Founder of Amazon.com Inc. That of Jeff Bezos The financial trajectory has been the subject of speculation and analysis, particularly in the context of his 2019 divorce from MacKenzie Scott.
At the time of their separation, Bezos was the world’s richest individual, with a net worth of $150 billion, primarily due to his 16% stake in Amazon, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
This event marked a significant change in the distribution of wealth at the peak of global wealth, as the sharing of such a massive fortune was unprecedented.
From February, Real-time Forbes data reports that Jeff Bezos’ wealth is estimated at $191 billion, putting him at the top of the list of the world’s richest people, a slight margin behind Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk, whose net worth is $199 billion. The ranking comes with a caveat. A recent court ruling invalidated $56 billion in options granted by Tesla to Musk in 2018, potentially affecting his net worth and reputation. Despite this, Musk’s financial situation remains unchanged due to the possibility of an appeal. The two men are behind Bernard Arnault and his family, who oversee the LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton empire, with a net worth of $217.6 billion.
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The scenario presents a fascinating “what if” regarding Bezos’ financial situation if he hadn’t divorced. Before their divorce, Bezos’ 16% stake in Amazon was valued at $150 billion. Following the divorce and subsequent financial decisions, including significant sales of Amazon stock to fund his Blue Origin space venture, Bezos’ share of the company declined to around 10%. These transactions, coupled with the divorce settlement that transferred a 4% stake in Amazon to Scott, significantly changed Bezos’ potential net worth.
If Bezos had kept all of his shares in Amazon, without the divorce and without liquidating part of his shares, his wealth could have been significantly higher. With Amazon’s market capitalization now around $1.8 trillion, a 16% stake would be worth $288 billion. That hypothetical figure exceeds the wealth of other billionaires, including Musk, Arnault, Meta Platforms Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates, positioning Bezos as potentially the richest person in history.
In exploring the financial “what ifs,” one can’t help but speculate on how Gates, if he had “given the diamond hand” to his Microsoft shares, might have become the first trillionaire. Initially owning 49% of Microsoft, then slightly reduced to 45% after its IPO in 1986, Gates’ stake in the tech giant, based on its current market cap of $2.8 trillion, would be today today valued at the astronomical sum of 1,230 billion dollars. This speculative analysis offers a glimpse into an alternate reality in which Gates’s hold on his Microsoft shares could have cemented his status as the richest man in history and reshaped the global wealth hierarchy.
Although purely hypothetical, the analysis highlights the dynamic nature of billionaire rankings, where legal, personal and business developments can radically alter the landscape.
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This item Jeff Bezos Could Have Been One of the Richest Men in History If He hadn’t Divorced Mackenzie Scott Without a Prenuptial Agreement – Here’s What These Amazon Stocks Would Be Worth Today originally appeared on Benzinga.com
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