Every adult seems to have some kind of reevaluation in mid life. I have been fascinated by how that dynamic plays out in the lives of the Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife Mackenzie Scott Bezos. When more money than Croesus fails to provide satisfaction, where do people go? In the case of Jeff, apparently into a teenage boy’s fantasy life of a “bombshell” girl friend, a yacht and a rocket trip into space. In Mackenzie’s case into marriage with the science teacher at her children’s school. The above photos highlight the remarriage of each.(The photo of Jeff is typical of the ones he posts. I didn’t pick a particularly “revealing” one.)
More telling to me, however, is how each Bezos has chosen to deal with what seems to most of us as an obscene fortune. (Probably every one of my readers contributed to the wealth.) Yes it came from a good idea, but it also resulted in a massive dislocation to society and came from questionable treatment of workers. But as of last year, Jeff has given away 1% of his fortune, mostly for space travel, and Mackenzie has given 18% to a wide variety of causes including housing and education. She says she intends to give the money away “until the vault is empty.”
As for settling the mid life struggle we usually face, Jeff apparently thinks happiness is out in space. Mackenzie seems content to improve life here on earth.
Saved By Words 
I also had a mid-life crisis, when I was 45. I spilt with my second wife, lost half of everything, (not remotely at a Bezos financial level of course) and ended up in a small rented flat in a part of London that was completely alien to me. I cannot fully explain even now why I did that, I just felt an overwhelming desire to ‘start again’.
Space travel and a younger bride were not on my mind, I promise you.
Best wishes, Pete.
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We married at 39 and 42, a second for each of us. I think it may take that long to know who you really are. At least it did in our case.
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It seems we have always had one kind of Rockerfeller or another, often dislocating society in the process where perhaps some kind of regulation should have been imposed. However, what appalls me more is the way that right wing governnents have looked away while the section of society that votes for them has accumulated wealth at the expense of the rest. Here in the UK there has been talk of special taxes on companies that have profited from covid and/or the energy crisis. There has been absolutely no talk of taxing or regulating “buy-to-let” landlords who have been insulated from all this, or the banks that fund them – they always get their rents and interest and are putting them up even though their costs have not risen. Housing costs are at the root of so many of society’s problems.
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Here too housing is out of reach of many. In our “thriving” West Coast cities thousands are asleep in tents or broken down cars and RVs.
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Such wealth is obscene!
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I am glad we still have the word “obscene” since it is the only one that fits.
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I don’t know either of them to make a value judgment, but Mackenzie seems to have her priorities in line. I don’t begrudge anyone making money, but it sure is nice if they give some of that back for worthy causes.
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It is easy to see where her money is going. Here it has come to the Boys and Girls Clubs in a big enough way to make a real difference. She also doesn’t put strings on her gifts once she and her team have analyzed the organizations.
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I think about how I would spend a windfall fortune. Actually I would feel a responsibility to do good things for others.
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I like to think about where I would give it out too.
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It makes me to feel good, dreaming how I would give.
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I am happy that I do not have that much money 😊 . Life would be very boring if we could buy anything we wanted without a thought.
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And we might begin to think that consuming was the purpose of life.
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I’ve been thinking I like the ex-wife’s example a lot better.
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Me too.
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Interesting Elizabeth 🤔 I think I may be a little different, as I’m one who hasn’t contributed to the Amazon fortunes.
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Well done you!
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Thank you 😊
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I started my work life as a teacher because I loved to help, became a painter, then a lawyer, then a recruiter, then an instructional designer. I am here to stay because I have finally found who I am–a teacher who no one ever takes seriously. So, I work in the background creating teaching material. 🙂 My first marriage failed after 100 days. Second began 7 years later and makes me wish I had stayed single. It takes long to understand ourselves. I’m still trying. A life of adventure and no regrets.
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For what it is worth, I take the design of instruction very seriously.
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A trip to space sounds good, without the bombshell of course. Imagine a world where we could all go to space to “find our own space.”
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Too clever. Glad to see you posting again.
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Thanks Elizabeth. Life has been keeping me busy. With Ramdan beginnning this week, I will hardly be able to post anything for the month 😦 Just after I got all those cues…
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Well you need the time to settle once again in your faith. Will see you after.
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HI Elizabeth, this is interesting. I don’t have an obscene amount of money, but if I did I would also give more to charity. I give quite a lot already. I’m more interested in earthly happiness except for when it comes to books and even then I really read sci-fi.
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I have never wanted to go into space. I wonder if that is a more typical boy fantasy.
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I don’t know, neither of my boys have shown much interest in space, but my Dad is fascinated by it.
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I think because he is my age and got to experience all the firsts in space.
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I didn’t know she had remarried. Good for her. ☺️
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Her kids’ teacher. A very down to earth guy.
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Bezos never deserved her. She really doesn’t seem to be into the corporate and media hype that he is.
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Great lengthy article about her in the Sunday New York Times. Her first love was writing and she studied fiction under Toni Morrison who wholeheartedly supported her.
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