Photo: Jeff_Bezos'_iconic_laugh.jpg: Steve Jurvetson derivative work: King of Hearts / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Jeff Bezos started Amazon in 1994 in a garage in Bellevue, Washington, selling books online. It grew into the country’s biggest online retailer, and Amazon Web Services runs much of the internet.
He stepped down as Amazon’s CEO in 2021, handing the job to Andy Jassy, but remains executive chairman. He spends more of his time on Blue Origin, his rocket company, and flew on its first crewed flight in July 2021. He also owns The Washington Post.
Amazon has a big presence in Iowa, with warehouses in Bondurant, Davenport and other cities. Its delivery vans have become a common sight on gravel roads around Clarion.
Kim Sanders writes for Clarion News Online.