Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Sells Stock Valued At $1.8B

Bezos retains the title of the richest person in the world with a total net worth of approximately $117.8 billion, while his former wife is now the world’s third richest woman and worth about $36.8 billion, according to Forbes.

Amazon.com Inc. chairman and CEO Jeff Bezos sold Amazon shares valued at $1.8 billion over a three-day period this week under a pre-set trading plan, according to regulatory filings that indicate roughly how much Amazon stock went to his former wife as part of their divorce.

Bezos' sales of 968,148 Amazon shares on July 29, 30 and 31 reduced the value of his stake in the online retail and technology giant to approximately $108 billion. Amazon stock was selling at $1,855.30 per share as of 2:21 p.m. EST today, down $11.48 or 0.61 percent.

Bezos now holds 58,142,479 shares in Amazon, according to one of three filings submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday. The new number reflects approximately 19.7 million shares transferred to his ex-spouse MacKenzie Bezos under a divorce settlement.

“The amount of securities beneficially owned following the reported transaction reflects a prior transfer of shares to the reporting person's former spouse as separate property following court approval of a divorce decree,” the SEC filing states.

Amazon reported in April that about 4 percent of its outstanding stock would go to MacKenzie Bezos following court approval of the Bezos’ divorce. She is now Amazon’s second largest individual shareholder, according to Reuters.

Bezos retains the title of the richest person in the world with a total net worth of approximately $117.8 billion, while his former wife is now the world’s third richest woman and worth about $36.8 billion, according to Forbes.

Bezos sold the 968,148 Amazon shares this week under an SEC rule that lets insiders of publicly traded companies who are major shareholders to set up trading plans to sell a predetermined number of shares at a predetermined time to avoid insider trading accusations.

In 2017, Bezos said he planned to sell approximately $1 billion in Amazon stock per year to invest in Blue Origin, the aerospace manufacturer and sub-orbital spaceflight services company that he founded in 2000.

The highest price at which Bezos sold his shares this week was $1,929.87, while the lowest price was $1,883.96, according to the Form 4 filings with the SEC, which are Statements of Changes in Beneficial Ownership that must be filed when there is a material change in the stock holdings of company insiders including officers, directors and shareholders owning 10 percent or more of a company’s outstanding stock.

Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.