Jeff Bezos Offloads Billions in Amazon Stock as He Shifts Focus to Politics and Space Travel

Millionaire Jeff Bezos intends to sell off large portions of his Amazon stock, potentially amounting to approximately $5 billion.

According to a submission made to the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday, May 2, Bezos plans to offload up to 25 million Amazon shares. These sales are anticipated to be finished by Friday, May 29, 2026.

The shares might reach a valuation of up to $5 billion, contingent upon their price at the time of sale. The technology company’s stock started trading at $191.90 per share on May 2nd, marking a decrease of roughly 21% from its peak value in early February.

As the executive chairman of Amazon, Bezos established the company as an online book retailer based in the vicinity of Seattle back in 1994. Over the span of thirty years, his wealth has surged to approximately $212 billion, placing him just behind Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, in terms of net worth.
Bloomberg Billionaire Index
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This isn’t the first time Bezos has experienced a stock sell-off.

In 2024, the individual, who was 61 years old, sold approximately $13.4 billion worth of Amazon shares, the
Financial Times
It was reported that his sales coincided with the company’s market capitalization surpassing $2 trillion, driven by investors’ enthusiasm about advancements in artificial intelligence.

Over time, Bezos has slowly reduced his involvement in Amazon’s day-to-day activities, shifting his focus instead towards his aerospace manufacturer, Blue Origin, as well as The Washington Post, the news outlet he acquired. His stock disposals have been instrumental in funding Blue Origin, an endeavor that supposedly requires over $2 billion annually.

Bezos has faced criticism for his concessions to President Donald Trump, whom he once called a “threat to democracy.” The billionaires have met several times in recent months and Bezos attended Trump’s second inauguration in January.

The scheduled share offering comes only days after a furious Trump.
personally called Bezos
, after reports surfaced that Amazon could show tariff costs within product listings. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt denounced this notion as a “hostile and politically motivated move.”

Following the conversation, Amazon stated that the concept was not approved. Later, Trump commended Bezos to journalists, referring to him as a “good guy” and mentioning, “He solved the issue very swiftly.”

Bezos instructed The Washington Post to concentrate more on editorial content related to individual freedom and free-market principles. He prevented the paper from releasing its support for then-Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of the 2024 presidential election, which led to notable staff departures and considerable declines in subscribers.

In April, Blue Origin attracted additional notice with its mission that sent an entirely female crew to space for the first time. Among the six women aboard were pop icon Katy Perry, CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King, and Jeff Bezos’ fiancée, Lauren Sánchez.

Bezos has utilized his wealth from Amazon for charitable initiatives such as the Day One Fund, which backs early education projects.