Jeff Bezos was an early investor in Airbnb, which means he's likely to net millions from the home-sharing company's hotly anticipated IPO

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Jeff Bezos was an early investor in Airbnb, which means he's likely to net millions from the home-sharing company's hotly anticipated IPO
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images
  • Jeff Bezos is about to get a payday thanks to Airbnb's initial public offering.
  • The Amazon CEO was an early Airbnb investor, participating in Airbnb's Series B round in 2011.
  • It's not clear how much Bezos invested in the company at the time or whether he still owns all of his shares.
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Jeff Bezos may soon see a multimillion-dollar payday thanks to Airbnb's initial public offering.

Airbnb priced its IPO at $68 per share on Wednesday, seeking to raise $3.5 billion in its stock market debut. But by Thursday morning, the expected stock price had more than doubled, climbing to $152.30 per share. Airbnb's IPO is one of the biggest listings of 2020 and one of the biggest tech IPOs of all time.

An exit for Airbnb means its early investors stand to profit - including Bezos.

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Read more: Airbnb's Brian Chesky says what it was like to watch his company's revenue plunge 80% in eight weeks and how he decided to go public anyway in exclusive interview

The Amazon CEO invested in Airbnb's Series B in 2011 through his personal venture-capital firm, Bezos Expeditions. The round totaled $112 million in funding for Airbnb, with investment from Andreessen Horowitz and General Catalyst among others, according to Pitchbook data.

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It's not clear how much Bezos invested in the company at the time or whether he still owns all of his shares.

While Bezos' payday will likely net him millions of dollars, it will hardly make a difference for the richest man, whose net worth tops $182 billion. The majority of Bezos' wealth stems from his shares in Amazon. Bezos owns about 11% of the e-commerce giant he founded in 1994, according to Bloomberg.

Beyond his substantial Amazon stake, Bezos is a prolific investor, with early investments in Google, Uber, and Twitter. Bezos was also an early investor in Business Insider, though he has since sold his stake in the company.

Got a tip? Contact Business Insider senior reporter Avery Hartmans via email (ahartmans@businessinsider.com), or Twitter DM (@averyhartmans). We can keep sources anonymous. Use a nonwork device to reach out.

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