Who Was Jackie Bezos? Mother Of Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos Dies Early Investor Who Backed Son With $245,000

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Jacklyn“Jackie” Bezos - remembered as a staunch defender of her son Jeff in the years before he founded Amazon Inc. and as a generous benefactor for early childhood education - has passed away at the age of 78.

According to the Bezos Family Foundation's website, she died at her home in Miami on Thursday. In a heartfelt post on social media, Jeff Bezos shared that his mother died“surrounded by so many of us who loved her” after“a long fight with Lewy body dementia.”

In an obituary released by the Bezos Family Foundation - the charitable organisation established in 2000 by Jackie Bezos, her husband Mike, and their children - Jacklyn Gise Bezos was remembered as“a fierce advocate and supporter, filled with heart for others, and never accepting the status quo.”

Who was Jackie Besoz?

Born on December 29, 1946 in Washington, DC, Jackie's life was defined by perseverance, compassion, and a commitment to service. She became a mother to her first child, Jeffrey, at a young age, raising him alone in Albuquerque, New Mexico. While working at a bank during the day, she attended college classes at night. It was during this period that she met Miguel“Mike” Bezos, a Cuban immigrant who became her husband and life partner for nearly 60 years.

A Welcoming Home

Jackie and Mike raised three children - Jeff, Christina, and Mark - in a household that doubled as a community hub. Friends and neighbours often visited, drawn by Jackie's warmth, advice, and open-hearted hospitality. Many recalled her unique gift for making everyone feel like family.

Champion of Lifelong Learning

At the age of 45, Jackie returned to education, graduating with high honours in psychology from Saint Elizabeth University. Her belief in continuous learning shaped her work with the Bezos Family Foundation, launched in 2000 alongside her husband and children.

Philanthropy and Lasting Impact

Under her leadership, the foundation developed initiatives such as Vroom, which translates brain science into practical parenting tools, and the Bezos Scholars Program, which supports young leaders in the U.S. and Africa. Jackie's vision was rooted in the belief that“together, we can change the trajectory of an entire generation.”

Her philanthropic reach also extended to healthcare, particularly in funding advanced cancer immunotherapy research at Seattle's Fred Hutch Cancer Center.

Family at the Heart

Despite her many achievements, Jackie's greatest joy was her family. Known as“Marmie” to her 11 grandchildren, she organised an annual“Camp Marmie” each summer - a week filled with fun, creative problem-solving, and shared laughter. She is survived by her husband Mike, three children, 11 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

Early backer of Amazon's success

Together with her husband, Miguel, Jackie was the very first to invest in Amazon. In 1995, they wrote two cheques amounting to $245,573, despite Jeff warning them the venture would“probably fail.” As history proved otherwise, that early backing - alongside later share purchases - yielded a fortune estimated at around $30 billion by 2018, Bloomberg reported.

Well before their son or his company became known for philanthropic initiatives, the couple began supporting education-related causes in 2000 through the Bezos Family Foundation. For many years, it was the most prominent charity distributing a share of the wealth generated by the online retail giant.

The foundation's website notes that“at the core of the foundation's work is Jackie's belief that rigorous, inspired learning - in the classroom and in children's hundreds of daily interactions with adults - will allow students from birth to high school to put their education into action.”

Her“vision” inspired two flagship programmes run directly by the foundation: Vroom, which offers parenting advice via an app and other channels, and the Bezos Scholars Programme, which annually selects 17 young people from the United States and Africa for leadership training.

Over the years, the foundation has supported hundreds of organisations, with a strong emphasis on children and young adults. Its largest single contribution came in August 2024 - a donation of $185.7 million to the Aspen Institute to fund a new centre dedicated to youth.

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