Jeff Bezos Said He Made $80K A Year At Amazon And Turned Down More Because It Would Feel 'Icky' —'How Could I Possibly Need More Incentive?'

Core Insights - Jeff Bezos capped his salary at $80,000 during his tenure as CEO of Amazon, emphasizing that his substantial equity stake aligned his incentives with the company's performance [1][2][3] - Bezos stated that his decision was based on personal principles rather than public relations, expressing pride in rejecting additional compensation [2][3] - He highlighted that founders typically own significant portions of their companies, which diminishes the need for additional incentives beyond increasing the value of their equity [4] Company Overview - Bezos remains Amazon's largest shareholder, with his equity stake valued at approximately $200 billion, contributing to a total market capitalization of about $2.3 trillion for Amazon [4] - After stepping down as CEO in 2021, Bezos continues to be involved with the company as chairman, likening his role to that of a parent supporting a child in college [5]