Who founded the Amazon company?

Jeff Bezos founded Amazon in 1994.

Bezos established the company in Bellevue, Washington, initially as an online bookstore. He incorporated it under the name Cadabra on July 5, 1994, after leaving a senior role at the investment firm D. E. Shaw. The name was changed to Amazon later that year, and the website opened for public sales in July 1995.

Books were a practical starting point because no physical bookstore could stock the enormous number of titles available through distributors. Bezos envisioned a much broader internet marketplace, and Amazon gradually expanded into electronics, household goods, media, cloud computing and digital services.

The company is often confused with other technology giants founded by prominent entrepreneurs. Larry Page co-founded Google, Bill Gates co-founded Microsoft, and Elon Musk has led or co-founded several other ventures, but none founded Amazon. Bezos later became Amazon’s executive chairman after stepping down as CEO in 2021.