Jeff Bezos

Jeff Bezos
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Name:
Jeff Bezos
Real name:
Jeffrey Preston Jorgensen
Who is:
, Amazon founder, philanthropist
Birth date:
(61 y.o.)
Place of birth:
Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.
Height:
5'7 ft ()
Weight:
172 lb (78 kg)
Birth Sign:
(characteristic)
Chinese zodiac:
Links:

Photos: Jeff Bezos

Jeff Bezos photo 1
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Jeff Bezos's biography

Jeff Bezos is the world's richest person and founder of the globe's biggest e-commerce empire, Amazon.com, Inc. The entrepreneur runs his own aerospace company and sub-orbital spaceflight service, hoping to make space tourism a reality in the coming years. In 2022, Bezos's net worth was estimated at an unprecedented $179 billion, and even his high-profile divorce barely dented his massive fortune.

Childhood and adolescence

Jeff was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to 17-year-old Jacklyn Gise and 19-year-old Ted Jorgensen. Jeff's father owned a bike shop and moonlighted as a circus performer, doing tricks on his bike. He was pretty immature and irresponsible, preferring to party with friends and drink heavily rather than stay home with his wife and newborn son.

When Jeff was about 18 months old, Jacklyn had enough – she moved back to her family home and left her husband. Soon after, she met Cuban immigrant Miguel Bezos, and they married. Miguel adopted Jeff and raised him as his own son. Soon the family had two more kids, Christina and Mark.
A childhood picture of Jeff Bezos
A childhood picture of Jeff Bezos
Jeff's maternal grandparents were hugely influential in shaping the future businessman. Until age 16, Jeff spent every summer at their ranch, helping his grandfather with chores and building quirky gadgets in the garage. When he had free time, he loved playing checkers and reading science fiction.

From early on, Jeff stood out from other kids thanks to his creative thinking and exceptional analytical skills. The boy was one of the best students in his class in elementary school. He spent countless hours on his computer, obsessed with the Star Trek video game that sparked his fascination with space.

His grandfather also heavily influenced Jeff's growing fascination with space. Having worked at the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, he shared stories with his grandson about rockets, missiles, and space missions.
Jeff Bezos: We Are Our Choices
When Jeff turned 13, his family moved to Pensacola, Florida. Jacklyn immediately pushed to get her oldest son into the gifted program, even though school rules typically required a full year of enrollment first. She knew Jeff had extraordinary abilities for his age and didn't hesitate to invest time and money in his education and interests.

Two years later, the family relocated to Miami when Miguel landed a prestigious, high-paying position. To save up some pocket money, Jeff began working at McDonald's part-time. In high school, he and his first serious girlfriend Ursula launched a summer education camp for gifted kids called the DREAM Institute.

Career

Bezos graduated from Miami Palmetto High School as a valedictorian and enrolled at Princeton University where he studied electrical engineering and computer science. In 1986, he began working at a telecommunications start-up as the head of development and director of customer service. Soon after, he transitioned to the banking industry and briefly worked at Bankers Trust before becoming senior vice-president at the hedge fund D. E. Shaw & Co.

By that time Jeff Bezos began seriously contemplating starting his own business project which would provide an opportunity to realize his ambitious plans. Recognizing the Internet's explosive growth, he realized that most sales would soon shift online. After researching the most in-demand products, Jeff chose books – and it paid off big time.
Jeff Bezos always loved books
Jeff Bezos always loved books
In late 1993, Jeff launched Amazon right from his garage. The future billionaire built tables from old wooden doors, bought essential equipment, and hired a small team – all with just $10,000 in savings. He used his parents' old car to personally deliver orders to the first customers. Who could have imagined that just five years later, the company would be valued at $6 billion!
Jeff Bezos in 1998 and 2017
Jeff Bezos in 1998 and 2017
This meteoric rise happened because Jeff dramatically expanded Amazon's product range – the company started selling everything from CDs and kitchen items to clothes, toys, and electronics. He also managed to attract very influential and wealthy investors. Today, Amazon dominates as the world's largest e-commerce marketplace, top cloud computing platform, and leading AI assistant provider. Bezos is the mastermind behind Amazon Kindle and Drone Air delivery. The company's fully automated warehouses dramatically speed up delivery times.
Jeff Bezos is the founder of Amazon
Jeff Bezos is the founder of Amazon
In 2000, Bezos finally fulfilled his childhood dream by founding Blue Origin, a human spaceflight startup. The company aims to make space tourism accessible to everyone. The first test flights took place in 2015. Bezos bought a massive plot of land in West Texas for launch and testing facilities, investing $1 billion annually in the project.

In 2013, Jeff bought The Washington Post and launched a production company focused on TV series and films. A lifelong fan of space and alien movies, he even scored a cameo as an alien in the 2016 sci-fi film Star Trek Beyond.

Jeff Bezos's personal life

Jeff met his future wife, MacKenzie Tuttle, while working for D.E. Shaw. The 24-year-old MacKenzie was a research associate at the firm while Jeff was her immediate supervisor. According to the billionaire, he was immediately charmed by MacKenzie's intelligence and efficiency, and she loved his infectious laughter. She made the first move, and they got engaged just three months later, with their wedding following six months after that.
Jeff Bezos with MacKenzie Tuttle
Jeff Bezos with MacKenzie Tuttle
MacKenzie wasn't just Jeff's beloved wife and mother to their children (the couple has three sons and an adopted daughter) — she was also his source of inspiration, best friend, and companion. As an aspiring writer herself, she greatly influenced his decision to sell books. She also supported his seemingly wild space dreams even when Jeff's own parents thought they were pure madness.

By June 2018, another $50 billion was added to Bezos's assets, which only further secured his position among the wealthiest and most influential people in the world. However, he lost a substantial chunk of his fortune in 2019 during a very public divorce from MacKenzie. The couple was happily married for 25 years.
The wealthiest man on the planet
The wealthiest man on the planet
As often happens, Bezos's affair with 49-year-old news anchor Lauren Sánchez led to the divorce. The rumors about their romantic relationship began floating around in 2018, and at the beginning of 2019, Jeff and MacKenzie finalized their divorce. MacKenzie received $35 billion in the divorce settlement, making her the world's fourth-richest woman.
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez

Jeff Bezos today

Already holding the title of world's richest person, Bezos became the first person ever to reach a net worth of $200 billion in August 2020. According to forbes.com, Amazon's value had surged nearly 90% since the start of the year, and with Bezos owning 11% of the company, this growth significantly boosted his wealth. Following the company's quarterly earnings report, Jeff also sold several million shares worth $3.1 billion.
In fall 2020, Bezos donated $791 million to environmental protection, giving money to 16 conservation organizations that would funnel funds to WWF and other foundations.
  • At the right time, he just jumped at the opportunity and made money out of it. Good job.
    2021-04-21 14:11:27
  • Bezos was different from his peers since childhood and now look who is in front of you? The richest man not only in the country, but also in the world!
    2021-04-19 11:13:52
  • By a young age, not everyone can become so successful, rich, and recognizable. Jeff Bezos is the one to look up to in terms of finance!
    2021-04-12 18:30:23
  • Lucky little Jeff with his stepfather. He accepted and loved him as a family and gave him his last name.
    2021-04-03 11:03:46
  • I think everyone knows Bezos. The richest, most influential person on the planet.
    2021-02-23 11:26:18
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