The world’s first billionaire to approach $200 billion

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is set to become the world’s first fortune to hit the $200 billion mark, Forbes says. It is currently estimated at $199.7 billion.

The fortune of the richest man on the planet, Jeff Bezos, jumped on Tuesday, August 25. The boss of Amazon is thus getting a little closer to the historic title of the first person to own $200 billion, writes Forbes.

After the company’s stock jumped 1.2%, Jeff Bezos’ capital rose from $2.2 billion to a historic high of $199.7 billion.

A trend that had continued for a week, when his fortune was already estimated at 197.8 billion dollars, the highest net worth ever recorded by the newspaper since 1982, specifies the medial.

Had it not been for the costliest divorce in history, Jeff Bezos would have already passed the $200 billion marks, continues Forbes. In July 2019, he ended a 25-year marriage, ceding a quarter of his Amazon shares to his now ex-wife MacKenzie Scott, who currently owns 3.8% of the company.

During the pandemic

In July, the entrepreneur won a record sum. According to Bloomberg, his fortune exploded by 13 billion dollars in 24 hours, a record since the creation in 2012 of the ranking “Billionaire Index”.

Its e-commerce platform did exceptionally well during the coronavirus crisis, with many favoring online shopping during the lockdown. Since January, the company’s value has grown by 73%.