Jeff Bezos’ Amazon stake falls below 10% as he continues selling shares

Bezos’s big shift

You might think of Jeff Bezos and Amazon as the same, but that connection is changing. The founder’s ownership of the company he built in a garage has now dropped below 10% for the first time. This milestone marks a new chapter for the billionaire and the tech giant.

It shows a gradual stepping back from the day-to-day operations he once commanded. This shift has been happening since he handed the CEO role to Andy Jassy back in 2021. Bezos has been steadily selling off millions of his shares over the past few years, reducing his influence.

From garage to giant

Amazon’s incredible story began humbly in a Seattle garage back in 1994. Jeff Bezos started the company as an online bookstore with enormous dreams. His vision and relentless work transformed it into the global e-commerce and tech behemoth we know today.

When Amazon first went public in 1997, Bezos owned a massive 43% of the entire company. That initial public offering instantly turned him into a multimillionaire and set the stage for his future astronomical wealth.

A steady decline

Bezos’s share of Amazon has been consistently shrinking for decades. This is a common path for founders of massively successful public companies. His stake was down to about 14% when he stepped aside as CEO in 2021, handing over daily control.

Just one year ago, he still controlled about 10.1% of Amazon’s outstanding shares. New securities filings now reveal his stake has fallen to just 9.6%, officially putting him below the symbolic 10% threshold for the first time in the corporation’s history.

Cashing out billions

So, what happens with all those sold shares? Bezos has been engaged in a massive stock-selling spree recently. He disclosed plans to sell 25 million shares earlier this year, a move worth nearly $5 billion at the time.

He followed that up with another pre-arranged plan to sell an additional 25 million shares just a few months later. These scheduled sales are a common way for executives to diversify their wealth without causing market panic. The proceeds give him immense liquid capital for his other projects.

Why sell now?

You might wonder why Bezos is choosing to sell so much stock right now. Amazon’s stock price has soared recently, jumping 38% since late April. This creates a perfect window for him to cash out portions of his holdings at a peak value.

Investors are excited about the company’s aggressive push into artificial intelligence and its successful cost-cutting measures. A high stock price means he gets more cash for each share he decides to sell, maximizing his financial return.

Funding new dreams

The money from these sales doesn’t just sit in a bank account. Bezos uses it to fund his other ambitious and expensive projects. A major beneficiary is his aerospace company, Blue Origin, which focuses on space tourism and technology development.

He also needs significant capital for his other ventures, including The Washington Post newspaper and various philanthropic efforts. These passion projects require continuous investment to grow, innovate, and compete effectively in their respective fields.

The philanthropy path

Bezos is also actively directing his wealth toward charitable causes. He has publicly stated that he intends to give away most of his immense fortune during his lifetime. Recent securities filings show he has already tangibly started this grand process.

Regulatory filings also show Bezos made charitable transfers of Amazon shares in 2025; public reports list donations and transfers of hundreds of thousands of shares to nonprofit organizations in recent months.

His ex-wife sells too

Jeff Bezos isn’t the only one reducing their Amazon stake. His ex-wife, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, has also been selling a significant portion of her shares. She received a 4% stake in Amazon as part of their 2019 divorce settlement, making her incredibly wealthy.

A regulatory filing reported that MacKenzie Scott cut her Amazon stake by roughly 42% year-over-year (about 58 million fewer shares).

Reporting so far notes the reduction but does not always spell out whether each change was a sale or a gift; Scott remains an extremely active philanthropist who has donated sizeable sums in recent years.

But he’s still super rich

Even after selling billions in stock, Bezos remains one of the wealthiest people on the planet. His current net worth is estimated to be a staggering $240 billion. This vast fortune is largely tied to his remaining Amazon shares and his other diverse investments and assets.

He currently trails only Tesla CEO Elon Musk and French luxury goods titan Bernard Arnault in the global wealth rankings. So, he’s certainly not hurting for cash despite the large sales.

Focus on the post

A big focus for Bezos now is turning around The Washington Post. He repurchased the prestigious newspaper in 2013, and it is currently facing challenges with falling subscriptions. At a conference last year, he called saving the paper a top personal and professional priority.

He stated, “We saved The Washington Post once, this will be the second time.” The paper has subsequently undergone staff cuts and a major restructuring to shift to a digital-first approach under his direction.

Life beyond Amazon

Stepping back from Amazon has given Bezos more freedom to focus on his personal life. He married former TV anchor Lauren Sánchez in a lavish, star-studded wedding in Venice, Italy.

The event was attended by A-list celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Leonardo DiCaprio, drawing global media attention. The couple has since become a regular presence in Los Angeles’ social and business circles.

Amazon’s new captain

With Bezos less involved, who is running Amazon day-to-day? The answer is Andy Jassy, a longtime lieutenant who previously led the highly profitable Amazon Web Services (AWS) division. Jassy took over as CEO in 2021 and is already putting his own stamp on the company’s direction.

Under his leadership, Amazon has expanded its sports broadcasting portfolio, securing high-profile deals with the NFL and the NBA. He is also steering the company’s major and crucial push into artificial intelligence technology.

A trillion-dollar powerhouse

Despite the founder selling shares, Amazon itself is stronger than ever from a market perspective. The company now boasts a staggering market valuation of over $2 trillion. It has grown from a simple online bookseller into a global powerhouse in cloud computing, streaming, and logistics.

This incredible growth over 27 years is a testament to the resilient business model Bezos created. The company continues to innovate, dominate multiple industries, and set trends for the entire tech sector.

What’s next for Bezos?

Could Bezos eventually own zero Amazon stock? That extreme scenario seems very unlikely, as he remains the executive chairman and its largest individual shareholder. He has said he plans to continue giving his wealth away, which will likely involve more stock sales or donations of shares.

He also remains deeply involved with Blue Origin, his passion project for space exploration and commercialization. This venture continues to consume a great deal of his time, attention, and financial resources.

The ripple effect

When a founder like Bezos sells shares, it is watched very closely by Wall Street investors and analysts. These large sales are often planned well in advance to avoid any appearance of insider trading.

He uses what are called 10b5-1 plans, which schedule sales automatically at pre-determined times. This means his trades are not based on short-term market fluctuations or non-public company information. It’s a standard, responsible practice for corporate executives to prevent legal issues.

Want to see where Amazon is headed next? Check out how Amazon pushes AI with a startup mentality.

A changing legacy

Jeff Bezos’s story is a classic American tale of bold entrepreneurship and innovation. He took a simple idea and built it into one of the most influential companies in the world.

His journey from a garage to immense wealth continues to inspire many aspiring business owners and inventors globally. He is using his vast resources to tackle new, grand challenges in space, media, and charitable giving.

Ready to see Amazon’s next giant leap? Discover how it’s preparing to join the satellite race.

What’s your take on Bezos selling Amazon shares, smart strategy or the end of an era? Share your thoughts below.

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This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.