Jeff Bezos (Amazon): From dusty garage to global empire

Imagine for a moment: you're in a small, dusty garage in Seattle in 1994. A guy with a weird laugh is fiddling around on his computer. If we told you that this guy was going to become the richest man in the world, you probably would have burst out laughing. And yet...

This is the story of Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon. A dizzying American success story, between dazzling success and resounding controversies. Hold on, it's going to shake!

Modest beginnings for an extraordinary destiny

Jeffrey Preston Bezos was born in 1964 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Nothing predestined him to such a destiny: his biological father, an unstable guy with a passion for unicycling (!), left when Jeff was only 17 months old. Fortunately, his mother met Miguel Bezos, a Cuban immigrant who adopted Jeff and gave him his name.

From childhood, little Jeff showed signs of genius. At 3 years old, he dismantled his bed with a screwdriver to have an “adult bed”. It promises ! As a teenager, he was fascinated by computers and science fiction. He already dreams that humanity will colonize space. Little clue for the rest...

After brilliant studies at Princeton, Jeff became a banker on Wall Street. He earns a lot of money, but it's not enough for him. In 1994, he spotted the enormous potential of the Internet and decided to give up everything to launch his company. Heading to Seattle with his wife MacKenzie!

Amazon: books with a sprawling giant

The basic idea is simple: sell books online. Jeff chose the name “Amazon” in reference to the river that carries everything in its path. Ambitious guy! The site was launched in July 1995 from the Bezos' garage. The first weeks are encouraging with $20,000 in weekly turnover.

Very quickly, Jeff sees bigger. Amazon is diversifying: CDs, electronics, toys... The site is becoming a huge virtual supermarket where you can buy everything. In 1997, the company went public. The share that was worth 18 dollars is worth 80 two years later. The machine is launched!

The 2000s saw Amazon become a juggernaut. Jeff multiplies innovations: Prime subscription, Kindle e-reader, cloud computing with AWS... Everything he touches turns into gold. In 2017, he became the richest man in the world with a fortune estimated at more than $100 billion. Enough to afford a few little splurges like a $23 million house with 25 bathrooms. Youth must be spent!

Behind the scenes: controversies and criticism

But Amazon's success also has its dark side. The company is accused of tax evasion and terrible working conditions. Employees denounce hellish pace, constant surveillance, the impossibility of taking breaks... In 2014, Jeff was even named "worst boss in the world" by an international union. Nothing to be proud of!

These controversies are gaining even more momentum during the Covid-19 pandemic. As Amazon reaps record profits, its employees demonstrate to denounce the lack of protection. Some are reduced to urinating in bottles to keep up. Not very glamorous...

Jeff himself is not spared from scandals. In 2019, he divorced MacKenzie after 25 years of marriage. The celebrity press has a field day, especially when compromising photos with his new partner are threatened with publication. So money isn't everything!

A childhood dream come true: the conquest of space

Despite the controversies, Jeff pursues his ultimate dream: the conquest of space. In 2000, he founded Blue Origin, a space exploration company. The project is progressing slowly but surely. In July 2021, Jeff finally made his childhood dream come true by performing a suborbital flight aboard a Blue Origin rocket. At 57, he became an astronaut!

This flight also marks a turning point in his career: a few days earlier, he announced that he was leaving his position as CEO of Amazon to devote himself to other projects, particularly space. A page turns...

The bottom line: visionary genius or unscrupulous capitalist?

What do we ultimately think of Jeff Bezos? On the one hand, we can only bow to his entrepreneurial genius. Starting from nothing, he built an empire that revolutionized the way we consume. His capacity for innovation and his long-term vision command respect.

But on the other hand, we can legitimately question the social and environmental impact of Amazon. The company has helped to kill small businesses, its tax practices are questionable and its carbon footprint is disastrous. Not to mention the deplorable working conditions...

Jeff alone embodies the contradictions of modern capitalism: creator of wealth but also of inequalities, brilliant innovator but little regard for ethics. His journey fascinates as much as it disturbs.

One thing is certain: the Jeff Bezos story is not about to end. At almost 60 years old, he is launched into the conquest of space. Who knows what else this eternal dreamer with his special laugh has in store for us? The future will tell !