His name is synonymous with Amazon, the online shopping behemoth that has made him one of the wealthiest and most influential people in the world.
But all good things must come to an end – and Jeff Bezos is taking a step down from the top job to do other things dear to his heart. Like exploring outer space.
If he has his way, his space travel company, Blue Origin, will “get millions of people living and working in space”.
And when you have a guy as determined – and rich – as this one with an idea, it may well come to fruition.
After all, Jeff(57) started Amazon as an online bookshop from his garage in 1994 and built it into a $1,7 trillion (R25,5tn) mega-company that employs more than one million people.
Right now, he’s worth a staggering $188 billion (R2,82tn), second only on the global rich list to Elon Musk.
As much as he’s enjoyed his years at Amazon, he’s ready for a new challenge.
“If you do it right, a few years after a surprising invention the new thing has become normal,” he said shortly after announcing he’d be stepping down as CEO. “People yawn. That yawn is the greatest compliment an inventor can achieve.”
Jeff will be taking up a newly created position as Amazon’s executive chairman in July, handing the day-to-day running of the business to Andy Jassy, who’s in charge of Amazon Web Services (AWS).
AWS is the company’s cloud computing operation and Andy (53) is credited with building it into the online powerhouse it has become – it’s worth $10bn (R150bn) and dominates a third of the cloud computing market, more than double its nearest competitor, Microsoft Azure.
This story is from the 18 February 2021 edition of YOU South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the 18 February 2021 edition of YOU South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
'I'M BACK!'
ACK!’ Scandal after scandal hits Jacob Zuma, yet nothing ever brings him down. Now he’s plotting his return to parliament and he’s hinted he has his heart set on another term as president
A BRAIN YOU CAN COUNT ON
Meet Aaryan Shukla, the 13-year-old from India whos just been crowned the worlds fastest human calculator
FUN WHILE IT LASTED
It's all over for oddball couple Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher
THE TEEN MACHINE!
Manchester United star Kobbie Mainoo has set the footballing world alight with his dazzling displays
A BETTER LIFE FOR ELIJAH
A rare condition means this little boy can't bend his arms and legs, but his parents are doing everything they can to give him a normal life
A DOCTOR'S JOURNEY
He chose to do one of the toughest jobs in medicine: looking after children who were dying. In this moving extract from his memoir, Cape Town paediatrician Alastair McAlpine reveals how, with wisdom and humour, sick kids taught him crucial lessons that changed his approach to life
'SA WILL ALWAYS BE PART OF ME'
Cindy Nell-Roberts is starting a new lite Down Under with her family. She tells YOU about the chaotic but happy p ansliepent why shes missing home
HOW TO SPOT A NARCISSIST
They often look like the most confident person in the room, but narcissists are insecure and desperate for validation, says a new book
DEFIANT TO THE END
He went from star athlete to Hollywood hero and ended up a reviled criminal but OJ Simpson remained unapologetic
BRING IT ON TAMMY!
Peet and Mel Viljoen arent going to let threats deter them from their fabulous life