Jeff Bezos still gets $80,000 salary from Amazon – but also gets $1.6 million for travel and security

Jeff Bezos still gets $80,000 salary from Amazon – but also gets $1.6 million for travel and security

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos with blue background
(Image credit: Getty / Mandel Ngan)

  • Jeff Bezos’ $81,400 salary hasn’t changed since 1998
  • Amazon pays around $1.6 million in security and travel costs for its founder
  • Other Amazon execs take home $365,000 in pay, plus millions in expenses

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos still earns a base salary of around $81,400 from the company, years after stepping down as CEO – a figure that has remained unchanged since 1998.

Even with a relatively low salary, Bezos never received a bonus or additional compensation from the company, something he has previously said was a choice.

His $81,000 salary is also deliberately low and does not fit typical management structures, with most of his wealth coming from Amazon stock, of which he owns about 8%, worth hundreds of billions.

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Jeff Bezos Only Makes $81,000 Salary Despite His Net Worth

Bezos is currently worth around $250 billion, making him the third-richest individual in the world and one of several individuals worth a similar figure – well below Elon Musk’s net worth of more than $800 billion.

However, even though Bezos doesn’t earn a typical executive salary, he is still entitled to considerable compensation from the company’s expense funds, racking up about $1.6 million a year in security and travel costs.

“Mr. Bezos requested not to receive additional compensation and has never received annual cash compensation greater than his current amount,” states Amazon’s 2026 proxy filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Meanwhile, other Amazon executives earn a salary of $365,000, including its current CEO, Andy Jassy, ​​although he claimed other expenses related to security and travel.

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“As a result of Mr. Bezos’s significant stock ownership, he believes that he is properly incentivized and that his interests are properly aligned with those of shareholders,” the filing continues.

Amazon’s stock price is up about 42% in five years, currently at an all-time high of $241 and rising after recent events, so the spending may not have much effect on the final tally.


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With several years of freelance experience in technology and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technologies designed to improve our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about automobiles and the decarbonization of personal transportation. As an avid bargain hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is great value for money!