4. When the world’s richest man announced he was getting a divorce on Twitter, it was just the first surprise of many to swirl around Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder.

Steamy texts, a private investigation, claims of blackmail — and a suspicion that politics are behind it all — followed Mr. Bezos. He raised the stakes Thursday when he accused the National Enquirer and its publisher, American Media Inc., of trying to extort him.

Mr. Bezos said the company had threatened to publish lewd photos of him if he did not say publicly that the tabloid’s earlier reporting on him was not motivated by politics. We broke down how a tabloid tale escalated, and exploded and

Gavin de Becker, Mr. Bezos’s security chief, was tasked with finding out how The National Enquirer obtained the photos. He’s counseled governments, celebrities and countless readers on how to ward off threats and stay safe in a scary world.