Jeff Bezos sold 11,997,698 Amazon shares on February 7 and 8, 2024, with reported transaction values totaling more than $2.04 billion, according to The Associated Press. That completed sale was separate from the larger plan he had adopted in November 2023, which allowed for sales of up to 50 million shares through January 31, 2025, subject to conditions.
How many Amazon shares did Bezos sell?
The Associated Press reported that Bezos sold 11,997,698 Amazon common shares across transactions on February 7 and 8, 2024. The listed transaction values totaled more than $2.04 billion, making “$2 billion” a rounded description of the reported proceeds. Reuters likewise characterized the sales as roughly 12 million shares worth roughly $2 billion.
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Bezos was Amazon’s founder and Executive Chair. Amazon’s 2025 annual report says he has served as Executive Chair since July 2021.
How the February sale differed from the 50-million-share plan
The February transactions were completed sales. The 50-million-share figure referred to the ceiling in a broader trading plan, not the number sold in February. Amazon’s 2023 annual report says Bezos adopted the plan on November 8, 2023, covering sales of up to 50 million shares through January 31, 2025, subject to certain conditions. The AP separately described a proposed sale of 50 million shares, estimated at $8.4 billion.
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A plan’s maximum amount does not establish that all those shares were sold. The February sales reported by the AP were nearly 12 million shares.
Why did Bezos sell the shares?
The available filings and reports establish that the sales were made under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, but they do not establish Bezos’s personal reason for selling. The existence of a prearranged plan is not evidence of a particular motive.
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Sources
- The Associated Press report on the February 2024 sales
- Reuters report describing the sales
- Amazon’s 2023 annual report describing the trading plan
- Amazon’s 2025 annual report on Bezos’s Executive Chair role
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