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Jeff Bezos opted to drive a surprisingly modest car despite possessing billions

It was modest upgrade from his 1987 Chevy Blazer.
  • Back in 1994, Jeff Bezos quit his Wall Street job to start Amazon
  • Just three years later, Amazon went public and Bezos’ wealth catapulted to over $12 billion
  • But despite becoming a billionaire, Bezos still drive a modest car

Published on Dec 13, 2023 at 9:24PM (UTC+4)

Last updated on Dec 14, 2023 at 7:38PM (UTC+4)

Edited by Alessandro Renesis
Jeff Bezos opted to drive a surprisingly modest car despite possessing billions

Jeff Bezos has a staggering fortune.

The chairman and founder of Amazon is the third richest man in the world, worth $170 billion, according to Forbes.

From delivering fresh produce to customers to creating and distributing movies, music and more, Amazon has a lot going on.

READ MORE! Jeff Bezos’ mother is now worth $30 billion but her story is incredible

But back in 1994, when a 30-year-old, newly-married Jeff Bezos quit his Wall Street job to start Amazon, the business was pretty simple: it sold books.

Just three years later, Amazon went public and Bezos’ wealth catapulted to over $12 billion, according to Bloomberg.

You wouldn’t have known it by the newly-minted billionaire’s car, though.

Despite his newfound success, Jeff Bezos swapped out his 1987 Chevy Blazer for only a modest upgrade – a Honda Accord.

CBS’s Bob Simon profiled Bezos in 1990 for “60 Minutes”.

The video, which recently resurfaced online, shows the billionaire sporting khakis and a button-down while driving the car.

“What’s with the Honda?” Simon asks Bezos.

“This is a perfectly good car,” Bezos responds after laughing.

Simon also discovered during the interview that Amazon’s then-headquarters in Seattle shared a street address with a pawn shop, a heroin-needle exchange and a “porno parlor.”

Inside, Bezos’ desk was made out of a re-purposed wooden door and two-by-four pieces of wood.

Why so frugal?

“It’s a symbol of spending money on things that matter to customers and not spending money on things that don’t,” Bezos explains to Simon.

This year, Amazon’s revenue rose 13 percent to $143.1 billion in the three months to September 30, clearing expectations on Wall Street.

Profits surged to $9.9 billion, from $2.9 billion a year ago.

Jeff Bezos has some bigger extravagances, like multiple homes, a private jet and a superyacht called ‘Koru’.

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