This week, Bezos broke his previous record for wealth that he reached before his divorce from ex-wife MacKenzie. Last year, the couple divorced after 25 years of marriage. She received 25% of the couple Amazon (AMZN) shares, which is approximately a 4% stake in the company.
MacKenzie’s wealth also hit a record: She is now worth $ 57 billion, making her the 12th richest person in the world. Her wealth soared 54% year-to-date, or an increase of nearly $ 20 billion, according to Bloomberg counts.
Much of Bezos’ wealth is tied to Amazon. It owns approximately 57 million shares, or 12% of the company. And its shares are doing very well, increasing 56% year to date.
Amazon has benefited from a large increase in online shopping during the coronavirus pandemic, as physical stores closed or faced long queues as the blockades overtook the United States this year.
The Bezos company, which has faced criticism for employee safety and pay, said this week that it is giving more than $ 500 million as a “thank you bonus” to front-line workers who were with the company. throughout the month of June. That move comes after the company eliminated a $ 2 per hour pay increase and double the overtime pay for front-line workers in late May.
Amazon did not immediately respond to a comment about Bezos’ wealth.
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