Jeff Bezos, the visionary entrepreneur who kickstarted Amazon from his Seattle garage in 1994, has announced his decision to depart from the city and relocate to Miami. Bezos’ choice is driven by the desire to be closer to his parents and to oversee his space venture, Blue Origin.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, Bezos shared the news, along with a video showcasing a nostalgic visit to one of Amazon’s earliest offices: the garage of his rented residence in Bellevue, Washington, a suburb of Seattle. It was within those humble surroundings in 1995 that Bezos embarked on Amazon’s journey as an online bookseller, ultimately transforming the company into a global retail and cloud computing powerhouse.
Expressing mixed emotions, Bezos acknowledged his deep connection to Seattle, where he has resided longer than anywhere else. He reminisced about the incredible memories made there and conveyed his attachment to the place, saying, “Seattle, you will always have a piece of my heart.”
Amazon’s meteoric rise exerted a profound influence on Seattle, particularly in the South Lake Union neighborhood, where the company’s headquarters is located. The company’s growth was pivotal in transforming Seattle into a thriving tech hub, attracting high-income tech professionals and contributing to increased rents and homelessness.
Bezos officially stepped down as Amazon’s CEO in 2021, passing the baton to Andy Jassy, the former head of Amazon Web Services. Bezos assumed the role of executive chair of Amazon’s board, enabling him to devote more time to his endeavors, including the Earth Fund, Blue Origin, and The Washington Post, which he acquired in 2013.
It’s worth noting that Bezos has been gradually expanding his horizons beyond Seattle. He recently invested $150 million in acquiring two adjacent properties in Miami’s prestigious Indian Creek Village, often dubbed the “billionaire bunker.” In addition to these Miami holdings, Bezos also possesses various global properties.
