Jeff Bezos announces divorce from wife of 25 years


On Wednesday, Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos announced that he and wife MacKenzie Bezos are getting a divorce after a trial separation. "We feel incredibly lucky to have found each other and deeply grateful for every one of the years we have been married to each other," the couple said a joint statement. "If we had known we would separate after 25 years, we would do it all again." The couple, who have four children, say they plan to remain a family and "cherished friends."
Bezos is thought to be the world's wealthiest man, worth an estimated $137 billion, and Amazon just became the most valuable publicly traded company in the U.S., with a market value Wednesday of $811 billion. The terms of their divorce settlement are not public, but "if MacKenzie Bezos were to receive a quarter of her husband's estimated fortune in the divorce — $40 billion — she would be among the world's richest women," CBS News reports. "The property acquired during the marriage is common property," said Jennifer Payseno, a family lawyer at the Seattle firm McKinley Irvin. She and other divorce experts said they expected the Bezoses already reached a private, out-of-court division of their assets.
Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos met while working at a hedge fund in New York and got married six months after they started dating, The Associated Press reports. Jeff Bezos wrote up the business plan for his online bookstore while they were driving out to set up shop in Seattle.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
6 breathtaking homes in capital cities
Feature Featuring a glass conservatory in Atlanta and a loft library in Boston
By The Week US Published
-
Spring's best new cookbooks, from pizza to pastries
The Week Recommends Pizza, an array of brownies and Cantonese-American mash-ups are on the menu
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
The violent turn 'pedophile hunters' have taken in the US
In the Spotlight These influencers have taken catching predators to another level
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
What's Jeff Bezos' net worth?
In Depth The Amazon tycoon and third richest person in the world made his fortune pioneering online retail
By David Faris Published
-
Amazon's 'James Bond' deal could mean a new future for 007
In the Spotlight The franchise was previously owned by the Broccoli family
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US Steel
Speed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published