Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has become the richest man in history

Head of an online retailer Amazon.com Jeff Bezos has broken Microsoft founder Bill Gates' record for the size of his fortune. Forbes estimates Bezos' fortune at $104.4 billion, and Gates— at $92 billion.

At the beginning of 2018, Amazon shares rose by 6.6% — this happened after the publication of data that in the five weeks after Thanksgiving, 89% of purchases on the largest trading platforms in the United States fell on Amazon.

In February 2017, Jeff Bezos came in second place among the richest people in the world, and in July he topped this rating for several hours, overtaking Bill Gates. At the end of November, the head of Amazon beat Gates again, but then he did not set an absolute record.

According to Forbes author Noah Kirsch, taking into account inflation, Bezos cannot be considered the richest man in history: in April 1999, Bill Gates' fortune exceeded $ 100 billion, which in modern dollars would amount to 150 billion. Then Microsoft stock prices soared because of the "dotcom bubble". In addition, Gates donated $36 billion in Microsoft shares to charity.

Most of Bezos' fortune is in company shares Amazon.com . He also owns the company Blue Origin, which deals with space tourism, and the publishing house The Washington Post.