His riches are a reflection of his long term devotion to building Amazon into the biggest “Everything Ecommerce Store” on the planet. Even his selection of the name of Amazon – the largest river in the world – reflects his goals and aspirations.
Bill Gates, Bezos’ competition in the race to see who can amass the greatest fortune based on the world’s technology mania, once enjoyed a few hours in the $100 billionaire’s spotlight. His personal wealth reached that pinnacle in 1999, but it was very short-lived. Gates today lists his personal wealth at $89 billion-plus. That doesn’t include the $35 billion he has donated to his charitable foundation.
The surge in Amazon transactions that put Bezos in the $100 billion-plus spot shot the company’s stock up 60 percent, to a record $1,213.4 per share. Amazon experienced a similar phenomenon in July, when a surge added $10 billion to the bottom line in one day.
Bezos, now 53, has capitalized on his successful wedding of technology and retail sales. He created an ecommerce phenomenon that seems to have no end. It is due to his unique genius that this holiday season is expected to end with record-breaking online purchasing.
