The rich continue to get richer, and the richest of the rich continue to break records.
While Jeff Bezos has officially stepped down as Amazon's CEO, that hasn’t stopped him from increasing his wealth.
According to the latest data from Bloomberg Billionaires Index, the Amazon founder, and former CEO is now worth $214 billion. What makes this figure special is that it places Bezos as the richest person in the world, well ahead of the entrepreneur second on the list: Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk at $179 billion.
The 57-year-old mogul became the first person to top the $200 billion threshold, reaching the milestone 27 years after he founded Amazon out of his garage in Washington.
Now that he is no longer running day-to-day operations at Amazon, Bezos is expected to shift his focus to the Bezos Earth Fund, his initiative to support scientists and NGOs helping to fight climate change, and Blue Origin, his aerospace company.
"I've never had more energy, and this isn't about retiring," he said in a letter to employees earlier this year. "I'm super passionate about the impact I think these organizations can have."
On July 20, Bezos and his brother, Mark, will be flying to space aboard the Blue Origin spacecraft, New Shepard.
"Ever since I was five years old, I've dreamed of traveling to space," Bezos wrote in an Instagram post announcing the trip. "On July 20th, I will take that journey with my brother. The greatest adventure, with my best friend. #GradatimFerociter."