Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, has made a surprising announcement. After living in Seattle for three decades, he revealed that he is relocating to Miami. This move comes as a result of his parents recently moving back to Miami, where Bezos attended high school. Additionally, Bezos cited his desire to be closer to his partner, Lauren Sánchez. Another contributing factor is the shifting operations of his rocket company, Blue Origin, which is increasingly centered in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
News broke last month that Bezos had purchased a $79 million mansion in South Florida, following his acquisition of a neighboring property for $68 million. With a net worth of $161 billion, according to Bloomberg, Bezos is the world’s third-richest person.
Bezos acknowledged the significance of his departure from Seattle in an Instagram post, expressing his gratitude for the memories and noting that he had lived there longer than anywhere else. He emphasized the emotional nature of his decision, writing, “Seattle, you will always have a piece of my heart.”
In a brief video accompanying his post, Bezos takes viewers on a tour of Amazon’s humble beginnings in his Seattle garage. The footage showcases the modest office setup, including giant white computers, a writing-covered dry-erase board, and a fax machine perched on a gray filing cabinet. Bezos reminisces about the challenges they faced due to insufficient power, pointing out a big orange extension cord. He concludes the video, accompanied by the sound of a barking dog, by remarking, “It doesn’t take long to tour the offices of Amazon-dot-com Inc.”
The reaction from the communities of Seattle and Miami to Bezos’ move remains unclear at this time. Nevertheless, Amazon’s growth has had a profound impact on Seattle’s economy, as it transformed into a global tech hub and solidified its position as the world’s largest retail seller, excluding China, in 2021.
