Jeff Bezos is one of the world’s most famous entrepreneurs, and readers often wonder about his personal beliefs. Amazingly, Bezos himself has rarely spoken about faith. In public interviews he has said he is “not religious” and has emphasized science, reason, and love instead. Observers therefore describe him as effectively secular or a humanist. He has never joined any church or creed publicly, so Bezos’s exact religion (if any) is officially unknown.
Quick Profile: Jeff Bezos
| Full Name | Jeffrey Preston Bezos (born Jeffrey Jorgensen) |
| Date of Birth | January 12, 1964 |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Businessman, media proprietor, investor (founder of Amazon, Blue Origin; owner of Washington Post) |
| Known for | Founding Amazon (world’s largest online retailer), Blue Origin (space company), Washington Post (newspaper) |
| Religion | Not publicly affiliated |
| Net worth | $263 billion |
What religion is Jeff Bezos?
Bezos himself has never announced any faith affiliation, just like Elon Musk and Larry Ellison, who are also not known for publicly discussing their religious beliefs. In interviews and speeches he has been clear, he does not follow an organized religion. For example, at a New York Times summit in 2018 he said “I’m not religious,” adding that he believes strongly in “the power of love” and “the power of human reason”. These statements fit with observers’ view of Bezos as a secular humanist who trusts in science and compassion rather than faith.
Still, observers note clues in his background. Bezos’s adoptive father, Miguel (“Mike”) Bezos, grew up in a Catholic environment (he came to the U.S. via a program run by Catholic priests). Bezos’s mother’s wedding (to Miguel) was held in a Protestant church, and his first marriage ceremony was performed by an independent Catholic bishop. His biological father, Ted Jorgensen, came from a Danish-American family (traditionally Baptist), and his adoptive father’s family was Cuban Catholic. Despite these Christian influences, Bezos has never said he practiced any faith himself. In fact, sources note that Bezos “has never publicly stated his religious affiliation”. If anything, the evidence suggests he was raised in a broadly Christian cultural setting, but he appears not to have followed a church later. One journalist concludes that he was likely raised within some strand of Christianity but as an adult “bezos has never publicly stated his religious beliefs,” leaving only speculation.
Because Bezos keeps his beliefs private, some people guess he is atheist or agnostic. Others argue he lives like a secular humanist. As the Business Insider points out, only Bezos himself truly knows what, if anything, he believes. For now, all that can be said is that he often sounds non-religious when speaking publicly, and analysts simply label him as having no formal religious affiliation.
Early Life
Jeffrey Preston Bezos was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on January 12, 1964. His birth parents were teenagers, his mother Jacklyn (“Jackie”) Gise and father Ted Jorgensen. They divorced when Jeff was a baby, and in 1968 Jackie married Cuban-born engineer Miguel “Mike” Bezos (who would adopt Jeff). Jeff’s surname was legally changed to Bezos after the adoption.
The Bezos family lived in Houston and later Miami. From a young age Jeff was curious and inventive, for example, he rigged contraptions in his home as a child and became a high school valedictorian. His family background combined American and immigrant influences, but in interviews Jeff says he was raised in a fairly typical household. He has described Mike as the “real” father in his life, though he has also pointed out that he considers the adoption normal. (He once joked that the only time he thinks about his biological father is when filling out a form at the doctor.)
Bezos attended Princeton University after high school. He originally studied physics before switching to electrical engineering and computer science. He graduated summa cum laude in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. While at Princeton he joined a club interested in space exploration, reflecting an early dream of space travel. (He has said that even as a teenager he wanted to help “get all people off the earth” one day.)
Business Journey
After college, Jeff Bezos worked on Wall Street in various tech and finance roles. In 1994, at age 30, he decided to leave a high-paying hedge fund job and start an online bookstore. That venture was Amazon.com, founded in a garage in Seattle. Bezos steered Amazon from a small online seller into a colossal tech company. Under his leadership, Amazon expanded far beyond books into nearly every kind of retail, as well as cloud computing (Amazon Web Services), streaming media, AI, and more.
Bezos is known for his intense focus on customer satisfaction and innovation. Over time Amazon grew into the world’s largest e-commerce retailer, making Bezos one of the richest people globally. In July 2021 he stepped down as Amazon’s CEO and became Executive Chairman, handing day-to-day leadership to Andy Jassy.
In addition to Amazon, Bezos founded Blue Origin in 2000, a private aerospace company aiming to make space travel more accessible. Blue Origin successfully developed the New Shepard rocket, which reached space and returned safely, and in 2021 Bezos himself flew to the edge of space on a Blue Origin mission.
He also bought significant media holdings. In 2013 Bezos purchased The Washington Post newspaper for $250 million. This made him a major figure in American media. Under his ownership, the Post has grown its digital readership and investigated various issues. (The paper retains independence, but Bezos’s role has attracted attention and some criticism about media influence.)
Overall, Bezos’s business ventures span e-commerce, cloud computing, space, and media. His knack for long-term vision helped Amazon thrive, and his success turned him into a billionaire many times over.
Personal Life
Jeff Bezos’s personal life has been in the public eye alongside his business. He married novelist MacKenzie Tuttle in 1993. The couple had four children together (three sons and an adopted daughter). MacKenzie Scott (as she is now known) has become a well-known philanthropist in her own right after their 2019 divorce. That divorce made headlines, MacKenzie received 25% of Bezos’s Amazon shares (worth about $38 billion at the time).
In the years after his divorce, Bezos began a relationship with Lauren Sánchez, a former TV anchor and helicopter pilot. The pair first went public in 2019 and announced their engagement in May 2023. They married in June 2025 in a lavish ceremony in Venice, Italy. Their wedding attracted celebrities and world leaders, reflecting Bezos’s status. Bezos’s new wife Lauren Sánchez is also active in philanthropy; she became vice-chair of the Bezos Earth Fund (focused on climate change) and has worked with Bezos on charitable initiatives.
As a parent, Bezos is known to be focused on family despite his business empire. He has said he values spending time with his children. Outside of work, he has many hobbies and interests, he famously appeared briefly in a Star Trek movie (as a cameo science officer), is a sci-fi fan, and enjoys adventurous vacations. He also owns several lavish properties. For example, Bezos bought a $78 million oceanfront estate in Hawaii in 2022, adding to a real estate portfolio worth over half a billion dollars. In 2014 he commissioned what became the world’s largest private yacht, Y721, reported to cost over $500 million.
Throughout his life, Bezos has been discreet about his personal beliefs. He rarely discusses faith at home or in personal reflections. In interviews, he tends to talk about ideas like innovation, philanthropy, and exploration, not religious conviction.
Philanthropy
In recent years Bezos has devoted significant resources to philanthropy. In 2018 he launched two major funds, the Day 1 Fund (for homelessness and early education) and the Bezos Earth Fund (for climate initiatives). In 2019 the Day 1 Fund announced about $97.5 million in grants to 24 U.S. charities working to help low-income families and homeless children. Notably, many of those charities are affiliated with religious organizations, three were Catholic charities and two were run by the Salvation Army (a Christian church). This shows that Bezos’s giving often supports faith-based social services.
The Bezos Earth Fund has committed a much larger sum. Bezos pledged $10 billion through the Earth Fund to combat climate change. In 2024 Lauren Sánchez announced a $60 million investment in biotechnology (to develop plant-based proteins) as part of the Earth Fund’s work. Beyond these, Bezos’s philanthropy includes the $10 billion “Courage and Civility Award” to support social causes. Overall, he donates on a scale few individuals can match.
Bezos does not publicly cite religion as his motivation for giving. Instead, he frames his charity in secular terms, addressing practical problems and making a difference. Nevertheless, his support of organizations like Catholic charities suggests he is comfortable working with religious groups for humanitarian aims.
