Jeff Bezos sells $737 million in Amazon shares amid wedding and growing philanthropic efforts.
Sale follows stock rally and funds ventures like Blue Origin and major charitable donations.
Amazon founder and executive chairman Jeff Bezos has sold $737 million worth of Amazon stock, marking his first significant share sale of 2025. The divestment, disclosed through filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), involved Bezos unloading 3.3 million shares of Amazon.com Inc. This sale coincided with his high-profile wedding to Lauren Sánchez in Venice, Italy.
The transaction was executed under a pre-scheduled Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, which Bezos established in March. This SEC-compliant mechanism enables company insiders to sell shares at predetermined intervals, thereby mitigating concerns about insider trading. Under the current plan, Bezos is authorized to sell up to 25 million shares.
Since Bezos established the trading plan, Amazon’s stock has gained over 8%, propelled by a broader rally in U.S. tech equities. However, the company has not issued any statements regarding the sale. Despite stepping down as CEO in 2021, Bezos remains Amazon’s largest individual shareholder and continues to influence the company’s direction through his board presence and personal investments.
At 61 years old, Bezos has an estimated net worth of $241.4 billion, making him the third-richest person in the world, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. This recent sale adds to his long-standing pattern of periodic divestments, having sold approximately $44 billion worth of Amazon shares since 2002. His only known stock purchase was a single share in 2022.
The proceeds from Bezos’s stock sales often finance his various ventures, particularly Blue Origin, his private aerospace company. In January 2025, Blue Origin achieved a milestone with the successful launch of its orbital-class rocket. However, financial pressures have led the company to lay off around 10% of its staff shortly thereafter, highlighting the challenges of scaling in the commercial space sector. Bezos has also remained actively engaged in philanthropy. In 2025 alone, he has donated nearly 930,000 Amazon shares to nonprofit causes, including approximately $60 million in March, $125 million in May, and $5 million in June.
The specific recipient organizations have not been publicly disclosed. Bezos’s philanthropic efforts are primarily channeled through the Bezos Earth Fund, a $10 billion initiative focused on climate change, and the Bezos Day One Fund, which supports early childhood education and homelessness interventions. Additionally, he sponsors the Bezos Courage & Civility Award, a $100 million grant aimed at honoring individuals who lead with compassion. Past recipients include philanthropist Dolly Parton and political commentator Van Jones.
Bezos’s $737 million stock sale signals both personal and professional transitions in 2025. As he balances expanding ventures like Blue Origin and high-profile philanthropy with his public life, including a headline-making wedding, the billionaire remains a dominant force in global business. While Amazon continues its stock rally, all eyes are now on how Bezos will utilize his latest windfall.
