Washington Post names acting CEO as Will Lewis exits
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.

The Washington Post headquarters in Washington, D.C. Photo: Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Washington Post on Saturday announced that embattled CEO Will Lewis would be resigning after years of controversial leadership.
Why it matters: His resignation follows a dramatic and controversial move to lay off hundreds of journalists amid financial turmoil.
- In a memo, Lewis thanked owner Jeff Bezos for his support, adding "the institution could not have a better owner."
- "During my tenure, difficult decisions have been taken in order to ensure the sustainable future of The Post so it can for many years ahead publish high-quality nonpartisan news to millions of customers each day."
Zoom in: Jeff D'Onofrio was named acting publisher and CEO. He joined the Post in 2025 as CFO and previously worked at Raptive, Tumblr and Google.
- In a note to staff, D'Onofrio acknowledged, "We are ending a hard week of change with more change."
- "This is a challenging time across all media organizations, and The Post is unfortunately no exception," he wrote.
- "I'm honored to take the helm as acting Publisher and CEO to lead us into a sustainable, successful future with the strength of our journalism as our north star."
Catch up quick: Lewis has long been criticized by newsroom staffers for being absent and failing to develop a strong rapport with the journalists at the storied paper.
- The fury surrounding the Post's recent sweeping cuts was compounded by a photo that was taken of Lewis on Thursday that showed him attending a Super Bowl event the day after the layoffs were announced.
- Lewis' personal tensions with the newsroom and Bezos' opinion section directives also contributed to a talent exodus that have compounded the Post's business problems.
- Prior to the Post, Lewis served as founder, CEO and publisher of The News Movement, a social media news company. He was previously CEO of Wall Street Journal parent Dow Jones.
What they're saying: Bezos said in a statement, "The Post has an essential journalistic mission and an extraordinary opportunity."
- "Each and every day our readers give us a roadmap to success. The data tells us what is valuable and where to focus," Bezos added.
Editor's note: This story was updated with additional details throughout.

