Jeff Bezos doesn’t look anything like his father Mike, which has led a lot of people to question whether or not he was adopted.
Yes, Jeff Bezos was adopted when he was four years old by Mike Bezos. He wasn’t adopted in the way that would commonly come to mind when we think about adoption. Both of Jeff’s biological parents were alive when he was adopted. Mike Bezos is actually Jeff’s step father.
Read more below about Jeff’s adoptive father and their relationship.
Who Adopted Jeff Bezos
Miguel “Mike” Bezos was the man that married Jaclyn Gise after her divorce from Jeff Bezos’ biological father, Ted Jorgensen. It was once they had married that they decided Mike would adopt Jeff and become his legal father. This meant that Ted had to give up full custody of Jeff, which he did willingly. That was how Jeff Jorgensen became Jeff Bezos.
Miguel “Mike” Bezos Coming to America
Mike Bezos was a Cuban immigrant to America. He traveled to America at only sixteen, leaving his parents, and the rest of his family behind in Cuba. Originally supporters of Fidel Castro regime, his parents eventually decided to pull him from school because the government was replacing the curriculum with socialist and communist views. He worked at his father’s lumber mill until it was nationalized by the Cuban government. Finally, Mike’s family sent him to America because they feared for his life and safety as the country continued to be nationalized.
Mike’s parents were able to obtain a visa for him that ensured he would be able to move to the United States as a refugee. When he left Cuba, his parents were not even allowed to go with him into the airport to say their goodbyes. Mike entered the United States unable to speak any English, only knowing how to communicate in Spanish. The YouTube clip below shows an interview with Mike about leaving Cuba and moving to America.
Mike Bezos Marriage to Jaclyn Gise
The first three weeks of Mike Bezos’ time in America was spent in a refugee camp, Camp Matecumbe. The refugee camp was a part of a larger operation known as Operation Peter Pan, which took place over a two year span. The operation was responsible for helping Cuban minors immigrate to America after fears spread that the Castro regime would remove parental rights in Cuba.
After his three weeks at Camp Matecumbe, Mike was sent to Delaware for High School. It was while in high school that Mike had to figure out how to speak English. When he graduated high school, he was able to secure a scholarship to attend University in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was in Albuquerque that Mike met Jaclyn and her son Jeff.
The two met when they worked together at a bank during his freshman year. They eventually fell in love and Mike married Jackie. That was when he adopted Jeff as his son. Mike finished University and landed a role working with Exxon as one of their engineers. This meant the family moved a few times throughout the southern US. Eventually, Jeff’s younger brother and sister were born into the family.
Jeff’s Relationship with His Adoptive Father
Jeff Bezos has always honored his dad’s determination. He even said in this tweet about his father that “his grit, determination, and optimism are inspiring.” The bond the two share is so close that Jeff has said he doesn’t even think about his biological father. In this Wired interview, Jeff stated, “The only time I ever think about it, genuinely, is when a doctor asks me to fill out a form.”
This really says all you need to know about Jeff Bezos and his adoptive father Mike. As far as Jeff is concerned, Mike is his dad- no ifs, ands, or buts.