Amazon.com Inc AMZN founder and executive chairman Jeff Bezos has been steadily whittling down his ownership stake in the Seattle, Washington-based company recently, allocating capital instead to Blue Origin and his other ventures. A filing on Friday revealed that the billionaire entrepreneur plans to reduce his share count even more.
What Happened: Bezos’ share reduction plan was revealed in a recent 10-Q filing.
Bezos, the largest shareholder of the company, plans to sell up to 25,000,000 shares of Amazon stock over a period ending on May 29, 2026. At the company’s current stock price, the liquidation would amount to around $4.75 billion.
Why it Matters: Bezos will now own less than 9% of the company he founded in 1994.
It’s not the first time the Princeton alum has offloaded shares. In November 2024, Bezos wrapped up his sale of $3.4 billion shares. Bezos’ remaining shares represent approximately a $170 billion position in the $2 trillion company.
Other billionaire tech founders have initiated similar share divestiture plans after their companies matured.
Bill Gates, the founder and former CEO of Microsoft, sold the vast majority of his position in the Redmond, Washington-based company in recent decades after his friend, Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett, advised him to diversify. Gates’ position is now less than 1% of the $3 trillion company.
Read Next:
Photo: Shutterstock
Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs
© 2025 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Add Comment