October 19, 2025

Jeff Bezos may have been the only ultra-wealthy billionaire who failed to get richer in 2019, but he’s making up for it in 2020.

The Amazon CEO’s fortune grew by $13.5 billion in just 15 minutes on Thursday, as first noted by Bloomberg .

Bezos’ windfall came after Amazon’s shares surged around 12% to $2,100 during after-hours trading Thursday in New York.

The bulk of the 56-year-old’s fortune comes from his ownership of roughly 12% of Amazon’s stock.

The rise in his stock’s value would put his current net worth at about $129 billion, boosting him above Microsoft founder Bill Gates. The two have traded the spot of the wealthiest person in the world over the last year.

Bezos is a keen investor, operating through his eponymous VC vehicle Bezos Expeditions. His panoply of ventures including his ownership of aerospace firm Blue Origin and the Washington Post newspaper supplies the rest of his wealth.

Amazon Shipping
Amazon Shipping

He has also been recognized as the richest person in modern history after his fortune hit the $150 billion mark in July 2018.

Thursday’s stock surge came after a stellar quarter for Amazon .

The tech giant reported earnings per share of $6.47, versus expectations of $4.04.

Its gamble on making one-day shipping the default for Amazon Prime members looks to have paid off , as it posted revenue of $87 billion for the fourth quarter of 2019 up from $72.4 billion the prior year.

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