August 09, 2017
Remember the 1990 movie, Pretty Woman, with Julie Roberts playing the hooker with a heart-of-gold? The scene where she goes shopping in Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive and was snubbed by snooty saleswomen caused A LOT of comment. And the reason is this: at some point every female shopper has had to deal with this situation.
Richard Gere and Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman
But that may end because Jeff Bezos has successfully turned the whole shopping experience upside down in the past 20 years. And more power to him! I have ordered many items on Amazon and every single thing has arrived on time in perfect shape with no hassles.
THE EARLY YEARS
Lately, I realized that I didn’t know much about this talented individual so I decided to take a look at his bio. He was born on January 12, 1964, (Capricorn) in Albuquerque, New Mexico to a teenage mother. He moved with his family to Miami, as a teenager, where he developed a love for computers. When he graduated from high school he was the valedictorian of his class.
He enrolled at Princeton University, majored in computer science/electrical engineering and graduated summa cum laude in 1986. He went to Wall Street and, at the age of 26, became the youngest senior vice president at the investment firm D.E. Shaw. Four years later, he quit his career in finance (that was very lucrative) and made a risky move to Seattle where he set up a fledgling company, Amazon, in a garage, with several employees.
THE START OF AMAZON
The success of this company happened within 30 days. It sold books across the United States and in 45 foreign countries. Within two months, sales reached $20,000 a week. Three years later, in 1997, the company went public and, if you invested $100 in Amazon that year, it would be worth $63,990 today. Eat your heart out!
In 1999, Bezos was an e-commerce leader who kept moving into new areas, such as: CDs, videos, clothes, electronics and toys. Yearly sales jumped to $17 billion in 2011. Having all that cash meant he could buy The Washington Post newspaper for $250 million in 2013. This is an astounding move since newspapers all over the country are folding.
HIS PERSONAL LIFE
He is the founder and CEO of Amazon with a net worth in 2017 of $73.3 billion. He has been happily married since 1993 to the American novelist, MacKenzie Bezos, and has three children. Jeff says that his wife was the one who motivated him to become a successful entrepreneur.
THE FUTURE OF AMAZON
In 2013, he revealed a new, experimental way to deliver services to Amazon customers using drones – remote-controlled machines that can perform an array of human tasks. They are able to carry items weighing up to five pounds and are capable of traveling within a 10-mile distance of the company’s distribution center.
AMAZON GOBBLES UP WHOLE FOODS
In the June 30, 2017 issue of The Week magazine it was reported that Amazon took a giant leap forward in its quest to become the “Everything Store” with its $13.7 BILLION, ALL-CASH acquisition of Whole Foods. This gives Amazon access to Whole Foods’ sprawling supply chain, as well as its 431 stores – most of them in wealthy areas – that could soon double as pickup points for online orders. Personally, I can’t wait to see what’s next.
ARE YOU SITTING DOWN? READ THIS:
MAY WE SUGGEST…
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Shaun Nelson-Henrick
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October 22, 2020
I just read an article that sounded – to me at least – like “a canary in a coal mine” or an early warning of danger. This piece, written by Joe Pompeo, appeared in the May 2020 issue of Vanity Fair magazine with the title “The British Tabloid Invasion” and a subtitle that read, “How the Daily Mail is conquering American gossip.”
The paparazzi horde, La Dolce Vita, 1960 – photo courtesy of Vanity Fair
October 14, 2020
Apparently the good old U.S. is a nation of “not great” sleepers. Really? And I thought I was the only one! According to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention it was revealed that one out of three Americans are chronically sleep-deprived. Yikes!
October 06, 2020
I think we’re all taken by the incredible mystique of the famous French fashion house, Hermès that has been with us for two centuries and is still owned and operated by the same family. From its beginnings in fine equestrian leather goods, they are – in the tumultuous year 2020 – best known for their handbags and many other items.
My image of Hermès has always been rarified products at equally rarified prices so imagine my surprise when I recently received a very stylish publication of theirs in the mail.