How Jeff Bezos built an A.I.-driven “cyber contraption” that puts customers first

The latest issue of Fortune magazine—on newsstands now—showcases our new Fortune 500 list of the biggest companies in the U.S. Rocketing from fifth place to No. 2 on the list this year, with $280 billion in sales, is Amazon.

The e-commerce behemoth was on a tear even before the coronavirus pandemic, but—in a fascinating profile featured in the magazine and online here—Brian Dumaine argues that Amazon is perfectly “designed” to capitalize on the health and economic crisis created by the outbreak.

Since the company joined the Fortune 500 in 2002, annual sales growth has averaged 28%, while Amazon’s market value