It’s natural to be curious about the source of great wealth, especially when that wealth is as estimable as that of Jeff Bezos, who made billions as the CEO of Amazon.
It’s a sad story, actually, that reveals much about Bezos’ ruthless corporate ways, so let’s dig into the tale of Ted Jorgensen and see what happened to him and the spawn he created.
Bezos’ father died back in 2015, long after giving young Jeffrey up for adoption, and he died with a net worth of about a half million dollars without ever reuniting with his son.
Early Days
Bezos was born to Ted Jorgensen and Jackie Gise, and at the time the couple were both teenagers. A year later, Gise filed for divorce, where she met and married Miguel Bezos. In 1968, she moved to Houston with Miguel, who adopted Jeff, and she asked Jorgensen not to interfere with their lives.
Jorgensen complied with her request, and as result he never learned about the success of his biological son.
A Fork in the Road
His involvement with Jeff basically ended in 1974, when he moved to Phoenix and then Glendale, Arizona and bought a bike shop called the Road Runner Bike Centre.
There he earned a reputation for good customer service and excellent prices, something Jeff inherited early on before he became fixated on the growth of his enormous wealth.
Bezos’ reaction to all this has fascinated both his biographers, the paparazzi, and his fans, such as they are these days. He considers Miguel his “real” father, basically, and even though Jeff knew where Jorgensen was, he never wanted to meet him.
Jorgensen freely acknowledges that he wasn’t a good husband or father, largely due to the drinking he was doing at the time. When he was tracked down by one of Bezos’ biographers, though, he was shocked to learn what had become of his son.
He said he never wanted anything from him, and Jorgensen continued to abide by the agreement he’d made with Gise. He did want to see him, but that meeting never happened, largely because of Jeff’s unwillingness to go there, apparently.
Jorgensen did have a happy ending of sorts when it comes to parenting, however. He remarried and became a devoted stepfather to the four children of the woman he married. He also became a grandparent, doting on ten grandchildren during his final years.
As for Jeffrey, he apparently met the love of his life at the bottom of a balance sheet. He’s divorced now, but he remains greatly devoted to his enormous fortune and his occasional forays into outer space.
Dying Wishes
Perhaps the saddest part of this story is the ending. Jorgensen’s final wish before dying was to meet Jeff again, but Bezos still refused. Jeff Bezos did send him a letter, though, and perhaps it even contained an Amazon gift card as a parting gesture of reconciliation.
