Jeff’s Parents Separated When He Was Only 17 Months Old
Shortly after bringing him into the world, Jeff Bezos’ parents, Jacklyn and Ted Jorgensen, found themselves facing a divorce. Their youthful romance took a dramatic turn when Jacklyn discovered she was expecting, leading to unforeseen challenges. “Being a pregnant teenager was definitely not accepted in Albuquerque, New Mexico during that period,” the Amazon CEO later shared with Döpfner (via People).
The situation quickly became more complicated. Just before Bezos was born, the couple had tied the knot, yet struggled to navigate the financial burdens of parenthood. Ted’s job at a department store paid him just above $1 an hour, and his involvement in a unicycle group hardly contributed to their income.
Ted himself admitted that he was not engaged in family life. “I was not a responsible father or husband,” he later confessed in Brad Stone’s book “The Everything Store,” acknowledging that he spent much of Jeff’s early years indulging in drinking and partying. “It was solely my fault; I don’t hold Jackie accountable.” After their marriage ended, Jacklyn and her young son moved in with her parents, while Ted moved to Phoenix to begin anew.