After founding Amazon 27 years ago, Jeff Bezos has transformed Amazon.com from an online-bookstore into a super-sized tech company that dominates e-commerce, cloud computing, and other industries. Now, on February 2nd of this year, Jeff Bezos announced that he will step down from the position of CEO of Amazon to the position of executive chairman. Tim Jassy, long-time Amazon veteran and leader of the cloud-computing branch of Amazon, will replace his role as Chief Executive.
Bezos wrote in his letter that the position of CEO is without a doubt a time-consuming job and that he would like to free time for other passions like Blue Origin, an aerospace company he founded in 2000, and The Washington Post, which Bezos bought in 2013. Although Bezos stepping down has turned the heads of investors and others in the business community, it doesn’t mean the entire company will undergo a large change. Tim Jassy has been known as the right-hand man and trusted agent of Bezos for decades, having a strong relationship with Bezos. In addition, as executive chairman, Bezos will still have a large influence on the company’s decisions and direction.
Contrary to belief, Bezos stepping down from CEO may have a positive impact on the world. Twenty-one years ago, Microsoft founder Bill Gates also retired from the position of CEO. Since then, Bill Gates has become known as one of the biggest philanthropists, forming the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, while encouraging and helping develop research to fight world issues like climate change.
Perhaps decades from today, Bezos may have a similar legacy, helping resolve the world’s problems, while donating money to the poor. Although no longer the Chief Executive of Amazon, Bezos will without a doubt continue to innovate and improve the world today.
Photo Credits: Christian Wiediger on Unsplash
https://twitter.com/sundarpichai/status/1356717360841773057Google CEO Sundar Pichai offered congratulations and good wishes towards Bezos and Jassy
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