Billionaire Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and wife MacKenzie splitting after 25 years

They announced the split in an amicable joint statement.

January 9, 2019, 10:42 AM

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced that he and his wife of 25 years are divorcing.

Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos have been married since 1993 and issued an amicable joint statement announcing their decision Wednesday. The couple has four children.

The statement, released by Jeff Bezos on Twitter, emphasizes their love for one another and their pride in their marriage for the quarter-century that it lasted.

It also acknowledges that the decision to divorce comes "after a long period of loving exploration and trial separation."

"We feel incredibly lucky to have found each other and deeply grateful for every one of the years we have been married to each other," the statement reads. "If we had known we would separate after 25 years, we would do it all again. We've had such a great life together as a married couple, and we also see wonderful futures ahead, as parents, friends, partners in ventures and projects, and as individuals pursuing ventures and adventures."

Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon and McKenzie Bezos attend the Amazon.com Sundance Party in Park City, Utah, Jan. 22, 2005.
J. Countess/WireImage/Getty Images

"Though the labels might be different, we remain a family, and we remain cherished friends," the statement concludes before being signed "Jeff & MacKenzie."

Jeff Bezos was ranked the richest man in the world in 2018 by Forbes, which reports he is now worth more than $136 billion.

CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie Bezos attend the Amazon Studios Oscar Celebration, Feb. 26, 2017, in West Hollywood, Calif.
Jerod Harris/Getty Images

According to her author page on Amazon, MacKenzie Bezos studied creative writing at Princeton University and worked as a research assistant to author Toni Morrison. She also founded Bystander Revolution, an organization dedicated to combatting bullying that counts Monica Lewinsky and actress Lily Collins as ambassadors.

MacKenzie Bezos is the author of two books, one of which won an American Book Award.

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