Behind every great man is a great woman, so the saying goes.
And in Jeff Bezos’ case that woman was his mother Jacklyn Bezos, who died peacefully at her home this week at the age of 78.
Today, her son is one of the world’s wealthiest men, but his beginnings were a lot more humble.
It is largely thanks to the tireless sacrifice of his mother that he is able to sit atop his Amazon empire.
It is a sentiment not lost on the billionaire CEO, who acknowledged Jacklyn’s monumental place in his life in an emotional post announcing her death.
‘After a prolonged battle with Lewy Body Dementia, she passed away today, surrounded by loved ones — her children, grandchildren, and my father,’ Jeff wrote.
‘I know she felt our love in those final moments. We were all so lucky to be in her life. I hold her safe in my heart forever.’
While Jeff Bezos may have been fortunate to have her as a mother, it was Jacklyn’s determination and confidence in her son that transformed her life from a struggling teenage mother to one of the initial investors in what would become one of the largest companies globally.
Jacklyn Bezos, also known as Jackie, died peacefully at her Miami home on Thursday at the age of 78
She gave birth to her billionaire Amazon founder son at 17 years old while still in high school
Jacklyn was born in Washington, DC, and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she met Jeff’s biological father, Ted Jorgensen, during her high school years, as noted by the Bezos Scholars Program.
She gave birth to the Amazon founder at 17 years old shortly after marrying Jorgensen, but the two divorced shortly after.
‘My mom, Jackie, gave birth to me when she was a 17-year-old high school student in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Being pregnant in high school wasn’t well accepted in Albuquerque back in 1964. She faced many challenges,’ Jeff shared during a 2020 congressional hearing.
‘When the school tried to expel her, my grandfather championed her cause. After some discussions, the principal agreed she could remain and finish high school, but with the stipulation that she couldn’t participate in extracurricular activities or have a locker.’
‘My grandfather accepted these conditions, and my mother completed high school, although she wasn’t permitted to walk on stage with her peers to receive her diploma.’
As a young, single mom, she started taking night classes while also working at a bank during the day.
‘Determined to keep up with her education, she enrolled in night school, picking classes led by professors who would let her bring an infant to class,’ Jeff said.
‘She would show up with two duffel bags—one full of textbooks, and one packed with diapers, bottles, and anything that would keep me interested and quiet for a few minutes.’
As a young, single mom, she worked at a bank and attended night classes. She eventually met and married a young Cuban immigrant, Miguel ‘Mike’ Bezos
Jacklyn and Miguel (pictured) went on to invest just under $250,000 into Amazon in 1995 to help their son
Her shift at the bank overlapped with a young Cuban immigrant, Miguel ‘Mike’ Bezos, where the two met and fell in love.
The couple eventually married, and Miguel adopted Jeff. They also had two children together, Christina and Mark.
Jacklyn and Miguel went on to invest just under $250,000 into Amazon in 1995 to help their son with his new company.
‘They weren’t making a bet on Amazon or the concept of a bookstore on the internet. They were making a bet on their son,’ Jeff said.
‘I told them that I thought there was a 70 percent chance they would lose their investment, and they did it anyway.’
The sum that they lent him was considered not just a huge amount but also a massive risk, as people were still skeptical of the internet.
But the gamble paid off, as their son is now worth over $243 billion, while Amazon is a $2 trillion company.
Bezos spoke about the original investment his parents gave him at a 2015 event, recalling telling them: ‘I want you to know how risky this is.
In 2022, Bezos helped his parents snap up a six-bedroom, seven-bathroom waterfront Miami mansion in 2022 for $34 million
Jeff often praised his parents in speeches and online. He is pictured hugging his mother after his flight on Blue Origin’s New Shepard into space in July 2021
‘Because I want to come home at dinner for Thanksgiving and I don’t want you to be mad at me.’
It is unclear how much stock they still hold in the company; they donated just under 600,000 shares to the Bezos Family Foundation from 2001 to 2016, according to filings.
In 2022, Bezos helped his parents snap up a six-bedroom, seven-bathroom waterfront Miami mansion in 2022 for $34 million.
The property was bought by a Delaware company linked to Bezos’ parents with the help of a $5 million loan from the Bank of America.
Jeff added to his own tribute: ‘Her adulthood started a little bit early when she became my mom at the tender age of 17.
‘That couldn’t have been easy, but she made it all work. She pounced on the job of loving me with ferocity, brought my amazing dad onto the team a few years later, and then added my sister and brother to her list of people to love, guard, and nourish.
‘For the rest of her life, that list of people to love never stopped growing. She always gave so much more than she ever asked for.’
