Jeff Bezos

Amazon Founded in Garage

Founded Amazon.com as an online bookstore in his garage, leaving a lucrative Wall Street career. Few could have predicted this modest startup would become the world's largest e-commerce platform.

Amazon IPO

Took Amazon public at $18 per share despite the company not being profitable, betting on long-term growth over short-term profits. This strategy would define his business philosophy for decades.

Amazon Prime Launch

Launched Amazon Prime with free two-day shipping, revolutionizing e-commerce customer expectations and creating unprecedented loyalty. This innovation transformed Amazon from a retailer into a customer-first ecosystem.

Washington Post Acquisition

Purchased The Washington Post for $250 million, expanding his influence beyond tech into media. His personal wealth had grown to make such acquisitions relatively modest investments.

World's Richest Person

Became the world's richest person as Amazon's stock soared, surpassing Bill Gates for the first time. Amazon's dominance in e-commerce and AWS cloud services drove his wealth to unprecedented levels.

CEO Transition to Space

Stepped down as Amazon CEO to focus on Blue Origin and other ventures, completing first crewed spaceflight. His transition marked the end of an era while maintaining massive influence as executive chairman.

Continued Wealth Growth

Amazon stock continued rising despite his reduced operational role, while Blue Origin advanced space tourism and lunar lander programs. His business empire across retail, cloud, space, and media remained unparalleled.

Global Business Icon

Remains one of the world's wealthiest individuals and most influential businesspeople, having fundamentally transformed retail, cloud computing, and logistics. Amazon's global dominance and his space ambitions have made him a household name worldwide.