Jeff Bezos Becomes World’s Richest Person, Surpassing Bill Gates

Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos has officially overtaken Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to become the richest person in modern history. At 53 years old, Bezos’ net worth has reached an estimated $105 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Bezos added $6.1 billion to his fortune in just five trading days in 2018, with a $1.4 billion increase in a single day due to a rise in Amazon’s stock price. This rapid growth means that he earned more in less than a week than the average American would in several lifetimes.

The billionaire’s wealth continues to grow as Amazon dominates global e-commerce. The company’s stock surged 56% in 2017 and has gained another 6.6% in 2018. Amazon also set records during Cyber Monday 2017, marking the largest online shopping day in the company’s history.

It is worth noting that Bill Gates’ net worth of $93.3 billion reflects his extensive philanthropic efforts. Over the past two decades, Gates has donated approximately $60 billion in cash and stock to charity, which would have made him wealthier than Bezos if he had retained all his assets.

Bezos’ rise to the top spot highlights the explosive growth of Amazon and the continuing influence of technology entrepreneurs on global wealth rankings.