1994: Jeff Bezos files incorporation papers for Cadabra Inc., later renamed Amazon.com
1995: Opens online bookstore to the public
2000: Founds Blue Origin, a privately funded spaceflight company that is building reusable rockets
2006: Formally launches Amazon Web Services (AWS), which is quickly becoming a major profit engine for Amazon
2013: Buys The Washington Post for $250 million, reenergizing and expanding the newspaper in the nation’s capital
2018: Surpasses Bill Gates as the world’s richest man
2019: Announces split with MacKenzie Bezos (now MacKenzie Scott) after 35 years. Their divorce left her with a 4% stake in Amazon, while he retained 12%
2020: Establishes Bezos Earth Fund, a $10 billion commitment to helping combat climate change
January 2021: Is eclipsed by Tesla founder Elon Musk as the world’s richest man despite adding an estimated $70 billion to end 2020 with a fortune estimated at $186 billion
February: Bezos announces he will step down as CEO by October, transitioning to executive chairman
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