These are the 5 things Jeff Bezos, the richest man in the world, does when he is not working
What are the Amazon founder's passions and interests outside of dominating the retail market?
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are personal. This article was last updated on July 21, 2020
Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, is no stranger to headlines for his bizarre practices, sometimes his controversial business practices. Whether it's about innovating in the publishing world or getting his employees to pay for parking, he's not a boring man.
Love him or hate him, it's hard to ignore Bezos' success as a businessman. He was recently named the richest man in the world by Forbes magazine, with a fortune that is close to 176,000 million dollars.
But what does this billionaire businessman do when he is not working? What are his hobbies, passions and interests outside of dominating the online retail market in America? What can we learn from this successful man?
1. Sleep ... a lot
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Bezos spoke about the importance of sleep. This feature is in contrast to most CEOs who only sleep around four hours a night. No Bezos. He makes sure to get an eight hour sleep. Bezos believes that sleep is the best cure against stress and overwork. There are various stories that say that he has even brought his bed from sleeping to the office, to the point that he has taken extra naps on difficult days.
Also, he does not use alarm clocks, as he has talked about the sales of waking up naturally. A good number of sleep scientists agree with his way of thinking.
2. he has an incredible hobby
Bezos's hobby is so elite, expensive, that it is only known to him. When he gets the chance, he spends his time combing the oceans in search of spacecraft scrapped by NASA.
Because most of the spacecraft is detached from space shuttles in mid-flight, there is no place to rule out where to find the pieces of ships except on the ocean floor. Bezos has made this his hobby, working with underwater teams (sometimes with his family) to recover these historical relics. On one occasion he spent three weeks searching for an underwater rocket.
3. Create projects for yourself
Because the Amazon operation is not demanding enough for him, Bezos has taken on other projects. For example, he bought The Washington Post newspaper, one of the most prestigious newspapers in the United States. He hasn't changed much about it, save for his online load times.
And before Elon Musk was trending, in 2000 Bezos started a company called Blue Origin. The purpose? Give everyone the opportunity to travel to outer space.
He is also trying to get Amazon to deliver packages by drones. Sure, if the government allows it.
4. he spends his mornings doing what he wants
Unlike Steve Jobs, who wanted to eat breakfast every day in order to "remember decisions," Bezos has made an effort to keep it fresh. There is a Bezos story where he ordered Mediterranean octopus with bacon and yogurt to understand another CEO, which he eventually bought.
Regulated morning routines aren't for everyone, and Bezos is a strong supporter of letting the morning be natural. That is why he does not plan morning meetings and prefers to spend time with his loved ones.
5. he is a family man
Ironically, Bezos's biological father didn't even know he was alive until recently. Fortunately, Bezos himself is a much better father. He prioritizes his family, and (like Elon Musk), he has a big one.
He always makes time for his family over breakfast, he goes with his wife and kids on underwater excursions and tries his best to be involved, even with his busy and crazy schedule.
It's safe to say that Bezos does just about anything he wants. But, if there is one thing we can learn from his personal life, it is that the most successful people in the world are still only human. During a typical day, Bezos literally puts his family and his health ahead of his business.
