SEATTLE, Wash. – In a significant move, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has sold 12 million shares of Amazon.com Inc., marking his first stock sale since 2021. The transaction, which took place on Wednesday and Thursday, raked in over $2 billion in revenue for the billionaire.
This development comes on the heels of Amazon’s announcement on Feb. 2 that Bezos plans to offload as many as 50 million shares of Amazon over the next 12 months. This move could potentially capitalize on a surge in stock value, propelling Bezos closer to securing the title of the world’s wealthiest person. As of Friday, Bezos’ fortune had skyrocketed by $22.6 billion this year, reaching $199.5 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Despite this recent sale, Bezos has an extensive history of parting with Amazon shares, having already sold over $30 billion in stock since 2002. Contributing to this figure is the approximately $20 billion he sold between 2020 and 2021. Moreover, Bezos has also made generous donations of stock, including a contribution of shares worth around $230 million to nonprofit organizations in November.
When reached for comment, Amazon declined to provide a statement on the matter. This latest stock sale by Bezos has undeniably stirred the financial landscape, raising questions about the future trajectory of Amazon and the implications for Bezos’ standing among the world’s wealthiest individuals.