Jeff Bezos' father did not know about him until 2014, all because of one 'big mistake'. He died a year later

Economic Times

18-06-2025

Ted Jorgensen lived unaware that his son, Jeffrey Jorgensen, had become Jeff Bezos—the billionaire behind Amazon—until a 2012 visit from a biographer. The revelation stunned him, rooted in the 'biggest mistake' of his life: losing contact after divorce. Despite yearning for closure and reconnection, Jorgensen died in 2015 without ever speaking to Bezos.
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The Disappearing Son: A Name Lost in Time
Too Famous to Reach
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In a world where Jeff Bezos is known as the fourth richest man alive according to Forbes with net worth over $230 billion, owning space agencies and mega yachts, an untold story from his past quietly unraveled in a Phoenix bike shop. A man named Ted Jorgensen—his biological father—lived for nearly five decades without knowing that the tech titan was his own flesh and blood. And it all began with a single life-altering mistake.According to Inside Edition, the revelation came in 2014 when a biographer knocked on Jorgensen's door, asking whether he knew who Jeff Bezos was. 'The name kind of sounds familiar, but I don't know him,' Jorgensen said at the time. What he didn't realize was that the baby boy he once knew as Jeffrey Jorgensen had become the founder of Amazon—and one of the most powerful men in the world.The mystery of identity stemmed from a simple but fateful decision. When Ted divorced Jacklyn Bezos in 1965, his infant son still bore his surname. But three years later, Jacklyn remarried Miguel 'Mike' Bezos, who adopted Jeff—giving him a new name and a new identity. For Ted, that change effectively erased the connection, leaving him unaware that the child he once cared for had grown into a global icon.Jorgensen was stunned to learn the truth, but reconnecting proved more difficult than he imagined. 'Because of who Jeff is, I think it's made an obstacle that wouldn't have been there had he been a garbage collector,' said Linda, Jorgensen's wife, reflecting on the media spotlight and public scrutiny that made any quiet reconciliation seem impossible.Despite the long silence, Jorgensen didn't seek fame or money. What he wanted was simple—a moment of acknowledgment and a chance to express remorse. 'I just would like to tell him I used to change your diapers, you know? And just see him, and shake his hand, and tell him he's really done a good job with his life,' he told Inside Edition.Sadly, Jorgensen passed away in 2015 at the age of 70, never getting the closure he yearned for. His story remains a bittersweet footnote in the saga of Jeff Bezos, a reminder that even the most extraordinary success stories are rooted in very human beginnings—and sometimes, very human regrets.