Jeff Bezos's mother, Jackie, dies: the Amazon founder's farewell

The announcement was made on Instagram. The woman was 78 years old and had been suffering from a form of dementia for some time.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is in mourning. His mother, Jackie Bezos, died yesterday at the age of 78, but the news was announced today. She died after battling a form of dementia. In an Instagram post accompanied by a photo of her, the 61-year-old billionaire recalled that his adult life began "a little early," when she became a mother at 17 .

The Bezos Family Foundation said in a statement that Jackie Bezos was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a degenerative neurological disease, in 2020. She had served as president of the foundation, which provides educational scholarships.

Jeff Bezos's farewell post

"It couldn't have been easy, but she made it all work," Jeff Bezos wrote. "She devoted herself fiercely to the task of loving me and added my sister and brother to her list of people to love, protect, and nurture." Bezos said she died "surrounded by so many of us who loved her: her children, grandchildren, and my father. I will forever hold her in my heart." "I love you, Mom," Jeff wrote.

The many messages of condolence

Condolences poured in from celebrities including Antonio Banderas, Sharon Stone, Naomi Campbell, and Miranda Kerr. Lauren Sánchez, the former journalist who married Bezos in a star-studded ceremony in Venice in June, wrote: "We will miss him so much."