Tucson’s giant cactus gift rejected by Amazon in bid for HQ
TUCSON, Ariz. — Amazon has rejected the 21-foot (6.4-meter) Saguaro cactus that southern Arizona economic leaders planned to send as a gift to CEO Jeff Bezos, in a bid to attract the company’s second headquarters.
“Unfortunately we can’t accept gifts (even really cool ones),” an Amazon tweet read.
Amazon says it is instead donating the cactus to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson.
Sun Corridor Inc., an economic development group, said it was sending cactus last week, saying it symbolizes that Tucson has the room to grow with the online retailer. Tucson is one of many cities competing for Amazon’s second headquarters, which the company says will result in up to 50,000 new jobs and a $5 billion investment.