Universal Mission

In 1994, Jeff Bezos was just 30 years old and thriving as a senior vice president at D. E. Shaw, a prestigious Wall Street investment firm. He had what most people would consider a promising future: a secure, high-paying job, prestige, and a clear career path.

Then he encountered a statistic that changed everything: internet usage was growing at 2,300% per year. Bezos realized that this new medium could transform the world and that he could create something meaningful through it. He envisioned an online bookstore, a concept that didn't yet exist at scale.