Jeff Bezos To Retain 75% Of His Amazon Shares In Divorce Settlement With Ex Wife Mackenzie Bezos

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and his now former wife, Mackenzie Bezos, announced their divorce several months ago – but how will the world’s biggest fortune be divided up?

The couple confirmed their split and announced that Jeff would be keeping the 75% of his stock in the company after his divorce from Mckenzie via Twitter. Jeff will also maintain ownership of the Washington Post and his space exploration company, Blue Origin.

The tweet eliminates any concern that the split would diminish his control over one of the world’s most valuable businesses. Bezos will continue to be the largest shareholder of the $900 billion  company as well as gain voting control of his former wife’s remaining shares.

“I see the announcement as a positive for shareholders. The fact that Jeff Bezos will retain sole voting authority over the shares should alleviate some ownership concerns,” RJ Hottovy, an analyst at Morningstar stated after the announcement.

MacKenzie Bezos owns 4 percent of Amazon, or about 19.7 million shares worth about $35.7 billion, the company said in a filing, making her the world’s fourth-richest woman, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Amazon shares dipped less than 1 percent.

The split was announced back in January, followed by an expose by the National Enquirer concerning Jeff’s relationship with Lauren Sanchez, a former TV anchor. Jeff remains in a battle with the National Enquirer and its parent company, American Media about how they learned of his extramarital affair and obtained graphic photos he sent his lover.

Jeff and Mackenzie Bezos met in New York at D.E. Shaw where Jeff interviewed Mackenzie for a hedge fund job. 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.

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Author Mackenzie played a significant role at the company in the early years, but her presence dwindled. In recent years, Mackenzie’s role seemed to be limited to social event appearances, being spotted at their children’s school, and touring Amazon’s headquarters new biospheres, the plant-filled architectural centerpiece of its Seattle headquarters.