Jeff Bezos stepped down as executive chairman – what’s next?

Jeff Bezos stepped down as executive chairman – what’s next?

New York, 2/3/2021

Amazon- founder Jeff Bezos yesterday handed over his chairmanship of the board to his crown prince Andy Jassy. The 53-year-old new CEO has been on board since 1997. With the successful development of the cloud division AWS, he has proven that he can lead a corporation. With $45 billion in sales, this division is one of the most profitable parts of the group. Bezos is certain: “ He will be an outstanding leader, and he has my full confidence.“

Amazon is currently in an excellent position. One of the biggest winners in the Corona crisis, it reported a 44 percent jump in revenue to $125.6 billion for the final quarter of 2020.

Bezos made a point of saying that his resignation does not mean a departure from Amazon. The 57-year-old executive plans to serve as executive chairman of the board of directors at the company in the future. „I’ve never had more energy. This is not about retiring“ he noted. And added: that he will remain involved in „important Amazon initiatives.“

By stepping down, he plans to spend more time and energy on other projects. He named the space company Blue Origin, the Washington Post newspaper, and his two charitable initiatives. What might be behind „other passions“ remains his secret for now.

First, he will probably devote himself to the „Earth Fund,“ which he announced a year ago. He wants to use it to fight climate change and endow it with ten billion dollars.

The importance he attaches to the „Day One Fund,“ which he founded a few years ago with his then wife MacKenzie Scott, is still open. The aim is to help homeless families, among others.