Amazon’s head honcho, Jeff Bezos has become the first person to have his wealth breach the $200 billion mark, according to data from the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Bezos’ wealth is due to a surge in Amazons shares this year as consumers turned to online platforms to purchase essential goods during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bezos own an 11.1% stake in Amazon, a company he founded in 1994. Amazon has a market capitalisation of more than $1.5 trillion.
Apple this month became the first U.S. public company to eclipse $2 trillion in market cap.
Bezos is now $78 billion richer than Bill Gates, who stands at number two on the list of the world’s richest people.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Bezos’ net worth now stands at $202 billion after an increase of $5.22 billion in a single day.
Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg is now valued at $115 billion – making him the third richest person in the world.
South African-born Tesla boss Elon Musk has seen his wealth surge to $101 billion.
