Jeff Bezos
Founder and CEO, AmazonAmazon Blue Origin The Washington Post
Jeff Bezos' Journey so far ...
- Even before beginning his journey as an entrepreneur, Jeff Bezos was a successful corporate executive. He was the youngest- ever senior vice-president of the Wall Street investment bank D.E. Shaw & Co. during his tenure
- In the early ‘90s, the World Wide Web or the Internet was in its nascent stage and Bezos was contemplating investment opportunities for the firm. That’s when the possibilities of the technology and its massive growth -- around 2000% annually -- caught his attention
- He left his corporate job in 1994 and moved to Seattle to start his own company
- Initially, an online book store, the company’s primary development process began from the garage of his rented house with five employees
- Amazon.com was finally open for the public in July 1995, and with over 1 million titles claimed itself to be ‘Earth’s Biggest Book Store’
- Bezos had a clearly thought- out service which made navigating through the website really easy. Soon, Amazon allowed customers to post reviews, offered discounts and had a personalised book- recommendation mechanism in place
- Amazon’s popularity was growing fast and by the end of 1996 the company’s sales grew to over $15 million
- Amazon went public in 1997 with shares priced at $18 a piece
- The company diversified its offerings in the summer of 1998 to include CDs followed by the addition of videos later that year
- By the next year, Bezos had started investing in other e-commerce businesses operating in sectors such as pharmaceuticals
- In 2005, Amazon further diversified and now its product line, among others, included clothing items, electronics and hardware goods
- The same year, Amazon Prime -- a membership program through which US customers could avail two-day shipping services for eligible orders -- was also introduced
- Bezos took his company to the next level by introducing their cloud-computing service -- Amazon Web Services (AWS) -- in 2006
- In 2007, the company released an e-book reader called Kindle which soon became one of their best- selling products
- Bezos ventured into the entertainment business with his production house Amazon Studios in 2010
- In 2013, he acquired the publishing company The Washington Post for $250 million
- On July 27, 2017, Jeff Bezos replaced Bill Gates as the richest person in the world. Though his first term in the top spot lasted only for a few hours, he came back strong and within a few months he not only became the richest, his net worth also exceeded the $100 billion mark on November 27, 2017, making him a centibillionaire
- By 2018, Amazon’s annual sales had grown to around $233 billion
- Bezos has invested in several start-ups and successful ventures including Twitter, Airbnb and Uber. His other ambitious projects include the 10,000-year clock planned to be built into the Sierra Diablo mountain range in Texas, the F-1 engine retrieval project, etc.
- Currently, Jeff Bezos owns around 11% stake in Amazon and continues to be the richest person in the world
- Jeff Bezos founded an aerospace company called Blue Origin in 2000 with the aim to promote space travel using reusable launch vehicles
- In a historic suborbital flight on June 20, 2021, the Amazon founder accompanied by a hand-picked group blasted into space aboard his company Blue Origin's New Shepard launch vehicle and returned safely to Earth. The rocket reached an altitude of about 106 kilometres
Before you go ...
- Bezos originally wanted to name his company ‘Cadabra’ -- taken from the word ‘abracadabra’
- He was paid an annual salary of $81,840 in 2019 which is the same he has been drawing for over two decades
- He has played cameo roles in Hollywood movies such as Tooth Fairy and Star Trek Beyond
Jeff Bezos News
Bengaluru-based AI engineer and entrepreneur Rohan Paul recently gained rare recognition on X, with Google CEO Sundar Pichai following him. Already followed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Paul shared his excitement online, highlighting the significance of the gesture. The acknowledgement has boosted his visibility in the tech community, reflecting his growing influence through Rohan’s Bytes and his work in AI and technology.
Starlink is actively establishing its terrestrial infrastructure in India, engaging in advanced discussions with data center operators, telcos, and internet exchange providers. These strategic partnerships aim to create a robust ecosystem for satellite connectivity at scale, aligning with Indian regulations that mandate local routing and storage of downlink traffic.
Jackie Bezos, mother of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, passed away at 78. She battled Lewy body dementia. The Bezos family mourns the loss of their biggest supporter. Jeff Bezos shared a heartfelt tribute. Jackie was known for her dedication to family and philanthropy. She co-founded the Bezos Family Foundation. She leaves behind a legacy of love and generosity.
Jackie Bezos, mother of Jeff Bezos and an early Amazon investor, passed away in Miami on August 14, 2025, at the age of 78, due to Lewy body dementia. She is survived by her husband, three children, 11 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Jackie played a pivotal role in Amazon's early success with a significant investment in 1995.
Jackie Bezos, mother of Jeff Bezos and an early Amazon investor, passed away in Miami at 78 due to Lewy body dementia. Diagnosed in 2020, she was the president of the Bezos Family Foundation. LBD, the second most common dementia, involves protein deposits affecting thinking, memory, and movement, leading to various symptoms and complications.
Jackie Bezos, mother of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and an early investor in the company, passed away in Miami at 78 after battling Lewy body dementia. In 1995, she and her husband invested in Amazon, which became a global giant. Born in 1946, she had Jeff at 17 and later married Miguel Bezos, who adopted him.
Following their recent wedding, Jeff Bezos is reportedly leveraging his acquisition of MGM Studios to push for his wife, Lauren Sánchez, to secure a role in the upcoming James Bond reboot. This move has sparked concerns among fans, who fear that personal influence might overshadow creative decisions in the franchise's future.
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are intensifying their legal battle with Lauren's brother, Michael Sanchez, seeking nearly $190,000 in legal fees. This demand stems from Michael's unsuccessful defamation lawsuit against Bezos, which was dismissed under California's Anti-SLAPP law. The couple's lawyers argue that Michael's actions were part of a harassment campaign, justifying the recovery of legal costs.
Indian-origin adventurer Arvinder Singh Bahal, 80, a U.S. citizen, achieved his ultimate dream by soaring into space aboard Blue Origin's NS-24 mission on August 3. The real estate investor, who has visited every country and skydived over Everest, was joined by other notable figures, including meteorologist Deborah Martorell and entrepreneur Justin Sun.
Blue Origin is set to launch its NS-34 suborbital space tourism flight on August 3, 2025, featuring Arvinder Singh Bagal, an Agra-born US citizen and real estate investor. Bagal, an avid adventurer, will be joined by other notable figures, including a Turkish businessman, a Puerto Rican meteorologist, and H.E. Justin Sun.
