REUTERS/Rex Curry
- Jeff Bezos is now the richest man in modern history, reports Bloomberg.
- With a net worth of $150 billion, Bezos is worth more than Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates ever was, even during the height of the dot-com boom of the 90s.
- It's worth noting that Gates has donated a huge chunk of his fortune to charity.
Just as Prime Day is kicking off, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on Monday reportedly became the richest man in modern history.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which tracks the net worth of the 500 richest people in the world , Bezos is now worth $150 billion. The staggering number is more than Bill Gates was ever worth, even during the height of the dot-com boom, Bloomberg reported.
After adjusting for inflation, Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates was worth $149 billion in 1999.
Bezos and Gates have been duking it out to be the world's richest person for the last few years, but it's worth noting that Gates has donated a sizable part of his fortune to charity - primarily to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Right now, Gates has a net worth of $95.5 billion, almost $50 billion less than Bezos.
Bezos, meanwhile, has come under fire for poor working conditions in Amazon warehouses, and thousands of the retailer's European workers are going on strike ahead of Prime Day, which will offer sales and discounts on many items.
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