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Hey, everyone. Welcome back to the Elon Musk podcast. I'm thrilled to share some exciting news with you. Over the next two weeks, we're evolving. We'll be broadening our focus to cover all the tech titans shaping our world. You'll still get the latest insights on Elon Musk, plus so much more. So stay tuned for our official relaunch coming soon. Now let's get into this episode.
Why is Jeff Bezos cashing out about $4.8 billion in Amazon stock? And what does that say about his future, Amazon's outlook, and the timing of his move to Florida?
So Jeff Bezos has submitted notice that he will sell up to 25 million shares of Amazon by May 29th, 2026. The public filing made with the Securities and Exchange Commission states the sales are part of a prearranged trading plan initiated on March 4th. At Amazon's current share price, the potential sale amounts to about $4.8 billion. Now this comes just one
one day after Amazon posted its first quarter results, which, while strong on paper, stirred new concerns about what lies ahead. Bezos, who's still Amazon's largest shareholder, with over 1.02 billion shares as of February, has already sold large blocks of stock before. But this latest disclosure raises new questions, not just about Bezos, but about the shifting financial realities inside one of the most influential companies of all time. By
Amazon's earnings report arrived late Thursday and beat expectations in several categories. Revenue reached $155.7 billion for the quarter, marking a 9% increase from the same period a year ago. And net income surged to $17.1 billion, or $1.59 per share, outpacing Wall Street's expected $1.37 per share.
Now, these numbers confirm that Amazon's core businesses, e-commerce, cloud, advertising, are still delivering. But the stock barely moved. Shares closed with just a 0.2% bump, trading at $190.62 on Friday afternoon. And that limited reaction reflects what investors are still trying to understand, how Amazon will handle the uncertainty stemming from political pressure and international trade volatility.
Now, much of the concern centers on new tariffs introduced by Donald Trump's White House. Trump's measures could affect Amazon supply chain and pricing structures. A report serviced this week that Amazon was planning to visibly show customers the cost of tariffs on their website. Now, that detail set off alarms for Donald Trump.
And he personally called Jeff Bezos. Amazon later clarified that it was not making such a change, but the incident illustrated level of scrutiny now shadowing Bezos and his company. Now, Bezos has a history of liquidating large volumes of Amazon stock to fund his other ventures. 2023, he sold $13.5 billion worth of shares.
The first time he had done so since stepping down as CEO in 2021. That included two major sales, one in February involving 50 million shares, another in July covering 29 million more. And those transactions were both worth billions and were strategically timed. Now, one aspect of the timing caught particular attention.
Bezos officially moved from Seattle, Washington to Florida around the same time as those sales. Now, Washington state implemented a 7% capital gains tax in 2022. And if Bezos had remained in Washington, those sales would have resulted in nearly $949 million in tax liability.
And while he never publicly cited the tax as the reason for his relocation, public records show that he did not sell any Amazon stock in 2022 or 2023 while living in Washington. Florida has no state income tax or capital gains tax. The timing, location change, and stock sales paint a picture of carefully calculated financial strategy.
Now, the new trading plan filed in March allows Bezos to spread the 25 million shares sale over a span of more than two years. And the structure suggests a more gradual exit compared to last year's compressed schedule. But even at a slower pace, it still adds up to a large dollar amount. It also signals that Bezos is not retreating from liquidating pieces of his Amazon stake. Even if he continues to hold a billion shares in the company.
And Jeff hasn't been in day-to-day control of Amazon since 2021, when Andy Jassy took over as CEO. But his financial moves still send a message, especially when they follow big corporate events or align with major political regulatory developments. After stepping away from Amazon, Bezos has devoted his attention to Blue Origin, his aerospace company, and the $10 billion Earth Fund he launched to address climate change and biodiversity.
He's also still active in philanthropic efforts, including the Day One Fund, which supports education and housing initiatives in underserved communities. And selling shares allows him to fund these endeavors, but it also naturally invites scrutiny.
If he's selling $4.8 billion worth of stock, people want to know why and where it's going. Is he making a personal pivot? Does he anticipate headwinds for Amazon? Or is he simply capitalizing on a favorable tax and marketing environment? Now, the reality could be a combination of all three. But when the world's second richest man moves billions out of the company he founded, observers pay attention.
There's another detail here that matters. Bezos adopted the trading plan on March 4th, a full month before Amazon's Q1 earnings report. Timing ensures the sale complies with SEC rules governing insider trading. Under Rule 10b-5-1, executives can set up prearranged sales to avoid accusations of
that they're trading on material, non-public information. These plans are meant to instill public confidence that such sales are routine and not opportunistic.
Now, the muted reaction to Amazon's earnings suggests that even big profits are not enough to dispel anxiety about trade friction, political intervention and global economic shifts. And Bezos's decision to sell more shares can amplify that anxiety. The stock sales last year came during high points in Amazon's valuation. Now, this year's announcement arrives amid growing volatility and a different tone in Amazon's forward guidance.
Now, what sets this round of sales apart from those in 2023 is the broader context. In 2023, the sales followed a market rebound and coincided with Bezos' move to Florida. This time, Amazon is facing renewed tension with the White House and structural uncertainties in its supply chain. Whether tariffs will stick or how deeply they will affect Amazon's cost structure remains unclear. But Bezos making this move now suggests he wants flexibility and a potentially more turbulent business climate.
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The SAC filing didn't outline specific dates or amounts for each individual sale. Simple lays out the maximum number of sales and shares that may be sold by May 29th, 2026. Lack of a detailed calendar means the market may face sporadic moves as the trades unfold. Now, in the end, Bezos has planned to sell $4.8 billion in stock. It's a move that he's making that's strategic.
Whether the signals point to personal ambition, political calculation, or corporate uncertainty, he's preparing for what comes next. He's doing it with his own money and his own terms.
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