Image: Business Insider
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has officially become the world's richest person, overtaking a spot previously held by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. As Bloomberg reports, the shift comes as Amazon saw an increase of 1.3 percent in its share price this morning ahead of the company's earnings report scheduled for later in the day.
The stock price increase had the effect of pushing Bezos' net worth to around $90.9 billion, which is just a hair above Gates' $90.7 billion. Gates had held the top spot since 2013, but, as CNET reports, the former Microsoft CEO has actually held the title during 18 of the last 23 years. In that time, Gates has briefly traded spots with Warren Buffett and Mexican business magnate Carlos Slim.
If Amazon's stock price holds through the end of trading, Bezos will keep the top spot. And that's likely to be the case, as the company is expected to deliver good news in the form of a 22 percent jump in year-over-year earnings later today. Still, we wouldn't count Gates out; he's been knocked out of the top spot before only to retake it again.
Updated July 27, 2017: Well, it seems that $200 million buffer wasn't meant to last long. As TechCrunch reports, Bezos is back to being number 2 on the list of world's richest people after Amazon's latest earnings report caused a reduction in its stock price. Bill Gates sits at the top of the list once more.
