Jeff Bezos overtakes Bill Gates, becomes richest person alive

Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, has broken his record to become the wealthiest person alive, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Bezos now has a fortune of US$171.6 billion, surpassing his previous high of $167.7 billion.

His previous record was set in 2018, before his divorce from wife Mackenzie Bezos.

The 56-year-old American internet entrepreneur has gained approximately $56.7 billion this year alone.

Much of Bezo’s wealth comes from Amazon, with the CEO owning roughly 57 million shares of the company.

Despite the global outbreak of COVID-19, Amazon has gained even more business in recent months, as a result of worldwide lockdowns and the growing demand for online shopping.

Following Bezos on Bloomberg’s ranking are Bill Gates (with a net worth of $115 billion), Bernard Arnault ($93 billion) and Mark Zuckerberg ($91.2 billion).