Yes and no, if you are taught a work ethic and stick to it you will succeed. If you are young and dumb believing the world owes you a living you fail
He will not be the first person in history to solve the principal-agent problem. Not even close.
Will someone work hard if they receive the same pay regardless of their effort level? Some will if they enjoy their work. For something like Amazon warehouse work, I’d imagine that it’s drudgery that few workers truly enjoy. As such, I suspect that Bezos’ assumption that most of his employees would be lazy given the opportunity is valid.