MacKenzie Bezos, wife of Amazon owner Jeff Bezos, has announced that her divorce from the billionaire is complete. In the agreement, she’ll be getting a 4% stake in Amazon’s stock. That staggering number makes her one of the richest people on the planet, bringing her net worth to around $35 billion.
MacKenzie Bezos Gets Huge Cut of Amazon
The Divorce
Amazon’s stock has fluctuated slightly since the divorce filing became public. However, the announcement of the divorce’s finalization had little impact on Amazon’s stock yesterday.
The Bezos’ divorce came about in part due to scandals involving Jeff Bezos’ affairs with Lauren Sanchez. After the divorce filing in January, the normally private Jeff Bezos had his private life at the center of unfolding scandals. Adding to the chaos, Bezos has also struck out at the National Enquirer over alleged blackmail of photos he sent to Sanchez during his affair.
National Enquirer Controversy
The controversy erupted when Bezos penned a piece for Medium that alleged he was being blackmailed. The National Enquirer threatened to release nude photos of him if he didn’t end an investigation into how they acquired his texts to Sanchez.
Reports have indicated that Sanchez’ brother, Michael Sanchez, is the one who leaked the messages to the Enquirer. Michael Sanchez has been a longtime source for the tabloid. Sanchez himself has denied being the source of the leaks.
MacKenzie’s Assets
The 4% share of Amazon that MacKenzie will be taking with her will still have its voting privileges overseen by Jeff. The $35 billion in worth this gives MacKenzie makes her one of the 30 wealthiest people on the planet. Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos maintains his spot as the richest man on Earth, worth a staggering $115 billion.
That puts Jeff Bezos a solid $10 billion higher than Bill Gates, who remains the second wealthiest man on Earth. Surprisingly, Bezos retains this title even after giving up 25% of his shares in Amazon.