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Jeff Bezos stepping aside as Amazon CEO later this year

Jeff Bezos
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Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos will be transitioning away from the top job in 2021, according to a letter he wrote to staff Tuesday.

“I’m excited to announce that this Q3 I’ll transition to Executive Chair of the Amazon Board and Andy Jassy will become CEO,” Bezos wrote.

Jassy currently heads up Amazon's cloud business, Amazon Web Services.

Bezos has been Amazon's CEO since it was founded in 1995, and while overseeing it's growth from an online bookseller to a global retail giant, he has become one of the world's richest people.

"Being the CEO of Amazon is a deep responsibility, and it’s consuming. When you have a responsibility like that, it’s hard to put attention on anything else," Bezos wrote in his letter to employees.

Bezos said he will be focusing on new products and “early initiatives” in his new role with the board. He also says he’ll have time to work with his environment-focused projects, “The Washington Post, and my other passions,” he says.

Bezos bought the Washington Post in 2013.