Why Jeff Bezos didn't take salary during Amazon days
Jeff Bezos just shared that during his time as Amazon's CEO, he refused stock options and bonuses, saying he didn't feel good about taking more since he already owned a significant amount of the company.
Speaking at the 2024 New York Times DealBook Summit, he said he asked the board not to give him any comp because he didn't need more incentive.
Bezos's principle of measuring success
Bezos explained that founders should build wealth by growing their company's value—not by taking higher salaries.
He said he's proud of sticking to this principle, measuring success by how much wealth you create for others.
Pointing to Amazon's $2.3 trillion market cap, Bezos noted it's generated about $2.1 trillion for other people—putting him in line with leaders like Mark Zuckerberg and Warren Buffett who also keep their salaries low and focus on creating value for everyone.