The richest couple in the world — Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos — is in the midst of finalizing their divorce. But when the dust settles, the Amazon CEO’s reign as richest man in the world is unlikely to end.
The couple released separate statements Thursday announcing they had “finished the process of dissolving” their marriage of 25 years. As part of the divorce agreement, MacKenzie Bezos said she would give her ex-husband 75% of the Amazon stock they co-owned, as well as all of her interests in the Washington Post and Blue Origin.
MacKenzie Bezos’ 25% stake in Amazon positions the novelist to become one of the richest women in the world, with a net worth of about $35.7 billion at Amazon’s current stock price.
However, the billionaires’ list isn’t a new place for her soon-to-be ex-husband, Jeff Bezos. The Amazon founder and CEO has held the title of world’s richest person since surpassing Bill Gates back in October 2017. Bezos has been steadily building his fortune since then, and the latest Forbes’ billionaires ranking had his net worth at $131 billion.
But with the divorce agreement, Bezos’ net worth is set to decrease. His 75% stake will give him 59.1 million shares in Amazon. Based on current market prices, Bezos’ post-divorce revised stake in Amazon is worth an estimated $107.4 billion.
That Amazon stake alone stands to put Bezos’ net worth above that of Bill Gates, whose net worth is an estimated $96.5 billion, according to Forbes.
It’s unclear how the couple will be splitting up their massive stockpile of real estate holdings. A 2017 report listed the Bezoses as the country’s 28th largest landowners, with properties in Medina, Washington; Van Horn, Texas; Washington, DC; Manhattan, New York; and two mansions in Beverly Hills, California.
source: businessinsider.com by Paige Leskin