Jeff Bezos' biological dad did not know he had become a billionaire until 2012: ‘I wasn't a very good father'

Hindustan Times

18 hours ago

Jeff Bezos' statement on the death of his mother has offered a rare glimpse into the private life of the billionaire. Jacklyn 'Jackie' Bezos died on August 14 after a long battle with Lewy Body Dementia. In a statement shared on Instagram, Bezos recalled how, a few years after his birth, his mother met and fell in love with Miguel 'Mike' Bezos – the man who would go on to adopt Jeff and raise him as his son. Jeff Bezos was born to Jacklyn and Ted Jorgensen in 1964(AFP)
'For nearly 60 years, Jackie and Mike built a life grounded in love, mutual respect and shared joy,' the statement read. 'Through every chapter-challenges and triumphs alike their devotion to one another never wavered. Their bond was a source of strength to their family and a beautiful example of enduring love.'
(Also read: Jeff Bezos announces mother's death, wife Lauren Sanchez drops a comment)
Jeff Bezos' biological father
Jeff Bezos' biological father, Ted Jorgensen, did not find a mention in his post. This in itself is unsurprising, because Jorgensen and Jacklyn divorced when Jeff was just 17 months old. Jorgensen did not keep in touch with the family. In fact, according to a Benzinga report, he did not even know that Jeff Bezos had become a billionaire founder of Amazon until Brad Stone, the author of "The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and Amazon," tracked him down in 2012.
For his part, Bezos, 61, has maintained that he considers Mike to be his natural father in every sense that matters.
In a 1999 interview with Wired, reported by Business Insider, Bezos said, "The reality, as far as I'm concerned, is that my dad is my natural father. The only time I ever think about [my biological father] is when a doctor asks me to fill out a form."
Jacklyn gave birth to Jeff Bezos when she was just 17 years old. Jeff's father was 19-year-old Ted Jorgensen, a teenage unicyclist.
Jeff Bezos' adoptive father
In his book The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and Amazon, Brad Stone said that Jorgensen struggled with alcohol. Soon after Jeff's birth, Jacklyn left him and went back to live with her parents. The couple divorced when Jeff was just 17 months old.
Despite being a young and single mother, Jacklyn completed her education and attended night school, often bringing baby Jeff to classes. She later married Mike Bezos, a Cuban immigrant who adopted Jeff when he was four years old and gave him his surname.
Ted Jorgensen didn't know his son became a billionaire
Ted Jorgensen only learned that his son had grown up to be Jeff Bezos when Brad Stone tracked him down in 2012. Stone found him at a small bicycle shop in Glendale, Arizona in 2012.
When Stone told him, 'Your son is one of the most successful men on the planet', Jorgensen was shocked. He did not even recognise the name Bezos.
'I wasn't a good father or a good husband,' he admitted, according to a Page Six article. 'I didn't know where he was, if he had a good job or not, or if he was alive or dead.'
'I used to wonder all the time though whatever happened to Jeff. Then I just reached a point where I thought he was long gone. That was the only child I ever had – that makes a difference too. The last time I saw him he was in diapers,' Jorgensen said. 'I had a number, but Jeff's mother asked me not to interfere so I didn't want to call.'
Jorgensen later expressed a desire to meet his son. However, that meeting never happened. He died in 2015.