Founded
Claim your profile

Companies

Amazon

Online retail, cloud computing and consumer technology company.

E-commerceCloud computingAdvertisingConsumer hardwareStreaming

IPOSource [2]Source [1]Last verified Oct 2, 2026

About Amazon

Amazon.com, Inc. is a Seattle-based company that runs online and physical stores, the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud business, an advertising business, subscription services such as Amazon Prime, and a line of consumer devices including Kindle, Fire TV, Echo and Ring. It reports its results in three segments: North America, International and AWS.Source [2]

Jeff Bezos founded the company in July 1994 and it opened as an online bookstore in July 1995. It went public in May 1997 and expanded through acquisitions such as Zappos, Twitch, Whole Foods Market, Ring, MGM and One Medical.Source [1]Source [3]Source [4]Source [5]Source [6]Source [7]Source [2]

It serves consumers, third-party sellers, developers and enterprises, content creators and advertisers. AWS sells on-demand compute, storage, database, analytics and AI services to start-ups, enterprises, government agencies and academic institutions.Source [2]

For 2025 Amazon reported net sales of $716.9 billion and net income of $77.7 billion, and it employed about 1,576,000 full-time and part-time employees at year end. Andy Jassy has been President and CEO since July 2021, with Bezos as Executive Chair.Source [2]

Watch

How Amazon Makes Money by CNBC on YouTube

What happened

Incorporated in Washington in July 1994 by Jeff Bezos, it began selling books on its website in July 1995, reincorporated in Delaware in 1996 and went public in May 1997. Bezos was CEO from May 1996 until July 2021, when Andy Jassy became CEO and Bezos became Executive Chair. It trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market as AMZN.Source [1]Source [2]Source [8]

Timeline

  1. 2025Reported net sales of $716.9 billion for the year.Source [2]
  2. 2024-06Matt Garman became CEO of Amazon Web Services.Source [2]
  3. 2023-02-22Acquired One Medical.Source [2]
  4. 2022-03-17Acquired MGM Holdings.Source [7]
  5. 2021-07Andy Jassy succeeded Jeff Bezos as CEO; Bezos became Executive Chair.Source [2]Source [8]
  6. 2018-04-12Acquired Ring.Source [6]
  7. 2017-08-28Acquired Whole Foods Market.Source [5]
  8. 2014-09-25Acquired Twitch.Source [4]
  9. 2009-11-01Acquired Zappos in a stock deal.Source [3]
  10. 2006-04Andy Jassy became Senior Vice President of Amazon Web Services.Source [2]
  11. 1997-05Completed its initial public offering.Source [1]
  12. 1996-06Reincorporated in Delaware, a month after Bezos became CEO.Source [1]
  13. 1995-07Began selling books on its website.Source [1]
  14. 1994-07Incorporated in Washington by Jeff Bezos.Source [1]

Products and brands

  • Amazon stores: Online and physical stores selling products from Amazon and third-party sellers.Source [2]
  • Amazon Web Services: On-demand cloud computing, storage, database, analytics and AI services.Source [2]
  • Amazon Prime: Membership program with fast, free shipping, video, live sports and other benefits.Source [2]
  • Advertising: Sponsored, display and video ads for sellers, vendors, publishers and authors.Source [2]
  • Devices: Kindle, Fire tablet, Fire TV, Echo, Ring, Blink and eero hardware.Source [2]
  • Amazon Leo: Satellite internet business that Amazon is scaling in 2026.Source [2]
  • Whole Foods Market: Grocery store chain acquired in 2017.Source [5]

How it makes money: Amazon earns revenue from product sales in its stores; fees, commissions and per-unit charges from third-party sellers; AWS usage; advertising; and subscriptions such as Prime. In 2025 service sales were $420.7 billion and product sales $296.3 billion.Source [2]

Leadership

Andy JassyPresident and CEOSource [2]Since 2021
Jeff BezosExecutive ChairSource [2]Source [9]Since 2021
Matt GarmanCEO, Amazon Web ServicesSource [2]Since 2024
Doug HerringtonCEO, Worldwide Amazon StoresSource [2]Since 2022
Brian OlsavskySenior Vice President and CFOSource [2]Since 2015

Funding and financials

Net sales
$716.9 billion (fiscal 2025)Source [2]
Net income
$77.7 billion (fiscal 2025)Source [2]
AWS net sales
$128.7 billion (fiscal 2025)Source [2]

Notable acquisitions

One Medical (1Life Healthcare)Source [2]2023About $3.5 billion, net of cash acquired
MGM HoldingsSource [7]2022About $6.1 billion, net of cash acquired, plus $2.5 billion of assumed debt
RingSource [6]2018About $839 million, net of cash acquired
PillPackSource [6]2018About $753 million, net of cash acquired
Whole Foods MarketSource [5]2017About $13.2 billion, net of cash acquired
SouqSource [5]2017About $583 million, net of cash acquired
TwitchSource [4]2014About $842 million
ZapposSource [3]2009About $1.1 billion in stock and assumed options

People on Founded, and where they went next

2 people on record, connected to 8 other companies.

PersonHereAlso built
Daniel VassalloSoftware engineer, Amazon Web Services2019FULL SEND2026 to nowActiveSmall Bets2021 to nowAcquiredGumroadActiveUserbase2019 to nowActive
Jeff BezosFounder, Chair of the Board, President, CEO, Executive Chair1994 to nowProject Prometheus2025 to nowActiveBezos ExpeditionsActiveThe Washington Post2013 to nowAcquiredBlue Origin2000 to nowActive

Sources

  1. Amazon.com, Inc. initial public offering prospectus (Form 424B1), Amazon.com, Inc. via SEC EDGAR, 1997-05-15. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
  2. Amazon.com, Inc. Form 10-K for fiscal year 2025, Amazon.com, Inc. via SEC EDGAR, 2026-02-06. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
  3. Amazon.com, Inc. Form 10-K for fiscal year 2009, Amazon.com, Inc. via SEC EDGAR, 2010-01-29. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
  4. Amazon.com, Inc. Form 10-K for fiscal year 2014, Amazon.com, Inc. via SEC EDGAR, 2015-01-30. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
  5. Amazon.com, Inc. Form 10-K for fiscal year 2017, Amazon.com, Inc. via SEC EDGAR, 2018-02-02. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
  6. Amazon.com, Inc. Form 10-K for fiscal year 2018, Amazon.com, Inc. via SEC EDGAR, 2019-02-01. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
  7. Amazon.com, Inc. Form 10-K for fiscal year 2022, Amazon.com, Inc. via SEC EDGAR, 2023-02-03. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
  8. Email from Jeff Bezos to employees, Amazon, 2021-02-02. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
  9. Amazon.com, Inc. 2026 Proxy Statement (DEF 14A), Amazon.com, Inc. via SEC EDGAR, 2026-04-09. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.

Suggest a correction / Editorial policy