Tech

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and wife MacKenzie are divorcing

Key Points
  • The billionaire executive announced the news Wednesday — three days before his 55th birthday — in a tweet signed by both of them. They have been married 25 years.
  • The couple last year launched a charitable fund together, dubbed the Day One Fund.
  • The statement Wednesday suggests they will continue to work together on that effort.
Amazon's Jeff Bezos and wife MacKenzie announce amicable divorce
VIDEO1:0601:06
Amazon's Jeff Bezos and wife MacKenzie announce amicable divorce

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and his wife, MacKenzie, are divorcing.

The billionaire executive and his wife of 25 years announced the news Wednesday — three days before his 55th birthday — in a tweet signed by both of them. They have four children.

"We want to make people aware of a development in our lives. As our family and close friends know, after a long period of loving exploration and trial separation, we have decided to divorce and continue our shared lives as friends," the tweet says.

"We feel incredibly lucky to have found each other and deeply grateful for every one of the years we have been married to each other," the tweet says. "If we had known we would separate after 25 years, we would do it all again. ... Though the labels might be different, we remain a family, and we remain cherished friends."

Amazon's Jeff Bezos and wife MacKenzie announce divorce
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Amazon's Jeff Bezos and wife MacKenzie announce divorce

The couple last year launched a charitable fund together, dubbed the Day One Fund. The statement Wednesday suggests they will continue to work together on that effort.

"We've had such a great life together as a married couple, and we also see wonderful futures ahead, as parents, friends, partners in ventures and projects, and as individuals pursuing ventures and adventures," the tweet says.

Head of Amazon Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie Bezos arrive for the Axel Springer award ceremony.
Jorg Carstensen | picture alliance | Getty Images

MacKenzie Bezos, a 48-year-old novelist, is often cited in the Amazon origin story as having supported her husband's move off of Wall Street and into e-commerce. Last year, Jeff Bezos said in an interview with his brother Mark at the SummitLA conference that he was looking for a resourceful woman "who could get [him] out of a third-world prison" as he was going through a series of blind dates before he met MacKenzie. (Jeff Bezos has repeated that story several times over the decades.)

Shares of Amazon dipped slightly immediately following the announcement before paring those losses.

"Jeff Remains focused on and engaged in all aspects of Amazon," an Amazon spokesman told CNBC Wednesday.

WATCH: Jeff Bezos announces $2 billion charitable fund

Jeff Bezos announces $2 billion charitable fund
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Jeff Bezos announces $2 billion charitable fund