Jeff Bezos, MacKenzie Bezos finalize their divorce: What to know
Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Bezos have finalized their divorce, less than three months after announcing the news.
The duo released two statements on Thursday confirming they had “finished the process of dissolving” their marriage. In a tweet, MacKenzie Bezos said she gave her former husband all of her interests in the Washington Post and Blue Origin, as well as 75 percent of their Amazon stock.
She also gave him voting control of her Amazon shares “to support his continued contributions with the team of these incredible companies.”
“Grateful for the past as I look forward to what comes next,” she wrote.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMZN | AMAZON.COM INC. | 179.17 | -2.11 | -1.16% |
Her remaining stake in the e-commerce behemoth -- 4 percent -- is estimated to be worth about $35.7 billion at its current trading price, making her the third-richest woman in the world, according to Forbes.
Bezos released his own statement, thanking friends and family for their support and calling his ex-wife an "extraordinary partner, ally, and mother."
"I'm grateful for her support and for her kindness in this process and am very much looking forward to our new relationship as friends and co-parents," he said.
Amazon declined to comment.
The Amazon co-founder first announced in early January that he was getting divorced from MacKenzie Bezos after 25 years of marriage. More than $137 billion was on the line, as the couple, who have four children together, had not signed a prenuptial agreement.
A divorce decree is expected to be issued in approximately 90 days, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Within hours of the initial divorce announcement, the National Enquirer published a string of scandalous texts that Bezos allegedly sent Lauren Sanchez, the former TV anchor that he was dating -- reportedly aided by her brother Michael Sanchez.
A feud between Bezos, 55, and the Enquirer escalated at the beginning of February, when Bezos published a shocking blog post in which he alleged the New York-based tabloid attempted to blackmail and extort him by threatening to release nude photos if he did not publicly acknowledge that the Enquirer's coverage was not politically motivated (the National Enquirer has long been accused of acting as a proxy for Donald Trump). The Enquirer is owned by American Media Inc.
AMI denied the accusations.