MacKenzie Becomes 3rd Richest Woman In The World After Divorcing Her Rich Husband, Jeff Bezos

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie Bezos have formalised their divorce which will propel her to the ranks of the world’s richest people.

According to Bloomberg, a Washington state judge signed the order on Friday, paving the way for MacKenzie Bezos, 49, to receive 4 per cent of outstanding common stock of Amazon.com, Inc., the most valuable corporation on the planet.

This stake is said to be valued at $38.3 billion, making MacKenzie Bezos the 22nd richest person in the world and the third-wealthiest woman, trailing only behind L’Oreal heiress Francoise Bettencourt Meyers and Walmart heiress Alice Walton.

Her ex-husband, meanwhile, will keep most of the couple’s shares, representing roughly 12 per cent of Amazon’s shares, equal to around $114.8 billion. He will remain the company’s biggest shareholder and will also retain the No. 1 spot on the world rich list.

MacKenzie Bezos, an award-winning novelist, has also agreed to cede all of her interests in the Washington Post and the Blue Origin aerospace company to Jeff Bezos.

The personal life of Jeff Bezos was thrust into the spotlight with the announcement in January that he and his wife were divorcing after 25 years of marriage and the revelation by the National Enquirer that he had been having an affair with a former news anchor, Lauren Sanchez.

Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos married in 1993 and have four children. Jeff Bezos founded Amazon in their Seattle garage in 1994 and turned it into a colossus that dominates online retail.