Jeff Bezos’ Wealth: How He Spends the $2 Million He Earns Every Hour
Written by
Dawn Allcot
Edited by
Cory Dudak
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Jeff Bezos is currently the second-wealthiest person in the world, coming in behind Elon Musk’s astronomical net worth of $320.3 billion. Bezos is no financial slouch himself, with an estimated net worth of $211.7 billion and most of his wealth in Amazon stock.
While this number seems staggering to most people, it’s even more amazing if you break down his earnings by the hour. Here are a few key takeaways:
- 10 years ago in 2015, Bezos had a net worth of about $34.8 billion, according to Forbes.
- That number increased steadily over the years and, in 2018, he reached No. 1 on Forbes’ billionaires list for the first time.
- Bezos’ wealth increased by $176.9 billion in the past 10 years, or $17.7 billion per year, roughly $48.5 million per day, and roughly over $2 million per hour.
- Of course, since Bezos’ investments make money while he sleeps, we didn’t use an 8-hour workday or 40-hour workweek for these calculations.
What would you do if your wealth increased by nearly $2 million every hour? Here are some ways Bezos spends his fortune.
Real Estate
Like many billionaires, Bezos doesn’t have to worry as much about price when it comes to investing in real estate — not like your average American.
In February 2020, Bezos purchased a Beverly Hills estate for $165 million, with a 13,600-square-foot mansion on nine acres. He also owns a $78 million property in Maui, Hawaii, and properties in Washington, California, Texas and New York.
In 2023, he purchased two mansions in Florida’s wealthy Indian Creek Island, sometimes called “Billionaire Bunker” island. The neighboring properties cost $68 million and $79 million. He then made an additional third property purchase in the same area for an additional $90 million investment.
Media Ventures
In addition to real estate, Bezos often invests in companies he knows and trusts. One of his largest venture capital endeavors involved buying The Washington Post for $250 million in 2013.
There is something to say about financial moves that involve owning the press.
Space Travel
Another investment in Bezos’ portfolio is Blue Origin, the aerospace company he founded in 2000. The New Shepard rocket developed by the company has helped make space tourism possible, albeit for a hefty price.
In June 2021, Blue Origin auctioned off a seat on its first suborbital flight for $28 million. Other passengers, like William Shatner, have flown free as honored guests.
In 2025, it announced it will be launching an all-female crew including Katy Perry, Gayle King, Aisha Bowe, Kerianne Flynn, Lauren Sanchez and Amanda Nguyen.
Vacations
While Bezos has been to space on the New Shepard, he also enjoys more earthly vacations, according to various news sources. Last year, he cruised the Mediterranean with his fiancée Lauren Sanchez. During the trip, he proposed to Sanchez, gifting her a diamond ring valued at $3.5 million.
Yachts
Like many billionaires who live on the coasts, Bezos also enjoys yachts. He is the owner of the Koru, a 417-foot sailing yacht valued at $5 million.
It’s a common tactic for billionaires to use vehicles like yachts and private jets as tax write-offs if they can claim it as a business expense.
Cars
Although as recently as 2013, Bezos was driving a Honda Accord, the billionaire has a substantial luxury car collection valued at roughly $20 million, according to Benzinga. Vehicles include a Cadillac Escalade, Land Rover Range Rover, Ferrari, Bugatti and a Mercedes-Benz.
Charitable Contributions
Billionaires also use charitable contributions to avoid paying taxes. Supporting causes they believe in gives them a chance to put their money to good use and make a positive change in the ways they best see fit.
Bezos founded the Bezos Earth Fund, with a personal commitment of $10 billion, to fund grants for projects related to climate change and nature preservation.
Final Take To GO
The bottom line is that based on this research, it’s clear billionaires like many of the same things as everyone else, from nice cars to vacations. However, the bulk of their money goes into purchases and activities that will generate more income, such as venture capital endeavors, stock purchases and real estate investments.
Caitlyn Moorhead contributed to the reporting for this article.
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