Jeff Bezos is letting outside investors into Blue Origin for the first time since he founded it in 2000. The rocket company is seeking about $10bn in fresh capital at a $130bn pre-money valuation, according to CNBC.
For 26 years, Bezos bankrolled the company himself, selling billions in Amazon stock rather than sharing ownership. That solo-funding era is now over.
He is not stepping back entirely, with reporting suggesting he will put around $2bn into the round himself. Hedge fund Coatue Management is expected to add roughly $4bn, with strong institutional interest for the rest.
The obvious question is what changed. The blunt answer is that staying in the space race has outgrown even one of the world’s richest people.
A costly stretch of bad timing
