An overview of the childhood and early education of Jeff Bezos, highlighting the experiences that shaped the journey.
Jeff Bezos is an American businessman renowned as the founder and former CEO of Amazon, a global leader in e-commerce and cloud computing. Currently serving as executive chairman, Bezos has amassed significant wealth, making him one of the wealthiest individuals globally. He notably held the title of the world's wealthiest person between 2017 and 2021. His entrepreneurial success with Amazon has significantly impacted the technology and retail sectors.
January 12, 1964: Jeff Bezos Born
On January 12, 1964, Jeffrey Preston Bezos was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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June 1965: Parents' Divorce
In June 1965, when Jeff Bezos was 17 months old, his mother, Jacklyn, filed for divorce from his biological father, Ted Jorgensen.
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April 1968: Mother's Remarriage and Adoption
In April 1968, Jeff Bezos' mother married Miguel "Mike" Bezos, who then adopted 4-year-old Jeff, legally changing his last name from Jorgensen to Bezos.
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1982: Enrollment at Princeton University
In 1982, Jeff Bezos enrolled at Princeton University after graduating from high school.
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1982: High School Recognition
In 1982, Jeff Bezos was a high school valedictorian, a National Merit Scholar, and a Silver Knight Award winner.
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1982: High School Graduation Speech
In 1982, during his high school valedictorian speech, Jeff Bezos expressed his vision for developing hotels, amusement parks, and colonies in orbit to preserve Earth's resources, showcasing his early interest in space colonization.
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1986: Graduation from Princeton
In 1986, Jeff Bezos graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE), summa cum laude.
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1992: Meeting MacKenzie Tuttle
In 1992, Jeff Bezos met MacKenzie Tuttle, who was a research associate at D. E. Shaw in Manhattan.
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1994: Move to Seattle and founding of Amazon
In 1994, Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie moved to Seattle, Washington, where Bezos founded Amazon.
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1999: Apartment purchase in Manhattan
In 1999, Jeff Bezos purchased three adjoining apartments at 25 Central Park West in Manhattan for $7.65 million.
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March 2003: Helicopter crash in West Texas
In March 2003, Jeff Bezos was a passenger in a helicopter that crashed in West Texas while surveying land to buy for Blue Origin; he sustained only minor injuries.
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2009: Donations to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Jeff Bezos donated to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center several times between 2009 and 2017.
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2010: Donation against Washington state income tax
In 2010, Jeff Bezos donated $100,000 towards a movement against a Washington state income tax for "top earners".
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2012: Support for same-sex marriage legalization
In 2012, Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Bezos contributed $2.5 million to Washington United for Marriage, supporting the legalization of same-sex marriage in Washington.
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2012: Additional apartment purchase
In 2012, Jeff Bezos bought a fourth unit in the building at 25 Central Park West in Manhattan for $5.3 million.
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August 5, 2013: Purchase of The Washington Post Announced
On August 5, 2013, Jeff Bezos announced his purchase of The Washington Post for $250 million in cash, at the suggestion of Don Graham. He established Nash Holdings to own the newspaper.
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2013: Pledge to Worldreader
In 2013, Jeff Bezos pledged $500,000 to Worldreader, a non-profit founded by a former Amazon employee.
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2016: Invitation to Defense Innovation Advisory Board
After the 2016 presidential election, Jeff Bezos was invited to join Donald Trump's Defense Innovation Advisory Board.
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2016: Star Trek Beyond cameo
In 2016, Jeff Bezos portrayed a Starfleet official in the movie Star Trek Beyond and attended San Diego Comic-Con.
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June 15, 2017: Twitter request for philanthropy ideas
On June 15, 2017, Bezos used Twitter to solicit ideas for a new philanthropic strategy, contrasting it with his long-term focus in business. At the time, his lifetime charitable spending was estimated at $100 million.
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2017: Donations to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Jeff Bezos donated to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center several times between 2009 and 2017.
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2017: Portrayed on Saturday Night Live
Since 2017, Jeff Bezos has been portrayed by Kyle Mooney and Steve Carell on Saturday Night Live, usually as an undercutting, domineering figure, influencing his public image.
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March 2018: Meeting with Mohammad bin Salman
In March 2018, Jeff Bezos met with Mohammad bin Salman to discuss investment opportunities for Saudi Vision 2030.
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September 2018: Announcement of $2 billion fund for homelessness and preschools
In September 2018, Bezos announced a commitment of approximately $2 billion to address American homelessness and establish a network of non-profit preschools for low-income communities, creating the "Day 1 Families Fund" and "Day 1 Academies Fund".
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September 2018: Report on not signing the Giving Pledge
In September 2018, Business Insider reported that Jeff Bezos was the only one of the top five billionaires in the world who had not signed the Giving Pledge.
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2018: Princeton Revelation
In 2018, Jeff Bezos revealed that his Princeton classmate defeated him in solving a mathematical problem, causing him to give up on his dreams of becoming a theoretical physicist.
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January 2019: Divorce announcement and affair revelation
In January 2019, Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie announced their divorce, and the National Enquirer revealed Bezos's affair with Lauren Sánchez.
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April 4, 2019: Divorce Finalized
On April 4, 2019, the divorce between Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie was finalized, with Bezos keeping 75% of the Amazon stock.
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June 2019: Real estate purchase in Manhattan
In June 2019, Jeff Bezos purchased three adjoining apartments overlooking Madison Square Park in Manhattan, including a penthouse, for $80 million.
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2019: Divorce from MacKenzie Bezos
In 2019, Jeff Bezos's wealth was reduced by his divorce from MacKenzie Bezos, who received 25% of Bezos's Amazon shares, valued at approximately $36 billion.
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February 2020: Purchase of Warner Estate
In February 2020, Jeff Bezos purchased the Warner Estate from David Geffen for $165 million, setting a record price for a residence in the Los Angeles area.
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April 2020: Donation to food banks through Feeding America
In April 2020, early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Bezos donated $100 million to food banks through Feeding America.
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November 22, 2021: Donation to the Obama Foundation
On November 22, 2021, Jeff Bezos donated $100 million to the Obama Foundation.
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February 2022: Apartment purchase in Flatiron
In February 2022, Jeff Bezos expanded his residential holdings by purchasing a $16.13-million-dollar apartment in the Flatiron neighborhood.
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November 22, 2022: Awarding funds for relocating homeless families
On November 22, 2022, Bezos awarded $123 million to organizations focused on relocating homeless families to permanent housing through Day 1 Families Fund grants.
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May 22, 2023: Engagement to Lauren Sánchez
On May 22, 2023, Lauren Sánchez and Jeff Bezos became engaged.
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2030: Discussion on investment opportunities for Saudi Vision 2030
In March 2018, Jeff Bezos met with Mohammad bin Salman to discuss investment opportunities for Saudi Vision 2030.
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