You know times have changed when the richest man in the world is announcing his divorce on Twitter. Amazon founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos said he and his wife will end their marriage after 25 years together.
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) January 9, 2019
The couple met when they worked at hedge fund D.E. Shaw, and married in 1993. He founded Amazon a year later. Bezos, 54, is worth $137 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, a ranking of the world’s 500 wealthiest individuals.
A divorce could reshape the wealth rankings. If the couple split their fortune equally, it could leave MacKenzie, 48, with $69 billion, making her the world’s richest woman. It could also make Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates the planet’s richest person once again.
Washington state, where the Bezos’ live, is a community property state. That means that any wealth made during their marriage could be split equally between the two.
Since Amazon was founded a year after the Bezos’ were married, MacKenzie could argue that she is entitled to half of Bezos’ entire Amazon-based fortune – $137 billion at latest count. That means she could get as much as $66 billion based on the value of the company today.
