Jeff Bezos’s Path to Becoming the Richest Person on Earth
Jeff Bezos’s stake in Amazon.com Inc. has soared nearly 500 times since the online retailer’s public debut two decades ago and hit $88 billion Friday. The rise catapulted him past Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates as the world’s richest person, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Over the years, Seattle-based Amazon has expanded its product offerings and global footprint, introducing the Kindle book reader, adding cloud computing services, producing original television and film programming, selling home voice recognition product Echo and the August acquisition of Whole Foods. His stake in Amazon has increased 70 percent in the past two years.
$0B
$25B
$50B
$75B
$100B
$100B
$0B
$25B
$50B
$75B
#1
Jeff Bezos
$88.0B
October 27, 2017,
becomes the world’s richest person
$100B
$178M
$0B
5/31/97
10/27/17
1997
Amazon IPO values business at more than $400M
1998
Expands into CDs and DVDs. Shocking $400 Amazon price target launches CIBC analyst Henry Blodget to fame.
1999
Expands into toys and electronics.
Bezos named Time Magazine “Person of the Year”.
2000
Amazon Marketplace introduced
2002
Amazon’s Web Services businesses start
2003
Search Inside the Book makes its debut
2004
Amazon opens jewelry store
2005
Launch of Amazon Prime
2006
Amazon Fresh makes its debut
2007
First Amazon Kindle sold. Amazon.com market value approaches $40 billion
2010
Amazon Studios begins move into original content
2013
Drone Strategy announced as Prime Air
Debut of Amazon Echo
2015
#2
Bill Gates
$100B
$85.7B
$51.2B
$0B
5/31/97
10/27/17
Total endowment to Gates’s foundations tops $2 billion
1998
Gates steps down as Microsoft CEO; Steve Ballmer takes over
2000
Windows XP debut
2001
2003
Office 2003 is released
2005
Debut of Xbox 360
2007
Windows Vista is introduced
Gates stops working full time at Microsoft
2008
2010
Gates & Buffett create the Giving Pledge. Gates’s donations to charities top $28 billion.
2013
Microsoft agrees to buy Nokia’s handset business
2014
Satya Nadella named Microsoft chief executive officer
#3
Warren Buffett
$100B
$79.9B
$19.2B
$0B
10/27/17
5/31/97
1998
Berkshire Hathaway outperforms the S&P 500 by 83% for the year
1999
Barron’s says Buffett is “losing his magic touch” by refusing to invest in dot-com stocks
2003
Berkshire Hathaway’s share price underperforms the S&P 500 for the just the 12th time in 39 years
2006
Buffett pledges to give away 85% of his Berkshire Hathaway shares to charity (valued at $37 billion). Berkshire Hathaway Class A shares top $100,000.
2009
Reaches deal to pay $26.5 billion for Burlington Northern
2010
Gates & Buffett create the Giving Pledge
2012
Buffett pledges an additional $3 billion worth of Berkshire Hathaway shares to family’s foundations
2015
Berkshire share-price gain since 1964: 1,826,163%
2017
Current value of Berkshire Hathaway shares previously donated reaches $44 billion
#4
Mark Zuckerberg
$100B
$72.9B
$18.0B
$0B
5/31/97
10/27/17
2004
Facebook founded at Harvard. Hits 1 million users by December
Facebook “Like” button introduced
2009
Facebook IPO: May 18; announces more than 1 billion users by October
2012
Becomes richer than the Koch brothers
2016
#5
Amancio Ortega
$100B
$67.0B
$4.7B
$0B
5/31/97
10/27/17
Inditex IPOs valued at less than $10 billion
2001
2007
Inditex starts to sell home furnishings online
2011
Ortega steps down as Inditex chairman
Ortega becomes Europe’s richest person
2012
2015
Passes Buffett to become No. 2 on the index
#1
Jeff Bezos
$0B
$100B
$178M
1997
Amazon IPO values business at more than $400M
1998
$400 Amazon price target launches CIBC analyst Henry Blodget to fame
1999
Bezos named Time Magazine “Person of the Year”.
2000
Amazon Marketplace introduced
2002
Amazon’s Web Services businesses start
2003
Search Inside the Book makes its debut
2004
Amazon opens jewelry store
2005
Launch of Amazon Prime
2006
Amazon Fresh makes its debut
2007
First Amazon Kindle sold. Amazon.com market value approaches $40 billion
2010
Amazon Studios begins move into original content
2013
Drone Strategy announced as Prime Air
2015
Debut of Amazon Echo
$88.0B
October 27, 2017, becomes the world’s richest person
#2
Bill Gates
$0B
$100B
$51.2B
Total endowment to Gates’s foundations tops $2 billion
1998
2000
Gates steps down as Microsoft CEO; Steve Ballmer takes over
2001
Windows XP debut
2003
Office 2003 is released
2005
Debut of Xbox 360
2007
Windows Vista is introduced
2008
Gates stops working full time at Microsoft
2010
Gates & Buffett create the Giving Pledge. Gates’s donations to charities top $28 billion.
2013
Microsoft agrees to buy Nokia’s handset business
2014
Satya Nadella named Microsoft chief executive officer
$85.7B
October 27, 2017
#3
Warren Buffett
$0B
$100B
$19.2B
1998
Berkshire Hathaway outperforms the S&P 500 by 83% for the year
1999
Barron’s says Buffett is “losing his magic touch” by refusing to invest in dot-com stocks
2003
Berkshire Hathaway’s share price underperforms the S&P 500 for the just the 12th time in 39 years
2006
Buffett pledges to give away 85% of his Berkshire Hathaway shares to charity (valued at $37 billion). Berkshire Hathaway Class A shares top $100,000.
2009
Reaches deal to pay $26.5 billion for Burlington Northern
2010
Gates & Buffett create the Giving Pledge
2012
Buffett pledges an additional $3 billion worth of Berkshire Hathaway shares to family’s foundations
2015
Berkshire share-price gain since 1964: 1,826,163%
2017
Current value of Berkshire Hathaway shares previously donated reaches $44 billion
$79.9B
October 27, 2017
#4
Mark Zuckerberg
$0B
$100B
2004
Facebook founded at Harvard. Hits 1 million users by December
2009
Facebook “Like” button introduced
$18.0B
2012
Facebook IPO: May 18; announces more than 1 billion users by October
2016
Becomes richer than the Koch brothers
$72.9B
October 27, 2017
#5
Amancio Ortega
$0B
$100B
Inditex IPOs valued at less than $10 billion
2001
$4.7B
2007
Inditex starts to sell home furnishings online
2011
Ortega steps down as Inditex chairman
2012
Ortega becomes Europe’s richest person
Passes Buffett to become No. 2 on the index
2015
$67.0B
October 27, 2017
1997
$19.2B
Warren Buffett
$51.2B
Bill Gates
$178M
Jeff Bezos
Amazon IPO values business at more than $400M
1998
Shocking $400 Amazon price target launches CIBC analyst Henry Blodget to fame
Total endowment to Gates’s foundations tops $2 billion
Berkshire Hathaway outperforms the S&P 500 by 83% for the year
1999
Expands into toys and electronics
Gates steps down as Microsoft CEO; Steve Ballmer takes over
Barron’s says Buffett is “losing his magic touch” by refusing to invest in dot-com stocks
2000
Bezos named Time Magazine “Person of the Year”
Amazon Marketplace introduced
2001
$4.7B
Amancio
Ortega
Windows XP debut
2002
Amazon’s Web Services businesses start
2003
Berkshire Hathaway’s share price under-
performs the S&P 500 for the just the
12th time in 39 years
Search Inside the Book makes its debut
Office 2003 is released
2004
Amazon opens jewelry store
2005
Launch of Amazon Prime
Buffett pledges to give away 85% of his Berkshire Hathaway shares to charity (valued at $37 billion)
Debut of Xbox 360
Amazon Fresh makes its debut
2006
Windows Vista is introduced
Berkshire Hathaway Class A shares top $100,000
2007
First Amazon Kindle sold. Amazon.com market value approaches $40 billion
Inditex starts to sell home furnishings online
2008
Gates stops working full time at Microsoft
2009
Reaches deal to pay $26.5 billion for Burlington Northern
2010
Buffett and Gates create the Giving Pledge
Amazon Studios begins move into original content
Gates’s donations to charities top $28 billion
2011
Ortega steps down as Inditex chairman
2012
$18.0B
Mark Zuckerberg
Buffett pledges an additional $3 billion worth of Berkshire Hathaway shares to family’s foundations
Facebook IPO
Ortega becomes Europe’s richest person
Announces more than 1 billion users
2013
Microsoft agrees to buy Nokia’s handset business
Drone Strategy announced as Prime Air
2014
Satya Nadella named Microsoft chief executive officer
Berkshire share-
price gain since 1964: 1,826,163%
2015
Debut of Amazon Echo
Ortega passes Buffett to become No. 2 on the index
Zuckerberg becomes richer than the Koch brothers
2016
Current value of Berkshire Hathaway shares previously donated reaches $44 billion
2017
$88B
Jeff Bezos
October 27, 2017, becomes the world’s richest person
Ortega
Zuckerberg
Buffett
Gates
$0B
$25B
$50B
$75B
$100B
1997
$178M
Jeff Bezos
$19.2B
Warren Buffett
$51.2B
Bill Gates
Amazon IPO values business at more than $400M
1998
Expands into CDs and DVDs
Total endowment to Gates’s foundations tops $2 billion
Shocking $400 Amazon price target launches CIBC analyst Henry Blodget to fame
Berkshire Hathaway outperforms the S&P 500 by 83% for the year
1999
Expands into toys and electronics
Gates steps down as Microsoft CEO; Steve Ballmer takes over
Barron’s says Buffett is “losing his magic touch” by refusing to invest in dot-com stocks
2000
Bezos named Time Magazine “Person of the Year”
Amazon Marketplace introduced
2001
$4.7B
Amancio Ortega
Windows XP debut
2002
Amazon’s Web Services businesses start
2003
Berkshire Hathaway’s share price under-
performs the S&P 500 for the just the
12th time in 39 years
Search Inside the Book makes its debut
Office 2003 is released
2004
Amazon opens jewelry store
2005
Launch of Amazon Prime
Debut of Xbox 360
Amazon Fresh makes its debut
2006
Buffett pledges to give away 85% of his Berkshire Hathaway shares to charity (valued at $37 billion)
Windows Vista is introduced
Berkshire Hathaway Class A shares top $100,000
2007
First Amazon Kindle sold. Amazon.com market value approaches $40 billion
Inditex starts to sell home furnishings online
2008
Gates stops working full time at Microsoft
2009
Reaches deal to pay $26.5 billion for Burlington Northern
2010
Buffett and Gates create the Giving Pledge
Gates’s donations to charities top $28 billion
Amazon Studios begins move into original content
2011
Ortega steps down as Inditex chairman
2012
$18.0B
Mark Zuckerberg
Buffett pledges an additional $3 billion worth of Berkshire Hathaway shares to family’s foundations
Facebook IPO
Ortega becomes Europe’s richest person
Announces more than 1 billion users
2013
Microsoft agrees to buy Nokia’s handset business
Drone Strategy announced as Prime Air
2014
Satya Nadella named Microsoft chief executive officer
Berkshire share-
price gain since 1964: 1,826,163%
2015
Debut of Amazon Echo
Ortega passes Buffett to become No. 2 on the index
Zuckerberg becomes richer than the Koch brothers
2016
Current value of Berkshire Hathaway shares previously donated reaches $44 billion
2017
$88B
Jeff Bezos
October 27, 2017, becomes the world’s richest person
Ortega
Zuckerberg
Buffett
Gates
$0B
$25B
$50B
$75B
$100B
Bezos’s stake was valued at $178 million at Amazon’s 1997 initial public offering and hit $88 billion Friday. His net worth increased by 419 percent since he joined the Bloomberg index in April 2012. At the time, Bezos was ranked No. 35 with $18 billion. His fortune doubled in 2015 and has increased by $35 billion since then.
+419%
Bezos
+400%
+300%
Zuckerberg
+200%
+100%
Ortega
Buffett
Gates
0%
3/2012
10/2017
+419%
Bezos
+400%
+300%
Zuckerberg
+200%
+100%
Ortega
Buffett
Gates
0%
3/30/2012
10/27/2017
+419%
Bezos
+400%
+300%
Zuckerberg
+200%
+100%
Ortega
Buffett
Gates
0%
3/30/2012
10/27/2017