Jeff Bezos to Sell Up to $4.8 Billion in Amazon Shares, Filing Shows
Key Points:
- Jeff Bezos has disclosed a plan to sell up to 25 million Amazon shares by May 29, 2026, according to a recent securities filing.
- At current market value, the sale would total approximately $4.8 billion.
- The disclosure comes just after Amazon’s Q1 earnings report highlighted economic uncertainty tied to new U.S. tariffs.
- Bezos remains Amazon’s largest individual shareholder, holding around 1.02 billion shares as of February.
NEW YORK — Amazon founder and executive chairman Jeff Bezos has filed notice of a plan to sell up to 25 million shares of Amazon stock, worth roughly $4.8 billion based on current prices. The sales are scheduled to take place under a prearranged trading plan adopted on March 4 and will conclude no later than May 29, 2026.
This move comes shortly after Amazon reported its first-quarter earnings. While the company outperformed revenue and profit expectations, its forward-looking operating income forecast fell short of Wall Street estimates.
The company is also facing potential headwinds from newly announced U.S. tariffs. According to F.M.I.E Sources, Amazon has recently been at odds with the White House over rumors that it might display tariff-related pricing to customers. Former President Donald Trump reportedly called Bezos directly to object to the alleged policy, prompting Amazon to issue a clarification denying the claim.
Bezos had not sold Amazon stock since 2021 until he offloaded around $13.5 billion in shares last year. His latest disclosure suggests a continued strategy to fund his other ventures through share sales.
In recent years, Bezos has shifted his focus away from Amazon’s daily operations and into other pursuits, including his aerospace company Blue Origin and the Bezos Earth Fund, a $10 billion initiative dedicated to climate and biodiversity. He also contributes to the Day One Fund, launched in 2018 to support education in underserved communities and address homelessness.
(All reporting based on F.M.I.E Sources)