During the July 4th weekend of 1994, while riding in a 1988 Chevy Blazer with his wife at the wheel, a computer engineer named Jeff Bezos laid the groundwork for a retail revolution. Back then, the Internet was an insider's tool, largely limited to government and academic circles. But after months of careful observation of its usage, Bezos envisioned a dramatic expansion of this network, one that would bring it into the daily lives of ordinary people. In the car, he sketched out a business plan for a project that would realize his vision: the Internet, he understood, could boost the efficiency of mail-order businesses, starting with books.
In a risky move, Bezos and his wife, Mackenzie, left lucrative jobs in New York's financial sector to build an Internet-based bookseller headquartered in Seattle. They called it “Amazon,” after the interminable South American river and its many branches. After a few months of testing and without any advertising, the company started racking up $20,000 weekly in sales. In just a few years Amazon was worth billions. Bezos forever changed how people purchase goods and made a lasting impact on the business world.
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