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What If Bezos Had Stayed On as Amazon’s CEO? 2 Ways Your Investment Could’ve Been Impacted

May 14, 2025

3 min Read

Written by J. Arky

Edited by Jenna Klaverweiden

hapabapa / Getty Images

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It is hard to imagine a world without Jeff Bezos’ impact as the founder and CEO of Amazon. The billionaire stepped down as CEO in 2021 to focus on other businesses and endeavors, but he remains the executive chairman of Amazon’s board.

And his legacy on the economy, jobs and investments looms large in 2025. GOBankingRates asked a few experts to imagine if Bezos never left his role as Amazon CEO and how that could impact an investment in the company.

What would Bezos as the head of the company do to impact an investment in Amazon? Here’s what they theorized.

Also see four ways Bezos and Amazon changed the way we spend.

Higher Peaks and Sharper Dips

Bezos is one of the key figures of money, power and influence in the modern era, maintaining his position as one of the richest men in the world. Were Bezos still in the driver’s seat at Amazon, his sway could’ve caused the company’s stock performance to be much more dramatic, according to Kraig Kleeman, founder and CEO of The New Workforce.

Kleeman noted that the stock would likely experience higher peaks and sharper dips with Bezos still in charge of Amazon. “Bezos had a reputation for a high risk appetite and bold moonshots, which excites the markets but also adds considerable pressure on it,” he said.

Diversification and Innovation

Aaron Razon, a personal finance expert at Coupon Snake, predicted that Bezos staying on as CEO could’ve taken Amazon to the next level of expansion. After all, Bezos broke boundaries by founding Amazon, which initially received pushback and doubt until growing into the largest online retailer in history.

Vince Stanzione, author of “The Millionaire Dropout,” shared a similar possibility. “Maybe if Bezos had remained, the company could have taken more risks, such as making acquisitions as he did with Whole Foods,” Stanzione said. “I always thought that Amazon would enter into the wholesale warehouse business like Costco.”

Razon described a scenario where Bezos, as CEO of Amazon, explored new markets, industries or technologies, leading to increased diversification and reduced reliance on existing business segments, which could potentially lead to new revenue streams, enhanced resilience to market fluctuations, increased competitiveness and further solidification of Amazon’s position as a leader in the tech industry.

“All of this could lead to a confidence boost for investors and potentially drive long-term growth as the company’s diversified portfolio and innovative approach could serve as a strong foundation for success,” Razon said.

Kleeman summed up the notion succinctly: “If Bezos had not left, it would have meant more fireworks, for the better or worse.”

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