8 things you might not know about Amazon founder

The tech billionaire and Amazon founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos’s journey is more than just a tale of tech success. He's an innovator, a disruptor, and a global force in technology, space exploration, and media.

Starting from humble beginnings in a garage, Bezos has built one of the most powerful empires in tech history.

Here are some lesser-known aspects of Bezos’ journey you probably didn’t know.

Started his first venture in high school

Bezos’s entrepreneurial instincts go all the way back to his teenage years. While still in high school, he launched The Dream Institute, a summer camp for young students in grades 4–6. Before that, Bezos even had a stint working at McDonald's, a surprising start for someone who would one day revolutionise global commerce.

Bezos left Wall Street to build a dream

After graduating from Princeton with degrees in electrical engineering and computer science, Bezos had a promising career in finance.

But in 1994, he made a bold move, leaving behind a lucrative Wall Street career to sell books online. That leap of faith became the foundation of Amazon.

Founded Amazon in a garage

Bezos founded Amazon, but not in a boardroom; instead, it was built in a garage. Along with his handful of employees, Bezos began writing code for the online bookstore in his Seattle home. The space was so cramped, they often held meetings at a local Barnes & Noble.

He originally named Amazon as “Cadabra”

Bezos initially wanted to name his company Cadabra, as in “abracadabra,” but Amazon’s first lawyer advised against it.

Eventually, Bezos chose Amazon as a name to signify scale, after the world’s largest river, fitting for what would become the world’s largest online bookstore.

Survived a helicopter crash

In 2003, Bezos narrowly escaped tragedy when the helicopter he was in crash-landed in West Texas. The aircraft flipped and partially filled with water.

Bezos and the other passengers escaped with minor injuries, though one suffered a fractured vertebra. Afterward, Bezos famously warned: “Avoid helicopters whenever possible.”

Founded a space company called “Blue Origin”

Bezos’s ambitions extend beyond Earth. In 2000, he founded Blue Origin, a private aerospace company with a bold vision: to preserve Earth by moving heavy industry off-planet.

Later, in 2021, he flew to the edge of space aboard the New Shepard rocket, marking a milestone in commercial space travel.

Bezos owns “The Washington Post”

In 2013, Bezos bought The Washington Post for $250 million. Many were skeptical, but under his ownership, the once-struggling paper made a dramatic turnaround, posting profits in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Once made a movie cameo

Yes, in the 2016 Star Trek Beyond film, Bezos had a cameo as a bald alien Starfleet official. He reportedly arrived on set with three limos and nine bodyguards.