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.
Amazon and The Washington Post
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos also owns The Washington Post. Read the full Washington Post ownership story.
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.
