Amazon

Amazon is an American multinational technology and e-commerce company with a market capitalization that surpassed $3 trillion for the first time on August 3, 2026, making it one of the most valuable companies in the world.

Early Life & Family

Amazon was founded by Jeff Bezos on July 5, 1994, in Seattle, Washington, initially launching as an online bookstore. Bezos started the company out of a garage, choosing books as an initial product because of the vast number of titles that could be catalogued and shipped without a physical storefront.

Rise to Fame

Amazon grew rapidly through the late 1990s and 2000s, expanding well beyond books into a general online marketplace and going public in 1997. The 2006 launch of Amazon Web Services (AWS) diversified the company into cloud computing, which became one of its most profitable divisions, while the 2005 launch of Amazon Prime built a large base of loyal, subscription-paying customers.

Career History

Jeff Bezos led Amazon as CEO until stepping down in July 2021, handing the role to Andy Jassy, who had previously built and run AWS. Under Jassy, Amazon has continued to expand into digital streaming through Prime Video, AI-powered devices such as the Alexa-enabled Echo line, and, more recently, large-scale investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure. In 2026, the company raised its planned capital expenditure to around $200-220 billion for the year to fund AI and data center growth, and its stock price pushed the company’s market capitalization past $3 trillion in early August 2026.

How They Built Their Wealth

Amazon’s revenue is built on several major pillars: its e-commerce marketplace and logistics network, Amazon Web Services cloud computing, Prime subscription revenue, advertising, and, increasingly, AI infrastructure and services. AWS in particular has been a critical profit driver, funding much of Amazon’s broader expansion.

Personal Life

Amazon has drawn both praise and criticism over its rapid growth, including scrutiny of its warehouse working conditions and antitrust attention from regulators in the US and Europe, alongside recognition for its logistics innovation and job creation. The company has also committed to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 as part of its sustainability initiatives.

With a market capitalization above $3 trillion as of August 2026, Amazon ranks among the most valuable public companies in the world, more than three decades after starting as an online bookstore in Jeff Bezos’s garage.