Jeff Bezos remains Amazon’s largest individual shareholder, holding roughly 9% of the company even after stepping down as CEO in 2021. Andy Jassy, a longtime Amazon executive who previously built the AWS cloud business, has run the company day-to-day since then, while Bezos stays involved as executive chairman.
Quick Facts
| Company | Amazon.com, Inc. |
|---|---|
| Founder & Largest Shareholder | Jeff Bezos (~9%, worth over $250 billion) |
| Executive Chairman | Jeff Bezos |
| CEO | Andy Jassy (since 2021) |
| Largest Institutional Shareholders | BlackRock, Vanguard, State Street |
| Founded | 1994 |
Ownership History
| Year | Development |
|---|---|
| 1994 | Jeff Bezos founds Amazon as an online bookstore in Seattle |
| 1997 | Amazon goes public on NASDAQ |
| 2006 | Amazon Web Services (AWS) launches, eventually becoming the company’s most profitable division |
| 2021 | Jeff Bezos steps down as CEO, handing the role to Andy Jassy while remaining executive chairman |
| 2026 | Bezos remains the largest individual shareholder at roughly 9%, with Jassy continuing to run day-to-day operations |
Key Ownership Highlights
- Jeff Bezos’s stake, though diluted from his original founder-era ownership through years of stock sales and company growth, remains worth well over $250 billion.
- Andy Jassy’s personal stake is comparatively small (a small fraction of a percent), built mostly through stock compensation since he joined Amazon in 1997.
- AWS, the cloud division Jassy built and once ran before becoming CEO, continues to generate a disproportionate share of Amazon’s overall profit relative to its revenue share.
FAQ
Does Jeff Bezos still control Amazon?
He remains the largest individual shareholder at roughly 9% and serves as executive chairman, but Andy Jassy runs day-to-day operations as CEO.
Who is Amazon’s CEO?
Andy Jassy has served as CEO since 2021, succeeding founder Jeff Bezos.
