Jeff Bezos’ parents investment in Amazon could be worth $30 billion

Jeff Bezos’ mom, Jackie Bezos, is president of the Bezos Family Foundation.Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for Save the Children

• Jeff Bezos’ parents, Jackie and Mike Bezos, invested $245,573 in Amazon in 1995. 
• Now, their investment could be worth as much as $30 billion, according to estimates from Bloomberg. 
• That would be a 12,000,000% return on their investment. 

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Jeff Bezos isn’t the only astronomically wealthy member of the Bezos family. 

In 1995, Bezos was trying to get Amazon off the ground and turned to his mother and stepfather, Jackie and Mike Bezos, for an investment. They complied, investing $245,573 in the company, according to Bloomberg.

At the time, Bezos warned them there was a 70% chance they’d never see that money again. 

Now, as Amazon closes in on becoming the first $1 trillion company, Bezos’ parents have become some of the richest people in the world. 

According to Bloomberg’s calculations, Bezos’ parents could be worth as much as $30 billion, making them richer than Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, Carl Icahn, Michael Dell, Elon Musk, and Laurene Powell Jobs. 

Jeff Bezos is currently worth $147 billion, making him the richest person in the world. 

Jeff Bezos, right, and his brother Mark Bezos, left.Amy Harris/Invision/AP

According to Bloomberg, Jackie and Mike Bezos haven’t publicly disclosed their Amazon holdings since 1999, and it’s possible they’ve offloaded the majority of their shares over the years. But that’s likely not the case — Bloomberg estimates that Bezos’ parents currently own 16.6 million shares, and the total return on their investment is about 12,000,000%.

Bezos’ siblings, Mark Bezos and Christina Poore, also own shares in Amazon, and are likely worth several hundred million dollars apiece. 

Bloomberg has a detailed breakdown of Jackie and Mike Bezos’ investment and estimated net worth, so head over there for more.