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The Bezos – and Their Fortune – Split
Bloomberg reports on what may be the split of the year, from a financial point of view:
Amazon.com Inc. founder Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie are divorcing after a relationship that started at a New York hedge fund and is ending a little more than a year after he became the world’s richest person.
“After a long period of loving exploration and trial separation, we have decided to divorce and continue our shared lives as friends,” the pair tweeted on Wednesday.
Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos met in New York at D.E. Shaw. Jeff was the first person to interview MacKenzie for a role at the hedge fund and the pair ended up having offices next to each other, according to a 2013 interview with Vogue. They married in 1993 and a year later drove across the country to Seattle, where Jeff founded Amazon. They have four children.
Bezos often discussed the bond with his wife and made the story of their marriage a foundation of his personal biography. He liked to say that as a single man he sought a partner who could “get him out of a third-world prison” and that MacKenzie fit the bill. At work, Bezos often lit up when discussing his wife and children.
MacKenzie, an author, played a significant role at the company in the early years and “was there when he wrote the business plan,” she wrote in a disparaging 2013 review of a Bezos biography written by Bloomberg Senior Executive Editor Brad Stone. “I worked with him and many others represented in the converted garage, the basement warehouse closet, the barbecue-scented offices, the Christmas-rush distribution centers, and the door-desk filled conference rooms in the early years of Amazon’s history.”
After her husband became rich and famous, MacKenzie strove to retain her privacy, according to three people close to Bezos, who requested anonymity given the sensitive nature of the subject. MacKenzie’s primary influence on Bezos and Amazon was to provide encouragement in the early years and support through tumultuous times, one of the people said.
A male friend (single, I’ll note), commented on Facebook:
Here’s a question: What has Jeff Bezos’ wife done to deserve any of the money he made from Amazon? Why shouldn’t she go out with all the amazing stuff he bought her with the money HE (not she) earned and call it even?
A mutual friend saw his post and shared her thoughts:
I’m sorry, but if you’re a wife you says “yes honey, our family will eat beans out of a can while you follow your insane dream of selling books on this thing called the internet while I take care of your FOUR kids.” Yes. She deserves some real money here. It’s a (bleeping) partnership.
What do you think? Join today and comment below!
Published in General
The reactions from Bethany’s friends bring up issues about the nature of marriage itself, not just the Bezos. Then, we are talking about ownership of one of the world’s largest companies. If that gets ugly it could have a financial impact that could be felt beyond the Bezos family. So, I think there is more here than just gossip.
As I read it, this is a figure of speech to mean, “someone who would go to the ends of the Earth to help me, and never give up on me” or something along those lines. I think you are reading it as, “America is a third world prison, someone please save me”? I don’t think so…maybe you are cranky today after all?
You’re right on the interpretion. But She’s right that there is something stupid almost to obscenity in privileged people acting like anything’s dangerous in their lives. Think geeks talking like frats bros (who themselves aren’t much on courage, but certainly face more danger).
I like what Bezos said about his wife and prison.
Mrs. iWe has my back. She would have my back anytime, anywhere, with or without weaponry. She would never, ever doublecross me or quit on me if she had breath to draw.
That fact gives me enormous strength.
And I have no doubt that Mrs. Bezos was that for Jeff. Until….
Of course there are dangers. Privileged people are kidnapped (Norway this week). They can be robbed, mugged, assaulted, or murdered (Safra). And if and when governments turn on you (Ghosn in Japan) they can be locked up without cause.
I *soooo* called this months ago when a photo of the buff Jeff Bezos surfaced. I told my husband that Bezos was clearly in the market. Nothing wrong with taking care of yourself and wanting to look good, but the whole thing – the gun show, the attitude – gave off a “how do you like me now?” vibe. He had the money, now he seemed to be advertising himself. Or alternatively, maybe in my warped mind, that is just the first place I went with it. I could care less what JB does or with whom, but I will care a lot more if my Amazon stock craters!
Since the wife was a CPA, I’m sure she added a lot of value to his decision-making. The other factor is I bet it eats at her that she won’t be managing in some way and privy to all kinds of insider stuff. What a mess.
Hey! I’m a geek and a frat boy — so there!
You know, you’re absolutely right. It’s like the McDonnel divorce – none of our business.
I think it’s an important conversation about the value of a stay-at-home mother’s work. Speaking as a SAHM myself.
Personally I like the discussion. I have personality disorders on both sides my family tree. I love hearing people explain what is normal and right in interpersonal situations.
For those that are interested.
She deserves half.
Yet another example why marriage is a bad idea.
Having grown up in a family that has had multiple businesses, I can tell you definitively that she deserves something. It took both of my parents and all of the kids to make it work. (I come from a family of eight kids.) The sacrifices are enormous and you don’t know if it’s going to succeed. My family now owns American Crafts and it’s successful. At one time, everyone invested in the business had their homes on the line. It started out in our basement. We honestly have no clue what they have done to get their business where it is today.
And my mother was also a SAHM. She was the designer of most of the products. She also had great ideas. Anyway, there’s my two cents!
So is his new slogan going to be, marriages die in darkness.
It seems like you are conflating the dissolution of the marriage with the property settlement. Lots of places separate the dissolution of the marriage from the property division.
Fault has been used as both a cause of action as well factor in the division of property, but not necessarily so. In Louisiana, for example, there is both no-fault and at-fault divorce. A no-fault divorce is granted only after the parties have lived separately for a period of time. Marital assets are divided equitably in accordance with community property rules. In an at-fault divorce, there is no time requirement and the judge is allowed to assign marital property based on the fault (although the community property rules still apply.)
Alabama, on the other hand has a no-fault divorce – but without community property rules. Thus, if after one’s first (or second) foray into matrimony one then uses what would be considered separate property under community property rules to support the current marriage, then the property becomes marital assets that are at risk in a subsequent divorce.
Of course it was.
Of course I was. Because that’s what he said. I was taking him literally, and seriously.
Whichever way he meant it, though, he was wrong. I guess it’s a good thing for the world that he’s better at business decisions than he is at either precision with language or reading the tea-leaves when it comes to romantic entanglements.
I am! Oh, I really, really am! Super cranky, in fact.
“HALF, Eddie!” Hahaha…
I guess I’m saying that’s part of the problem.
I guess I’m saying that’s a much better system.
@rufusrjones
Once again The Enquirer is the only source of the truth.