Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is mourning the loss of his mother, Jackie Bezos, who died Thursday at the age of 78 after battling a form of dementia.
In an Instagram post alongside a photo of her, the 61-year-old billionaire recalled that her adult life "a little bit early" when she became a mother at 17.
"That couldn't have been easy, but she made it all work," he wrote. "She pounced on the job of loving me with ferocity, brought my amazing dad onto the team a few years later, and then added my sister and brother to her list of people to love, guard, and nourish."
Bezos said she died "surrounded by so many of us who loved her — her kids, grandkids, and my dad."
He added: "I hold her safe in my heart forever."
Condolences poured in from celebrities including Antonio Banderas, Sharon Stone, Naomi Campbell and Miranda Kerr. Lauren Sánchez, the former journalist who married Bezos in a star-studded Venice ceremony in June, wrote: "We will miss her SO much."
The Bezos Family Foundation said in a statement that Jackie Bezos was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, a progressive neurological disorder, in 2020. She had served as president of the foundation, which gives out educational grants.
