Jeff Bezos is once again the richest person on Earth.
The Amazon head regained his title after being surpassed by Elon Musk in January. The back-and-forth for the title continued, after Musk’s Tesla stock slid by more than 2.4% to $796 per share on Tuesday. That allowed Bezos to regain his familiar perch on the list of the world’s billionaires. Bezos’ current net worth is $191 billion, a relative hair (but an actually unfathomable amount) ahead of Musk’s $190 billion.
Musk’s wealth has grown rapidly over the last year, as he’s seen his net worth rise along with Tesla’s stock price. In comparison to Bezos’ relatively stable wealth, Musk’s has increased by $20.5 billion just in the year 2021. Bezos is in a bit of a slump in terms of billionaires, as he’s fallen from a high that saw him become the first person worth more than $200 billion this summer.
Bezos plans to step down from the head of the company he founded later this year. He said he hopes to use the time to focus on other efforts including his space travel company and The Washington Post.
“As much as I still tap dance into the office, I’m excited about this transition. Millions of customers depend on us for our services, and more than a million employees depend on us for their livelihoods. Being the CEO of Amazon is a deep responsibility, and it’s consuming. When you have a responsibility like that, it’s hard to put attention on anything else,” he said in a statement announcing his departure. “As Exec Chair I will stay engaged in important Amazon initiatives but also have the time and energy I need to focus on the Day 1 Fund, the Bezos Earth Fund, Blue Origin, The Washington Post, and my other passions.”
