 34% for socialism.

In a separate Gallup survey , 26% of Americans cited a stronger safety net and more affordable essentials, including housing, health care, and education, as benefits of socialism. Still, 45% either said nothing was good about socialism or couldn't name any of its benefits.

Even Vice President JD Vance warned in July that young Americans priced out of homeownership could be drawn to socialism, as Fortune previously reported .

At the end of 2025, a household needed $120,800 a year to afford payments on a median-price U.S. home, up from $68,700 five years earlier, according to Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies . Only 32% of U.S. households met that income threshold, including just 16% of renter households.

An earlier report from the same Harvard center found that rising homebuying costs between 2021 and 2024 effectively priced out about 8 million renter households that previously earned enough to afford a median-price home. Most were between age 25 and 44, in their prime homebuying years. First-time buyers made up just 21% of home purchases in the National Association of Realtors' latest annual survey , a record low, and Zillow's CEO doesn't expect that to change soon .