Want to Have as Much Money as Jeff Bezos? You’d Need to Work for 45 Years Earning $2.1 Million per Hour

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is currently the second wealthiest person in the world, with a net worth of $200.3 billion according to Forbes’ list of billionaires. His fortune is primarily derived from Amazon, but he has also invested in successful companies such as Blue Origin and various real estate ventures.

Although Bezos has passed the reins of Amazon to Andy Jassy, the company’s current president and CEO, he still receives dividends from his 8.8% stake. Amazon’s stock has increased by 32% in the first few months of 2024, allowing Bezos to capitalize on this growth.

Bezos’ fortune. As of July 2024, Forbes estimates Bezos’ wealth at $200.3 billion. However, fluctuations in Amazon’s stock price and Bezos’ real estate transactions can cause this figure to vary.

Forbes has a tool that tracks the history of Bezos’ wealth, comparing its valuation from January 1, 2023 to that of January 2024. This shows that his wealth went from $114 billion at the beginning of 2023 to $194 billion at the beginning of 2024, an increase of $80 billion.

In other words, the $80 billion increase in the business magnate’s wealth in 2023 equates to earning $152,160 in the time it’s taken you to read this article so far.

Bezos could purchase 40 Madison Square Gardens. Wise investments have made Bezos an incredibly wealthy person. To put his wealth into perspective, he could buy 40 Madison Square Gardens for himself, considering that the New York City arena’s overall area occupies more than 1.5 million square feet, and the price of urbanized land in Midtown Manhattan is $1,340 per square feet according to the real estate portal Redfin.

The enormity of Bezos’ wealth. To further put Bezos’ wealth into perspective, imagine if he were to spend $1 million each day from his current fortune. It’d take him approximately 548 years to empty his bank account.

One remarkable aspect of such a vast fortune is how it continues to grow without any effort from Bezos. The Amazon founder has admitted that he prioritizes getting a full eight hours of sleep each night. Surprisingly, while Bezos sleeps, his net worth increased by $26,684,466,664 in 2023. This incredible rate of earnings can be observed by the fact that in the time it took you to get to this point, Bezos would’ve earned more than $304,000 in 2023.

Bezos’ workday. If the Amazon founder’s work schedule worked the standard five-day, 40-hour week, his monthly 2023 salary would be approximately $6.7 billion, or $38.461.538 for each hour worked. This hourly rate far surpasses the average.

If the $80 billion earned by Bezos in 2023 were distributed evenly, each workday would bring him a profit of $333.3 million. This amount is significantly higher than what Bill Gates earned in 2023, which was $73 million for each workday.

The savings challenge: achieving Bezos’ fortune. Imagine if someone reading this article suddenly wanted to match Bezos’ fortune starting from scratch.

To match his current fortune, you would need to consistently earn $2,140,598 for every hour worked over a period of 45 years, assuming you work a 40-hour work week. This could seem like an ambitious amount. However, in 2023, Bezos would’ve already earned $456,000 by the time you’ve read up to this point.

Enjoy the moment, time flies! With a fortune of over $200 billion, most people would say, “Enjoy the moment, time flies! That money isn’t going to spend itself.”

If Bezos decided to live a lavish lifestyle, he could spend $18.3 million every day for the next 30 years before running out of money.

This article was written by Rubén Andrés and originally published in Spanish on Xataka.

Image | beefie using Midjourney

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