Jeff Bezos Splurged on $500M Yacht — What’s His Liquid Net Worth Now?

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s net worth tends to attract plenty of attention whenever there's debate about wealth tax and who the richest person in the world is. Amazon’s struggle with labor issues, like workers pushing to unionize, was another issue that often put the billionaire’s wealth in the spotlight. So, what is Jeff Bezos's liquid net worth anyway?

A person’s net worth represents the total value of their assets, which can include cash, cars, real estate, and investments. Then there's liquid net worth, which is the component of assets available in cash or can easily be converted to cash minus liabilities. Let's take a look at Bezos's net worth compared to his liquid net worth.

Most of Bezos’s net worth is tied up in Amazon stock, which is a liquid asset. The billionaire’s just under 10 percent stake in Amazon stock is estimated to be worth around $90 billion as of November 2022, according to Forbes.

Bezos’s wealth grew substantially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Amazon’s retail business boomed and the stock price soared. He would be worth much more now if he hadn't got divorced. Bezos's divorce reduced his stake in Amazon stock by 4 percent.

Prior to selling off stock and pledging money to support multiple causes, Bezos’s Amazon shares had him sitting with a liquid net worth of $178 billion in April 2021. But, after the Blue Origin founder gave $2 billion to the Day One Fund to fight poverty and committed $10 billion to the Bezos Earth Fund to combat climate change, his net worth declined.

Then, in 2022, Bezos donated more than $600 million in Amazon shares, dropping his liquid net worth even lower. Despite only having $90 billion as a liquid net worth, Bezos still sits in the top five of the world’s richest people (he’s currently number three). Today, his net worth stands at around $118 billion, as per Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Bezos’s wealth is spread across diverse asset classes. The billionaire owns cars, private jets, homes, and stocks, which gives him a net worth of $118 billion as of March 2023. His real estate portfolio is particularly notable. In 2020, he bought a palatial mansion in Los Angeles for $165 million.

In 2019, Bezos purchased several Manhattan apartments for $80 million. In 2016, he bought a $23 million home in Washington, D.C. The billionaire’s real-estate portfolio is estimated to be worth at least $400 million.

Bezos is also heavily invested in stocks. First, he owns about 10 percent of Amazon stock, which accounts for the bulk of his fortune. He also bought shares in companies including Google, Uber, Airbnb, and Unity Biotechnology.

Bezos has many other investments. For example, he owns The Washington Post newspaper, which he bought for $250 million. He also owns Blue Origin, a space exploration company that competes with Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

In March 2023, it was reported that Bezos has splurged on a $500 million mega yacht named Y721, according to the New York Post. The 417-foot vessel is equipped with a helipad, pool, and several other exciting features.

Some members in Congress have been pushing for the introduction of a wealth tax, which would certainly hit billionaires like Bezos. The idea behind the tax is to raise more money for government spending and narrow financial inequality. 

In the past, Bezos was accused of enriching himself at the expense of Amazon workers, whose efforts contribute significantly to his fortune. While Bezos is worth billions of dollars and can spend $12 million to renovate a home, there have been claims of many Amazon workers are barely getting by. However, Amazon insists that it pays its workers well.

Comparing billionaires’ gross net worth, only few are richer than Bezos today. Musk currently hold the number two spot as the world's richest person with a net worth of $181 billion, as noted on the Bloomberg Billionaire's Index. Ahead of Musk is Bernard Arnault, with a net worth of $189 billion.

Before Bezos topped the billionaires’ index, Gates had been the world’s richest person. Recently, Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s fortune placed him ahead of Bezos by several billion dollars. Musk’s wealth soared due to rising Tesla stock, where he has a stake of about 20 percent.