Jeff Bezos’ net worth is now at $150 billion again, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, the Amazon CEO has added almost $35 billion to his net worth since the beginning of the year, meaning he is now worth $150 billion.
Bezos’ wealth has been fairly steadily climbing since the beginning of this year.
In early March, as the coronavirus pandemic started to take hold across the world, the company saw a “major surge” in demand per its first-quarter earnings call . The retail giant went on an enormous 175,000-person recruitment drive to cope with demand. The company’s stock has hovered above the $2,000 mark through the pandemic, closing at $2,483 on Friday. Bezos is the firm’s biggest insider shareholder, with more than 55 million shares.
This is not the first time Bezos has hit the $150 billion milestone. He first attained it in July 2018 a feat which officially made him not only the richest person in the world, but also modern history . He is currently $35 billion ahead of the next-richest person in the world, Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
As Bezos’ wealth grows, his company has come under scrutiny for its treatment of the warehouse workers who pick and pack items for online orders.
In March the company introduced a temporary $2 pay rise on its usual $15 minimum hourly wage for warehouse workers, though this policy was discontinued at the beginning of this month .
Workers have protested the firm , saying it has not introduced adequate safety protections for its frontline warehouse workers, eight of whom are reported to have died with COVID-19 .
Source:Â markets.businessinsider.com