Jeff Bezos reportedly had bulletproof panels installed in his office as part of his $1.6 million Amazon security operation

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CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezos.

• Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos had bulletproof panels installed in his office earlier this year, according to the Daily Beast.
• A recent filing showed Amazon spent $1.6 million on security for Bezos in 2018.
• Bezos has faced some unique security challenges this year after the National Enquirer revealed his relationship with former TV host Lauren Sanchez.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Jeff Bezos ratcheted up his security earlier this year by installing bulletproof panels in his Amazon office in Seattle, the Daily Beast reports.

Citing local planning permits, the Daily Beast said the fibreglass panelling is strong enough to withstand repeated shots from a military assault rifle and cost $180,000 to install.

Bezos isn't the only Amazon executive to have installed the panels. The Daily Beast reports that Amazon's worldwide consumer chief Jeff Wilke had them put in place last year, along with blast-resistant doors and panic buttons.

A recent filing showed that Amazon spent $1.6 million on security for Bezos, the world's richest man last year, which was in line with his protection bill in 2017.

It was roughly the same as what Oracle spent on keeping safe its CEO, Larry Ellison, but was less than the $2 billion Uber spent on it securing its boss, Dara Khosrowshahi.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's security bill dwarfs his contemporaries, however. Facebook spent $22.6 million protecting Zuckerberg following the company's disastrous 2018.

The actual cost of Bezos' security could be higher than what Amazon spends, as Bezos may bolster it with his personal wealth.

Read more: Mark Zuckerberg is rumored to have a secret escape passageway beneath his conference room for emergencies

Amazon wasn't immediately available for comment when contacted by Business Insider.

The Amazon CEO has faced some unique threats to his security this year. The National Enquirer ran photographs of Bezos with former TV anchor Lauren Sanchez, claiming the pair were dating while both married.

The publication boasted that it had tailed Bezos and Sanchez for four months "across five states and 40,000 miles, tailed them in private jets, swanky limos, helicopter rides, romantic hikes, five-star hotel hideaways, intimate dinner dates and 'quality time' in hidden love nests."

The Enquirer also obtained Bezos' texts to Sanchez, prompting him to put his head of security Gavin de Becker on the case. He gave de Becker "whatever is needed" in terms of resources to find answers.

De Becker wrote in the Daily Beast that his investigation had concluded "with high confidence" that Saudi Arabia was behind the leaking of Bezos' private correspondence because he owns The Washington Post.

"The Saudi government has been intent on harming Jeff Bezos since last October, when the Post began its relentless coverage of [Jamal] Khashoggi's murder," de Becker wrote.