Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is grieving the loss of his mother, Jackie Bezos, who passed away at the age of 78—just weeks after he tied the knot with Lauren Sánchez.
The Bezos Family Foundation announced on August 14 that Jackie died peacefully at her home in Miami, surrounded by her children, grandchildren, and husband. She had been battling Lewy Body Dementia, a progressive brain disorder, for the past five years.
In a heartfelt statement, the foundation described her final years as “a quiet final chapter to a life that taught all of us, friends and family alike, the true meaning of grit and determination, kindness, and service to others.”
Bezos, 61, also shared a deeply emotional tribute to his mother on Instagram the same day. He revealed that Jackie became a parent at just 17, after giving birth to him while living in New Mexico with his biological father, Ted Jorgensen.
“Her adulthood started a little bit early when she became my mom at the tender age of 17,” Bezos wrote. “That couldn’t have been easy, but she made it all work. She pounced on the job of loving me with ferocity, brought my amazing dad onto the team a few years later, and then added my sister and brother to her list of people to love, guard, and nourish.”
Jackie Bezos was widely admired for her philanthropic work and co-founding the Bezos Family Foundation, which focuses on education and leadership initiatives. She was known for her unwavering dedication to helping others and for instilling in her children the values of perseverance, compassion, and service.
Her passing comes during what was meant to be a joyous period for Bezos, who recently celebrated his wedding to Sánchez. Instead, the tech billionaire now faces the profound heartbreak of losing the woman he credits as his earliest and most influential supporter.
Jackie’s legacy will live on through her family’s charitable work and the countless lives she impacted. Friends, relatives, and admirers across the world continue to pay tribute, honoring a life devoted to love, family, and making a difference.