Who was the CEO of Amazon from its founding until 2021?

Jeff Bezos was Amazon’s CEO from its founding until 2021.

Bezos founded Amazon in 1994 after leaving a successful Wall Street career and moving to the Seattle area. He initially envisioned an online bookstore, launching the business from a house garage after incorporating the company as Cadabra. The name was later changed to Amazon, evoking the scale and variety of the Amazon River.

Under Bezos, Amazon expanded far beyond books. The company added broad retail categories, marketplace sellers, Prime membership, Kindle devices, and Amazon Web Services. Bezos’s “customer obsession” and willingness to prioritize long-term investment helped turn the start-up into a global technology and commerce company.

In February 2021, Bezos announced that he would step down as CEO in the third quarter. Andy Jassy officially succeeded him on July 5, 2021, while Bezos became executive chair of Amazon’s board. Brian Olsavsky and Jeffrey Wilke held major Amazon leadership roles, but neither was the company’s CEO. The canonical answer is therefore Jeff Bezos.