Jeff Bezos reclaims third-richest title after Amazon shares soar

Jeff Bezos has regained his position as the world’s third-richest person after a major surge in Amazon’s share price added billions of dollars to his wealth.

According to a Forbes report sighted on X by GhanaWeb Business, Bezos overtook Google co-founder Sergey Brin on Friday after Amazon’s stock recorded its biggest one-day increase in more than four years following a stronger-than-expected earnings report.

Amazon’s shares rose by about 14% shortly after trading opened on Friday, marking the company’s largest single-day gain since April 24, 2015.

The increase added about $25 billion to Bezos’ net worth, raising his estimated fortune to $271.5 billion.

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The rise placed Bezos behind only Elon Musk and Larry Page on the list of the world’s richest people.

Amazon reported quarterly revenue of $206.6 billion, driven by strong growth in its cloud computing division, Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Revenue from AWS increased by 37% compared with the same period last year, reaching $42.2 billion and exceeding analysts’ expectations.

The company also increased its planned spending for the year from $200 billion to $220 billion.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said much of the additional investment would go into artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure to meet growing demand for AI services.

Large technology companies have been increasing their investments in AI, although some investors have questioned whether the level of spending is excessive before the market fully matures.

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However, Tracy Woo of Forrester Research said Amazon’s strong cloud business indicated that its AI investments were being driven by genuine customer demand rather than excessive spending.

Bezos and Brin have continued to exchange positions among the world’s richest people in recent weeks as investors respond to technology earnings and developments in artificial intelligence.

Jeff Bezos on Friday became the world’s third-richest person once again, reclaiming the ranking from Google co-founder Sergey Brin as Amazon’s stock accelerated at its fastest pace in four years, following a hotter-than-expected earnings report. pic.twitter.com/oIAZjqyFn3

— Forbes (@Forbes) July 31, 2026