Jeff Bezos Donates 520K Amazon Shares Worth Over $120M in Two Weeks

Amazon founder and billionaire, Jeff Bezos, is known for frequently making donations to non-profit organisations. He himself runs non-profit funds, foundations, and preschools aimed at climate change and education.

According to Form 4 filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Bezos gifted over 5.2 million shares of Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) to non-profit organisations between 14th August and 28th August. The total number of Amazon shares donated would be worth over $120.8 million (£88.6 million) based on the latest closing price of $231.62 (£169.94). Bezos owned over 883 million shares of the company after the donation, according to the filing. This year alone, Bezos has already gifted millions of Amazon shares to non-profits, with the first donation in early March. He remains on track to match last year's record.

Apart from donations, Bezos sold billions of dollars' worth of Amazon shares around the time of his marriage to Lauren Sanchez earlier this year. The three-day extravaganza in Venice alone cost him an estimated $50 million (£36.6 million). The timing of the stock sale and Bezos' marriage got experts speculating that the financial move was related to a prenuptial agreement he reportedly signed with Sanchez before their marriage. The sale was under a March 10b5-1 plan, which notes that Bezos will offload $4.7 billion (£3.4 billion) of the Amazon stock by May 2026.

According to California attorney Alphonse Provinziano, the prenup would have likely included detailed documentation of Bezos' businesses, stock portfolio, and potential liabilities, ensuring there are no legal grey areas in case of a future dispute, thus minimising the chances of prolonged court battles.

Last year, the Amazon founder sold an estimated $13.6 billion (£9.9 billion) worth of Amazon shares. Reports emerged that he also uses the sales proceeds to fund his Blue Origin venture, which directly rivals Elon Musk's SpaceX. For instance, he sold over $3 billion (£2.2 billion) of the Amazon stock in November, ahead of Blue Origin's New Glenn launch. 'The only reason we are taking Blue Origin more seriously is because Bezos is bankrolling it,' Space Capital investor Chad Anderson had told The New York Times.

Elsewhere, Bezos was also spending significantly on Florida mansions while saving taxes. He moved to Florida from Seattle, Washington, in early 2024. He announced his plans to move in 2023, citing personal and professional reasons: staying closer to his parents and Blue Origin in Cape Canaveral.

He reportedly spent almost $250 million (£183.4 million) on three mansions in the billionaire bunker of Indian Creek village, which can be accessed only through a guarded bridge. That's not all. Financial experts believe Bezos saved over $1 billion (£733.6 million) in taxes this year by moving to Florida, as the state doesn't charge state income tax or capital gains tax compared to Washington, which imposed a 7% tax on long-term capital gains for selling assets over $250,000 (£183,423). He will also avoid estate tax since Florida doesn't impose it, which will save his heirs more money in the future.

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