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Tom Alberg, an early Amazon investor and longtime director, announced on April 11, 2019, that he planned to leave the company’s board in May. Amazon’s 2020 proxy later confirmed that his service ended that month, after 23 years as a director.
What happened
Alberg announced his planned departure in a statement released by Madrona Venture Group, the Seattle investment firm he co-founded. He said serving on Amazon’s board had been “an incredible experience,” crediting the internet’s expansion and Jeff Bezos’s ability to build a team that fostered innovation and creativity. The statement describes Alberg’s own assessment; it does not establish that he drove any particular Amazon decision.
The announcement gave a departure timetable but did not state a specific reason for his decision to leave.
Investment and board service were separate milestones
- 1995: Madrona says Alberg first invested in Amazon’s Series A financing.
- June 1996: Amazon’s SEC filing says Alberg became a director.
- April 11, 2019: He announced that he intended to step down the following month.
- May 2019: Amazon’s 2020 proxy records that his board service ended.
The 1995 investment and 23-year board tenure refer to different events. The headline’s “23 years after betting” is a framing of his early investment and later departure, not an exact calculation from the dates given in the sources.
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Why the departure drew attention
Alberg had been an Amazon director through the company’s transformation from a young online bookseller into a major technology and retail business. GeekWire’s 2019 coverage described Amazon at the time as worth $900 billion and employing more than 600,000 people. Those are contemporaneous 2019 figures, not current company statistics.
His departure also marked the end of a lengthy role at the company for a prominent Pacific Northwest investor. Amazon’s 2020 proxy identified Alberg as independent during his board service.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What Alberg did afterward
After announcing his departure, Alberg continued his work at Madrona and served on other corporate and nonprofit boards, according to the firm’s biography. He died on August 5, 2022. His broader work included the 2021 book Flywheels: How Cities Are Creating Their Own Futures, about cities and regional technology growth.
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Sources
- Madrona Venture Group’s April 11, 2019 announcement, including Alberg’s statement and the firm’s account of his investment.
- Amazon’s 2018 Form 10-K, which lists Alberg on the board roster in January 2019.
- Amazon’s 2020 proxy statement, recording his service through May 2019 and identifying him as independent.
- GeekWire’s 2019 coverage, including the company scale figures reported at the time.
- Madrona’s Tom Alberg profile and memorial, for later biographical context.
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