Check out these rare snapshots of history
Technically, from 1998 to 2021, Bezos earned a base salary of US$88,840 However, most of his wealth comes from his Amazon shares.
As of mid-2020, his estimated yearly earnings were US$78.5 billion. That's $6.5 billion per month!
Bezos got divorced in 2019 and signed over a large chunk of his Amazon stocks to his ex-wife, worth approximately US$38.7 billion. Even after that, he remained the richest man in the world.
Jeff Bezos is currently worth over US$113 billion. That's obviously a lot of money, but it can be hard to wrap your head around that number. Let's take a look about some facts that may help to visualize his extraordinary wealth.
Amazon was one of the few companies to benefit from the COVID-19 pandemic. They made US$75.5 billion in Q1 of 2020, an increase of 26% compared to 2019.
Breaking that down even further, that means US$1.5 billion per week.
He is wealthier than the British royal family (they are worth approximately US$88 billion).
In February of 2020 he announced the creation of the Bezos Earth Fund, a new charitable organization that will aid the fight against climate change. He has pledged US$10 billion.
Bezos has been widely criticized for avoiding corporate tax in the US. He is exempt by US laws because he reinvests enough of his profits into company operations.
In 2018, many Amazon employees worked for just US$15 per hour (average starting pay has since increased to $18/h). Even if they worked 24 hours a day for their entire working lives, they would not earn what Jeff Bezos makes in an hour.
He lost more money in 2019 than any other billionaire in the world, and still stayed in the number one spot.
Even further? US$8.59 million per hour.
He wasn't the first person to have this idea but he did stand out for one reason: he promised to deliver any book, to any customer, anywhere.
Let's take this to the end of the line: US$2,489 per second.
USA Today reported that Jeff Bezos has the wealth of 2.3 million average US citizens, or 19 million average Chinese citizens. This figure is accurate as of December 2019.
However, many believe he intends to use most of his money to further his astronautical endeavors. He is already selling US$1 billion worth of Amazon stock per year to invest in his space exploration company called Blue Origin.
Bezos invested US$1 million into Google in 1998, so his wealth has clearly not just come through Amazon.
The US$250,000 that his parents invested in 1995 would now make them worth around $30 billion on that investment alone.
Amazon has acquired many other large companies over the years. They bought Twitch for US$970 million, Zappos for $1.2 billion, and Whole Foods Market for $13.7 billion.
Many of the other richest men in the world such as Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and Warren Buffet have pledged to give away most of their wealth within their lifetimes. What does Jeff Bezos plan to do?
There were projections that Jeff Bezos would become the first trillionaire in human history by 2026. Now Elon Musk looks set to become the first trillionaire, but Bezos is expected to get there in 2030. Not bad!
It's estimated that the average American man with a bachelor's degree will earn about US$2.2 million in his lifetime. Jeff Bezos makes that in about 15 minutes.
When Bezos first founded Amazon in 1994, the company was an online bookstore.
Bezos announced that he would step down as CEO starting July 5, 2021, and transition to the role of executive chair, where he will be focusing on "new products and early initiatives." He was replaced by Andy Jassy. In an email to Amazon employees, the billionaire reflected: "Invention is the root of our success. We've done crazy things together, and then made them normal ... If you get it right, a few years after a surprising invention, the new thing has become normal. People yawn. And that yawn is the greatest compliment an inventor can receive ... Keep inventing, and don't despair when at first the idea looks crazy. Remember to wander. Let curiosity be your compass. It remains Day 1."
Jeff Bezos is one of the richest people in the world (and even held the top spot on the world's rich list for quite some time). But even today, it's still a challenge to even conceptualize that level of wealth, and the potential it has to change the world. In this gallery, let's take a look at how Bezos amassed his incredible fortune and try to get an understanding of its true worth. Click through to get started.
Jeff Bezos' incomprehensible wealth
The Amazon founder turns 59 this January 12
CELEBRITY Business
Jeff Bezos is one of the richest people in the world (and even held the top spot on the world's rich list for quite some time). But even today, it's still a challenge to even conceptualize that level of wealth, and the potential it has to change the world. In this gallery, let's take a look at how Bezos amassed his incredible fortune and try to get an understanding of its true worth. Click through to get started.