"[273] Despite Bezos's support for an open borders policy towards immigrants, Amazon has actively marketed facial recognition software to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). [212] During March 9, Bezos earned $230,000 every 60 seconds. The company will use a portion of the funds to fuel its basketball league that pays 16-to-18-year old players at least $100,000 per year. Bezos founded Blue Origin in 2000, just six years after he started Amazon, with the goal of making spaceflight more affordable and more accessible. Since its launch in 2016, Overtime said, it has nearly 50 million social media followers. [24] Jeff attended River Oaks Elementary School in Houston from fourth to sixth grade. [197] By the time the Forbes list was calculated in March 2016, his net worth was registered at $45.2billion. [135] His business practices projected a public image of prudence and parsimony with his own wealth and that of Amazon. "[137] Select accounts of his persona have drawn controversy and public attention. Overtime's basketball league offers $100K salaries to teen players. [228] Bezos had also purchased three adjoining apartments at 25 Central Park West in Manhattan for $7.65 million in 1999;[229][230] he bought a fourth unit in that building for $5.3 million in 2012. [269] Controversy over this was raised when General James Mattis accepted a headquarters tour invitation from Bezos and co-ordinated the deal through Sally Donnelly, a lobbyist who previously worked for Amazon. He described this life philosophy by stating: "When I'm 80, am I going to regret leaving Wall Street? Blue Origin's New Shepard vehicle reached space in 2015 and afterwards successfully landed back on Earth; he flew into space on Blue Origin NS-16 in 2021. ", and "Why are you ruining my life?". Overtime raised $80 million in a Series C with investors including Bezos Expeditions, Drake and NBA stars including Devin Booker, Trae Young and Klay Thompson. [295][bettersourceneeded] In June 2018, Bezos donated to Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a private philanthropic fund founded by Bill Gates aimed at promoting emissions-free energy. [27] Jeff would later purchase this ranch and expand it from 25,000 acres (10,117ha) to 300,000 acres (121,406ha). Mind-boggling", "If You Invested in Amazon at Its IPO, You Could Have Been a Millionaire", "The electricity metaphor for the web's future", "How Jeff Bezos was selected for, but never joined, the Defense Innovation Board", "Bezos Jeffrey P.: Insider Trading Transactions", "Amazon posts quarterly profit of $1.9billion, its highest ever", "Bezos is putting $1billion a year into rocket-maker Blue Origin by selling Amazon stock", "Billionaire Jeff Bezos Will Star in Amazon's Super Bowl Ad", "Amazon posts largest profit in its history on sales, tax boost", "After losing China, Jeff Bezos really wants to win in India", "Jeff Bezos Is $1.8 Billion Richer As Amazon's Market Cap Briefly Hits $1 Trillion", "Five Things You Need to Know to Start Your Day", "Forget Zuckerberg: Why Trump Is "Obsessed" with Breaking Bezos", "The World's Richest Man Just Lost $10.7 Billion as Trump Tweets About Amazon", "Why a Trump-Led Antitrust Case Against Amazon Is a Long Shot", "Congress demands Jeff Bezos explain Amazon's face recognition software", "Bernie Sanders introduces 'Stop BEZOS Act', "Bernie Sanders introduces 'Stop BEZOS' bill to tax Amazon for underpaying workers", "Bernie Sanders's BEZOS bill takes aim at how Amazon pays workers", "Bernie Sanders targets Amazon, Walmart with 100% tax", "What the Bernie Sanders Amazon welfare fight is really about", "Amazon to raise minimum wage to $15 for all U.S. workers", "Why Amazon really raised its minimum wage to $15", "Amazon.com Announces Financial Results and CEO Transition", "NBC News reports Jeff Bezos' intention to stand down as CEO of Amazon in the third quarter of 2021", "Former Blue Origin president Rob Meyerson leaves Jeff Bezos' space venture", "Buzz in West Texas is about Jeff Bezos space craft launch site", "Jeff Bezos Owns the Web in More Ways Than You Think", "Taking the long view: Jeff Bezos, the founder and chief executive of Amazon, owes much of his success to his ability to look beyond the short-term view of things", "Unplugged: Richard Branson's otherworldly space quest", "Three Billionaires Are Racing to Space. Although the crash was viewed as a setback, news outlets noted how far the company went from its founding-to-date in advancing spaceflight. Scream? The Washington Post reported that Jones may be leaning on Dan Snyder to sell [74] Amazon's share price fell by 9% in response to the President's negative comments; this reduced Bezos's personal wealth by $10.7billion. [28] Multiple opinion columnists responded by asking Bezos to pay higher wages to Amazon warehouse workers. Here's everything that's happened since their relationship began, including a tabloid scandal and possibly even a hack by foreign operatives", "Jeff Bezos Walks Through a One-Way Door, Opening a New Age for Amazon", "Jeff Bezos Accuses National Enquirer of 'Extortion and Blackmail', "Jeff Bezos' nudes were reportedly leaked when his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez sent them to her brother, in a new twist to the dramatic saga here's everything we know so far", "Quoted: She Said, He Said MacKenzie Bezos Vs. Jeffrey Preston Jorgensen was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on January 12, 1964,[16] the son of Jacklyn (ne Gise) and Theodore Jrgensen. 1) Hes capable of paying whatever for a team. Amazon went public in [49] Prior to settling on Seattle, Bezos had investigated setting up his company at an Indian reservation near San Francisco in order to avoid paying taxes. ", "Bezos Not Concerned About Competition, Possible ULA Sale", "Jeff Bezos lifts curtain on Blue Origin rocket factory, lays out grand plan for space travel that spans hundreds of years", "Jeff Bezos says he wants to fly into space 'as soon as possible', "Later, Vader! [121][122], Bezos also supports philanthropic efforts through direct donations and non-profit projects funded by Bezos Expeditions. On Saturday, TheAthletic.com reported that Bank of America (which is handling the sale) has informed Bezos that hes out. [40] In addition, he was elected to Tau Beta Pi and was the president of the Princeton chapter of the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS). Who Will Win? [260] Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Bezos have supported the legalization of same-sex marriage, and in 2012 contributed $2.5million to Washington United for Marriage, a group supporting a yes vote on Washington Referendum 74, which affirmed a same-sex marriage law enacted in the state. [308], On November 22, 2022, Jeff Bezos awarded $123 million to organizations that are engaged in relocating homeless families to permanent housing. [28] His relative lack of philanthropy compared to other billionaires has drawn a negative response from the public since 2016. [168] Bezos has cited Jeff Immelt (of New Enterprise Associates),[169] Warren Buffett (of Berkshire Hathaway), Jamie Dimon (of JPMorgan Chase), and Bob Iger (of Walt Disney) as major influences on his leadership style. After a pair of weekend reportsindicating that Snyder wont sell the team to Bezos, A.J. [51] In late 2002, rapid spending from Amazon caused it financial distress when revenues stagnated. As Commanders owner Daniel Snyder continues to ponder selling the team, unless he isnt, the reports regarding the involvement of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos are covering all bases. [292] As part of this announcement, he committed to establishing the "Day 1 Families Fund" to finance "night shelters and day care centers for homeless families" and the "Day 1 Academies Fund" for early childhood education. [236][115] Bezos treatment of employees at The Washington Post has also drawn scrutiny. Bezos retained his interest in The Washington Post and Blue Origin, as well as voting control of the shares received by his ex-wife. [51] He favored diverting Amazon profits back into the company in lieu of allocating it amongst shareholders in the form of dividends. Billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos recently said he plans to give away the majority of his fortune. As journalist Brad Stone revealed in his book The Everything Store, Bezos issued remarks to his employees such as "I'm sorry, did I take my stupid pills today? Bezos was a multi-billionaire who drove a 1996 Honda Accord. Bezos founded Amazon in late 1994 on a road trip from New York City to Seattle. [238][239], In January 2019, Bezos and his wife Mackenzie Scott released a joint statement which revealed that they would be getting divorced after 25 years together. [154][28] Bezos has been known to publicly contest claims made in critical articles, as exemplified in 2015 when he sent a memo to employees denouncing a New York Times piece. ", "Are you lazy or just incompetent? "Overtime has built an unrivaled brand and global community from scratch in just five years. Meanwhile, Rodgers insists he won't "drag'' out the decision about when and where and why and if he'll play in 2023. Bezos has been interested in becoming an NFL owner for at least four years. [15] In September 2022, he was ranked second on the Forbes 400 list of wealthiest Americans with a net worth of $151 billion. ", "What Has Jeff Bezos Chosen to Spend His $140B On? [120] In January 2018, an announcement was made concerning Bezos's role within a new, unnamed healthcare company. As CBS Sports reported back in 2019, Bezos spent some time getting close with several owners back then and he had "strong support within the league" to become an owner at that point. [44] Bezos was promoted to head of development and director of customer service thereafter. On Friday night, the New York Postreported that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has been benched from bidding on the team. Investors in OTE include Portland Trail Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony, Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant and Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. The fundraising comes more than a month after Overtime announced a paid basketball league for young players. Even Jeff Bezos' brother Mark was completely taken off guard by the internet memes showing the man behind Amazon looking completely jacked. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos attended the Sports Illustrated Super Bowl party. [285], In September 2018, Business Insider reported that Bezos was the only one of the top five billionaires in the world who had not signed the Giving Pledge, an initiative created by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett that encourages wealthy people to give away a majority of their wealth. He worked on Wall Street in a variety of related fields from 1986 to early 1994. Jeff Bezos is a gamer if you count flying rockets into space, co-founder of Amazon-owned Twitch says. [107] In July 2018, it was announced that Bezos had priced commercial spaceflight tickets from $200,000 to $300,000 per person.[108]. Meanwhile, Rodgers insists he won't "drag'' out the decision about when and where and why and if he'll play in 2023. [142] Bezos has been characterized as a notoriously opportunistic CEO who operates with little concern for obstacles and externalities. [7], The company left stealth mode and launched on January 19, 2022, with a start capital of $3 billion and an executive team led by Hal Barron. The NFL has played games in London, Mexico City and Germany but there is one place they haven't touched. In September 2016, Bezos received a $250,000 prize for winning the Heinlein Prize for Advances in Space Commercialization, which he donated to the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space. As CBS Sports reported back in 2019, Bezos spent some time getting close with several owners back then and he had "strong support within the league" to become an owner at that point. [59][failed verification] In November 2007, Bezos launched the Amazon Kindle. Jeff Bezos quit his job at an investment bank in 1994 and moved to Seattle, Washington, to open a virtual bookstore. Once built, it will be the largest yacht in the world. [114] After a surge in online readership in 2016, the paper was profitable for the first time since Bezos made the purchase in 2013. [90] Bezos has long expressed an interest in space travel and the development of human life in the Solar System. [19] After completing high school despite challenging conditions, Jacklyn attended night school while bringing Jeff along as a baby. A local newspaper quoted his intention "to get all people off the earth and see it turned into a huge national park". [189] The following year, his net worth increased by 66.66% to $2.5billion. Yes. WNBA star Chiney Ogwumike is also an investor. [260] In 2012, he donated to Amazon's political action committee (PAC),[260] which has given $56,000 and $74,500 to Democrats and Republicans, respectively. [136] Throughout the early 2000s, he was perceived to be geeky or nerdy. WebJeff Bezos childhood. [163], He meets with Amazon investors for a total of only six hours a year. However, Bezos would keep all of the couple's voting rights. [271][272] On July 6, 2021, the Pentagon cancelled the JEDI contract with Microsoft, citing that "due to evolving requirements, increased cloud conversancy, and industry advances, the JEDI Cloud contract no longer meets its needs. Sports media company Overtime has secured an $80 million fundraising round with investors including Jeff Bezos investment firm, global entertainer Drake, [97] In May 2013, Bezos met with Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Galactic, to discuss commercial spaceflight opportunities and strategies. [21] After his parents divorced, his mother married Cuban immigrant Miguel "Mike" Bezos in April 1968. Day 1 Families Fund grants, the amounts of which vary in monetary terms, will be sent to 40 organizations across the country.[309]. [101] He has repeatedly called for increased inter-space energy and industrial manufacturing to decrease the negative costs associated with business-related pollution. [188] He lost $500million the following year, which brought his net worth down to $1.5billion. [255], On January 9, 2019, Bezos and MacKenzie announced on Twitter their intent to divorce after a "long period" of separation. There are really three things to look at here. The league and its [115], Bezos makes personal investments through his venture capital vehicle, Bezos Expeditions. [57] In 2003, Amazon rebounded from financial instability and turned a profit of $400million. [213] The Motley Fool estimated that if Bezos had not sold any of his shares from its original public offering in 1997, his net worth would sit at $181billion in 2018. [57] In 2002, Bezos led Amazon to launch Amazon Web Services, which compiled data from weather channels and website traffic. Bezos Expeditions, the personal investment firm of the Amazon CEO, is one of the companies tied to this funding round. Perez of FrontOfficeSports.com reports that Bezos remains in the mix. ", "Amazon is celebrating its 25th birthday. [67] On January 29, 2018, he was featured in Amazon's Super Bowl commercial. Jeff Bezos is currently the world's second-richest man, so purchasing an NFL (National Football League) franchise wouldn't be too tall a task for the billionaire. We Have 4 Guesses", "Jeff Bezos to fund schools where 'child will be the customer' with new charity", "Jeff Bezos to Create $2 Billion Fund for Homeless, Preschools", "Jeff Bezos Unveils Multibillion-Dollar Plans For Charitable Giving", "Jeff Bezos donates $33million to scholarship fund for 'dreamers', "Backed by Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, Breakthrough Energy Ventures places first bets on power storage", "Jeff Bezos donates $10million to organization that helps veterans run for office", "Amazon founder Jeff Bezos commits $10bn to fight climate change", "Jeff Bezos: World's richest man pledges $10bn to fight climate change", "Bezos Earth Fund announces first grants totaling $791M of his $10B pledge to help planet", "Bezos Earth Fund gives nearly $800 million to climate groups in first round of grants", "Jeff Bezos names first recipients of his $10 billion Earth Fund for combating climate change", "Twitter boss pledges $1bn for coronavirus relief", "Why Jeff Bezos's $100 million donation to food banks won't satisfy his critics", "Jeff Bezos Pledges $2B for Nature Conservation as World Leaders Address Deforestation, Emissions", Jeff Bezos's tuition-free preschool is expanding to new locations in Texas and Florida. [34], Bezos attended the Student Science Training Program at the University of Florida. [284] In 2013, he pledged $500,000 to Worldreader, a non-profit founded by a former Amazon employee. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [234], Bezos is known for creating an adversarial environment at Amazon, as well as insulting and verbally abusing his employees. Forensic analysis of Bezos's mobile phone conducted by advisory firm FTI Consulting, concluded it "highly probable" that the hack was achieved using a malicious file hidden in a video sent in a WhatsApp message to Bezos from the personal account of the crown prince on May 1, 2018. [240][241] Later, Bezos published an online essay on February 7, 2019, in which he accused American Media, Inc. owner David Pecker of "extortion and blackmail" for threatening to publish intimate photos of Bezos and current girlfriend Lauren Snchez[242] if he did not stop his investigation into how his text messages and other photos had been leaked to the National Enquirer. [41][42], After Bezos graduated from college in 1986, he was offered jobs at Intel, Bell Labs, and Andersen Consulting, among others. Bezos rose to be the 5th richest person in the world hours before market close; he gained $7billion in one hour. Here's who's eligible to attend and why Bezos says 'the child will be the customer. The hour glass appears to be running out on Snyder's ownership of the Commanders. He was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico as Jeffrey Preston Jorgensen, the son of Jacklyn & Theodore Ted Jorgensen. [275], On November 22, 2021, Jeff Bezos donated $100million to the Obama Foundation to "help expand the scope of programming that reaches emerging leaders", and requested the Obama Presidential Center's plaza to be named after John Lewis. [98] He has been compared to Branson and Elon Musk as all three are billionaires who prioritize spaceflight among their business interests. [93], After its founding, Blue Origin maintained a low profile until 2006 when it purchased a large tract of land in West Texas for a launch and test facility. The company also and sells apparel with its logos and branding. WebOn Feb 21st, both Jones' jet and Bezos' jet landed at Princess Juliana Airport on the Island of St. Martin. He launched nine days after Richard Branson launched onboard The Virgin Galactic Unity 22 mission. The company began as an online bookstore and has since expanded to a variety of other e-commerce products and services, including video and audio streaming, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence. $3,487 is divided by 47, a fraction. [202] When the 2017 list was issued, Bezos's net worth was registered at $72.8billion, adding $27.6billion from the previous year. [151][bettersourceneeded] In May 2014, the International Trade Union Confederation named Bezos the "World's Worst Boss", with its general secretary Sharan Burrow saying: "Jeff Bezos represents the inhumanity of employers who are promoting the North American corporate model",[152] while in 2019, Harvard Business Review, which ranked Bezos the best-performing CEO for 4 years in a row since 2014, did not rank him even in the top 100, citing Amazon's "relatively low ESG (environment, social, and governance) scores" that reflect "risks created by working conditions and employment policies, data security, and antitrust issues. [132] During the 1990s, Bezos earned a reputation for relentlessly pushing Amazon forward, often at the expense of public charity and social welfare. [161] Bezos does not schedule early morning meetings and enforces a two-pizza rulea preference that meetings are small enough for two pizzas to feed everyone in the boardroom. Khashoggi was killed in late 2018, in Turkey's Saudi consulate for his critical stance and journalism against the Saudi government and its leader. [165][166] Bezos maintains the email address jeff@amazon.com[167] as an outlet for customers to reach out to him and the company. Billionaire Tim Koch has always loved adventure, from riding horses to exploring the [262], After the 2016 presidential election, Bezos was invited to join Donald Trump's Defense Innovation Advisory Board, an advisory council to improve the technology used by the Defense Department. Notably, journalist Brad Stone wrote a book that described Bezos as a demanding boss as well as hyper-competitive,[133][140] and opined that Bezos perhaps "bet the biggest on the Internet" than anyone else. [216] On July 17, 2018, he was designated the "wealthiest person in modern history"[c] by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index,[219] Fortune,[220] MarketWatch,[221] The Wall Street Journal,[222] and Forbes. Amazon Bezos left D.E. Since that report from November 2019, Bezos' ties with the NFL have only grown. Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) October 1, 2021 Since New Worlds launch on Tuesday , it has managed to reach a concurrent player count of over 800,000 players, [227], In June 2019, Bezos purchased three adjoining apartments overlooking Madison Square Park in Manhattan, including a penthouse, for a combined total of US$80million, making this one of the most expensive real estate purchases within New York City in 2019. Earlier this month, Jeff Bezos stepped down as the CEO of Amazon, the company he launched in 1994 as an online bookseller. [85] The American workers who were being paid the minimum wage had this increased to $15 per hour, a decision that was interpreted as support for the Fight for $15 movement. Although he does not respond to the emails, he forwards some of them with a question mark in the subject line to executives who attempt to address the issues. In this handout image provided by SportsPro, Dan Porter, Overtime speaks during the SportsPro OTT Summit USA 2020 at Turner Studios on February 19, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. [259], According to public campaign finance records, Bezos supported the electoral campaigns of Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, two Democratic U.S. senators from Washington. Retail He should pay his workers first", "If Jeff Bezos wants to help low-income people why not just pay them better? [230], In February 2020, Bezos purchased the Warner Estate from David Geffen for $165 million,[231][232] a record price paid for a residence in the Los Angeles area. A Division of NBCUniversal. The hour glass appears to be running out on Sports media company Overtime has secured an $80 million fundraising round with investors including Jeff Bezos' investment firm, global entertainer Drake, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian and several National Basketball Association players. [278] In March 2019, Bezos's security consultant accused the Saudi government of hacking Bezos's phone. [80] While preparing to introduce the bill, Sanders opined: "Instead of attempting to explore Mars or go to the moon, how about Jeff Bezos pays his workers a living wage? [235] Bezos and the newspaper's editorial board have dismissed accusations that he unfairly controlled the paper's content and Bezos maintains the paper's independence. [60] According to a 2008 Time profile, Bezos wished to create a device that allowed a "flow state" in reading similar to the experience of video games. With a net worth of US$128 billion as of February 2023, Bezos is the third-wealthiest person in the world and was the wealthiest from 2017 to 2021 according to both Bloomberg's Billionaires Index and Forbes.[5][6]. That shouldn't be an issue for Bezos, who with a net worth of $117.8 billion is one of the world's wealthiest people. [148][149][150] Since 2017, he has been portrayed by Kyle Mooney and Steve Carell on Saturday Night Live, usually as an undercutting, domineering figure. [143][144], During the early 2010s, Bezos solidified his reputation for aggressive business practices, and his public image began to shift. Bezos affinity for the Seahawks goes back to 2019 when he attempted to woo the owners into selling the franchise to him. [51] Bezos used the $54million raised during the company's 1997 equity offering to finance aggressive acquisition of smaller competitors. [288] On June 15, 2017, he posted a message on Twitter asking for ideas for philanthropy: "I'm thinking about a philanthropy strategy that is the opposite of how I mostly spend my timeworking on the long term". Jeff Bezos once tried to buy the Seattle Seahawks, even when they werent selling. "I don't want to drag anybody around," he said . He was succeeded as CEO by Andy Jassy. When he studied at Stanford, he joined a variety of sports teams, including in-line skating, skiing, gymnastics, and trapeze. Whether it is his business life or fitness life, Jeff Bezos has always been the alpha of both. He transitioned into the banking industry when he became a product manager at Bankers Trust from 1988 to 1990. [233], Bezos is the owner of the Y721, a luxury superyacht estimated to cost more than $500,000,000. [112] In March 2014, Bezos made his first significant change at The Washington Post and lifted the online paywall for subscribers of a number of U.S. local newspapers in Texas, Hawaii, and Minnesota. Cry? [286] That same month, Janet Camarena, director of transparency initiatives at Foundation Center, was quoted by CNBC as having questions about Bezos's new Day 1 Fund, including the fund's structure and how exactly it will be funded. [281][282] Saudi Arabia has denied the claim. [143] Additionally, Bezos reportedly pitted Amazon teams against each other, and once declined to give Amazon employees city bus passes in order to discourage them from leaving the office. [102], In December 2017, New Shepard successfully flew and landed dummy passengers, amending and pushing its human space travel start date into late 2018. Bezos affinity for the Seahawks goes back to 2019 when he attempted to woo the owners into selling the franchise to him. [11] On July 5, 2021, Bezos stepped down as the CEO and President of Amazon and transferred to the role of executive chairman; Andy Jassy, the chief of Amazon's cloud computing division,[12][13] succeeded Bezos as the CEO and President of Amazon. He has also supported Democrats U.S. representative John Conyers, as well as Patrick Leahy and Republican Spencer Abraham, U.S. senators serving on committees dealing with Internet-related issues. However, Bezos was not included in that stage of the bidding. [7] The company has recruited prominent scientists such as Juan Carlos Izpisa Belmonte (known for work on rejuvenation through reprogramming), Steve Horvath (known for work in epigenetic aging clocks), and Shinya Yamanaka (the Nobel Prize-winning inventor of cellular reprogramming in mammalian cells). [297], In February 2020, Bezos pledged $10 billion to combat climate change through the Bezos Earth Fund. [198] However, just months later in October 2016, his wealth increased by $16.2billion to $66.5billion, unofficially ranking him the third-richest person in the world, behind Warren Buffett. WebBezos made a cameo appearance playing an alien in the film Star Trek Beyond. [26] Lawrence retired early to his family's ranch near Cotulla, Texas, where Jeff would spend many summers in his youth. [10] In 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, his wealth grew by approximately $24billion. WebAmerican entrepreneur Jeff Bezos played a key role in the growth of e-commerce as the founder and chief executive officer of Amazon.com, Inc., an online retailer, Web services provider, and manufacturer of electronic book readers.