Key Takeaways
- Bezos sold $737M in Amazon stock in late June, his first major sale of 2025
- 3.3 million shares were sold under a prearranged 10b5-1 trading plan adopted in March
- He retains ~905 million Amazon shares post-sale, maintaining his position as largest shareholder
- The sale coincided with his Venice wedding to Lauren Sanchez
- Bezos can sell up to 25 million shares through May 2026 under this trading plan
Breaking Down Jeff Bezos' $737 Million Amazon Stock Sale
So Jeff Bezos just sold a bunch of Amazon shares, right? Like $737 million worth. That’s not exactly pocket change even for the world’s fourth-richest person. According to regulatory filings, this happened in late June - he offloaded 3.3 million shares . That brings his total ownership down to about 905 million shares, which still leaves him as Amazon’s biggest single shareholder by a long shot .
This wasn’t some spur-of-the-moment decision though. Bezos actually set this up back in March through what’s called a 10b5-1 trading plan. These plans let execs schedule stock sales way in advance, which helps avoid any accusations of insider trading since the sales happen automatically regardless of material non-public info . Pretty smart move when you’re planning a massive wedding and the stock’s been climbing, huh?
The Timing: Wedding Bells and Wall Street
Speaking of weddings, the sale timing’s interesting - it went down just as Bezos was marrying Lauren Sanchez in Venice. That star-studded event reportedly cost around $50 million . Now, I’m not saying he needed cash for the wedding, but the coincidence is kinda hard to miss?
Also worth noting: Amazon’s stock price had jumped over 8% since March when Bezos adopted that trading plan . So he was basically selling near a high point. Smart execution if you ask me.
Putting $737 Million in Perspective
Okay, let’s be real - $737 million sounds insane to regular folks. But for Bezos? It’s actually pretty modest compared to his past sales. Last year alone he sold nearly $5 billion worth of Amazon stock . And get this: back in February 2024, he adopted a plan allowing him to sell up to 50 million shares by January 2025 . So this $737 million is just a fraction of what he could offload.
Here’s how his recent sales stack up:
Table: Bezos’ Recent Amazon Stock Sales
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*Estimated at current prices
Why Sell Now? Diversification and Life Events
People always wonder why billionaires sell stock. With Bezos, there’s a few likely reasons:
- Wealth diversification: You don’t wanna have almost all your net worth tied to one company’s stock, no matter how solid it seems. Smart money management means spreading risk .
- Funding passions: Bezos pours billions into Blue Origin (his space company), the Bezos Earth Fund for climate stuff, and the Day One Fund fighting homelessness . That takes serious cash.
- Major life events: That Venice wedding wasn’t cheap - reports say it cost about $50 million . Plus he recently moved to Miami, which probably meant buying property.
The Florida Tax Factor
Oh, about that move to Miami - it’s interesting timing. Bezos announced he was leaving Washington state (where Amazon’s headquartered) for Florida back in November 2023 . Now, Washington introduced a 7% capital gains tax in 2021, while Florida has... zero. Nada. No state capital gains tax at all .
Bezos claimed the move was about being closer to his parents and Blue Origin’s operations . And that’s probably true! But saving potentially $50 million+ in taxes on this $737 million sale? That’s not nothing.
What’s Next for Bezos and Amazon Shares
Looking ahead, Bezos’ current trading plan allows him to sell up to 25 million shares through May 2026 . That’d be worth about $5.4 billion at today’s prices. Given his history, he’ll likely keep selling methodically:
- Phased approach: Don’t expect a massive dump all at once. He’ll probably space sales out to avoid spooking markets.
- Continued funding: Blue Origin ain’t getting cheaper. As space ambitions grow, so will funding needs.
- Market monitoring: If Amazon’s stock keeps climbing, we might see more sales to lock in gains.
Despite these sales, Bezos will remain Amazon’s biggest shareholder for the foreseeable future. His 905 million shares represent about 9.6% ownership - still massive influence.
What This Means for Amazon Investors
If you’re an Amazon shareholder, should you panic about Bezos selling? Honestly? Probably not. Here’s why:
- Planned sales: These weren’t surprise moves but scheduled transactions. The market barely blinked when filings dropped .
- He’s done this before: Remember last year’s $5 billion in sales? Amazon stock still performed great.
- He’s still all in: With 905 million shares left, his interests remain totally aligned with other shareholders .
The bigger things to watch are Amazon’s core business performance and cloud growth. Those impact stock way more than even billion-dollar insider sales.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Amazon shares does Jeff Bezos still own after this sale?
After selling 3.3 million shares, Bezos owns approximately 905 million Amazon shares . That’s about 9.6% of the company.
Why did Bezos sell these shares now?
The sale was part of a prearranged 10b5-1 trading plan adopted in March 2025 . It coincided with his Venice wedding but wasn’t necessarily directly related - these plans execute automatically.
Could Bezos sell more Amazon stock soon?
Yes - his current trading plan allows sales of up to 25 million shares through May 2026 . Given his history, more sales this year seem likely.
Did moving to Florida save Bezos money on this sale?
Almost certainly. Washington state has a 7% capital gains tax while Florida has none . On this $737 million sale, that potentially saved him over $50 million in state taxes.
How does this sale compare to Bezos’ past stock sales?
This was relatively modest - just $737 million versus nearly $5 billion in 2024 and a planned sale of up to 50 million shares announced in February 2024 .
Citing My Link Sources:
- https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/jeff-bezos-sold-amazon-shares-worth-about-737-million-june-2025-07-01/
- https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-01/bezos-unloads-737-million-of-amazon-stock-in-year-s-first-sale
- https://nypost.com/2025/07/01/business/jeff-bezos-unloads-over-3m-amazon-shares-worth-737m-in-june/
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/jeff-bezos-sold-amazon-shares-215541219.html
- https://www.geekwire.com/2025/newlywed-jeff-bezos-sells-5-4b-worth-of-amazon-stock/
- https://ground.news/article/bezos-unloads-737-million-of-amazon-stock-in-years-first-sale