A decade ago, Jeff Bezos was anticipated to make a significant impact in Washington.

In 2013, the Amazon founder acquired The Washington Post for $250 million. Three years later, he purchased the largest home in the city for $23 million, merging two mansions designed to host extravagant gatherings for the elite. His role as the creator of Amazon and as an innovator with Blue Origin was expected to enhance his influence within the Beltway.

However, Mr. Bezos, now 60, never truly established that presence.

Over the years, he stepped down as CEO of Amazon and became a frequent subject of tabloid headlines due to his divorce and public relationship with Lauren Sánchez, who is now his fiancée. He has visited Washington sporadically, mainly for glamorous events or urgent business matters. In 2020, he made headlines by purchasing a Beverly Hills compound for $165 million, a record for California at the time, and he completed a massive 400-foot yacht last year, aiming to cruise the globe. He has since relocated to Miami.

The tech billionaire who has been making headlines in Washington is Elon Musk. At 53, Mr. Musk, the head of SpaceX, Tesla, and X, has become increasingly involved in the capital, driven by his interests in artificial intelligence and his space ventures, particularly with NASA in competition with Mr. Bezos’ Blue Origin. According to a New York Times analysis, Tesla and SpaceX were promised nearly $3 billion in contracts last year from 17 federal agencies.

On Friday, Mr. Bezos clarified his decision to stay away from Washington’s turbulent political waters. The Post announced it would refrain from endorsing any presidential candidate this year, breaking a longstanding tradition of four decades. Many industry leaders have found it increasingly difficult to navigate the political landscape, especially those with federal contracts or government dealings.

“Even as Amazon’s CEO, with numerous regulatory concerns, he was seldom seen in D.C.,” remarked Hilary Rosen, a Democratic strategist and former Washington editor for The Huffington Post. “I’m not sure he ever aimed to become a key business or media figure in the capital, but he certainly hasn’t achieved that.”

Mr. Bezos did not respond to a request for comment.

A spokesperson for The Post stated on Friday that the decision to halt presidential endorsements was made internally. Will Lewis, the paper’s chief executive and publisher, added in a statement that he does not believe in endorsements.

Mr. Bezos wasn’t initially viewed as a potential power player in D.C. For much of his career, he operated from Seattle, having launched Amazon from his garage in 1994. He transformed the e-commerce platform into a powerhouse in online retail, streaming, cloud computing, and AI.

Within ten years, Amazon had risen to be among the most valuable public companies, and Mr. Bezos became one of the wealthiest individuals globally, currently holding a net worth of $211 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Mr. Bezos began using his wealth in various ways. His 2013 acquisition of The Post positioned him in Washington, sparking concerns among staff about potential interference with the newspaper’s operations and its coverage of Amazon.

He held a town hall that year, assuring staff of editorial independence and stating he would not obstruct critical reporting on Amazon. He expressed a desire for the editorial board to reflect his political views, urging, “Don’t be boring.”

Afterward, he largely remained a mysterious figure in the newsroom, reportedly only meeting with award-winning reporters, according to several current and former employees.

In October 2016, he purchased a 27,000-square-foot former textile museum in Washington D.C. An aide mentioned that Mr. Bezos wanted to engage more in public affairs and be closer to The Post, planning to host gatherings and salons.

This purchase raised hopes that he might follow in the footsteps of Katharine Graham, the legendary Post publisher who supported the newsroom during the Watergate scandal, which led to President Richard Nixon’s resignation. Ms. Graham’s Georgetown home was a social hub for Washington’s elite, bringing together politicians, business leaders, and celebrities.

“There was an assumption that he was becoming more politically active by buying a large venue for parties,” said Robert Allbritton, former owner of Politico.

However, during this time, Amazon was also establishing its influence in Hollywood with its Prime Video service. Mr. Bezos had acquired a Beverly Hills residence in 2007 as Amazon expanded into entertainment.

His Hollywood debut came in 2016 when he hosted a lavish party to celebrate the Oscar-nominated film “Manchester by the Sea,” an Amazon Studios production, at his mansion overlooking Sunset Boulevard. This event marked one of the first times he and Ms. Sánchez, a former TV anchor in Los Angeles, were photographed together publicly.

In 2019, Mr. Bezos and his wife of 25 years, MacKenzie, announced their divorce. The following day, The National Enquirer reported on his romance with Ms. Sánchez.

While he maintained some presence in Washington, attending events like a 2019 gala for the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery where his portrait was unveiled, he remained largely low-key. In January 2020, he hosted an after-party for the annual Alfalfa Club dinner, a prestigious gathering of influential business and political figures. Additionally, in 2021, he donated $200 million to the Smithsonian for a new educational center and renovations to its National Air and Space Museum. He also hosted a private black-tie dinner before the National Portrait Gallery gala, inviting notable guests like Dolly Parton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

However, his substantial home in the upscale Kalorama neighborhood of Washington, within walking distance of former President Barack Obama’s residence, often remains quiet, with neighbors noting they rarely, if ever, see Mr. Bezos there.

“He doesn’t live here,” Mr. Allbritton observed.

In 2021, Amazon announced Mr. Bezos would step down as CEO. Even during his leadership, he largely left lobbying efforts in Washington to Jay Carney, the company’s policy chief and a former White House press secretary, along with other staff members, as noted by two former Amazon employees.

Despite Amazon’s announcement in 2018 of a second headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, just across the Potomac from Washington, development there was halted last year.

Mr. Bezos began dedicating more time to Blue Origin, which operates in Texas and Florida, leading the company’s first crewed spaceflight in July 2021.

While Mr. Bezos has distanced himself, Mr. Musk has expanded his business empire and connections in Washington. He has frequently met with senior lawmakers to discuss his views on AI, electric vehicles, satellite communications, and space exploration.

Mr. Musk’s SpaceX has significantly outpaced Blue Origin and has become a vital federal contractor, providing transportation for NASA astronauts to the International Space Station.

In his personal life, Mr. Bezos has been increasingly active. He proposed to Ms. Sánchez last year, and a Vogue feature in November highlighted his margarita-making skills, which he jokingly referred to as his “backup career.”

Just days before, Mr. Bezos announced on Instagram that he was leaving Seattle to move to Miami, embarking on a real estate shopping spree that included three properties in Indian Creek, an island community where notable residents include Ivanka Trump and Tom Brady.

He expressed a desire to be near Blue Origin’s operations in Florida and added, “I want to be close to my parents, and Lauren and I love Miami.”and a Vogue feature in November kicked off with his margarita-making skills. “This is my backup career,” he joked.

Days before, Mr. Bezos had said in an Instagram post that after living in Seattle for years, he would be moving to Miami. He went on a real estate spending spree, buying three properties in Indian Creek, an island community where homeowners reportedly include Ivanka Trump and Tom Brady.

Mr. Bezos said he wanted to be near Blue Origin’s operations in Florida’s Cape Canaveral. “I want to be close to my parents,” he added, “and Lauren and I love Miami.”