Jeff Bezos's mother Jackie dies at 78; was Amazon founder's mentor
Jackie Bezos, mom to Amazon's Jeff Bezos, passed away on Thursday at her Miami home after a long struggle with Lewy body dementia.
She was 78 and spent her final moments surrounded by family.
She leaves behind her husband Miguel, three children, 11 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
Jackie became pregnant with Jeff at 16
Born Jacklyn Marie Gise in Virginia in 1946 and raised in New Mexico, Jackie became pregnant with Jeff at 16 and gave birth at 17 while still in high school.
After splitting with Jeff's biological father, she married Cuban immigrant Miguel Bezos—who adopted Jeff—and together they raised three kids while moving often for Miguel's engineering career.
She and her husband started the Bezos Family Foundation
At 40, Jackie earned a degree from the College of Saint Elizabeth in New Jersey.
In 1995, she and Miguel made the first investment that helped launch Amazon.
They later started the Bezos Family Foundation in 2000 to support education projects like the Vroom app and youth leadership programs.
Just last year (2024), their foundation donated $185 million to the Aspen Institute for youth development.