Glaringly Obvious Signs Jeff Bezos Was Always Going To Divorce His First Wife

When Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' romance with current wife Lauren Sánchez came to light in early 2019 and Bezos announced his divorce from first wife MacKenzie Scott, many were shocked by the news. However, the truth about Bezos and Scott's divorce was that it was apparently a long time coming, with Bezos' lawyer claiming that they had already been separated for some time by that point. And looking at some of the comments Bezos made even before that, it seems like there were some glaring signs that he and his first wife were always going to get divorced.

"The number one criterion was that I wanted a woman who could get me out of a Third World prison. What I really wanted was someone resourceful," Bezos told Wired in 1999. It suggests that, at least back then, Bezos seemed to value pragmatism above all else in a relationship. According to Kimberly Miller, founder and chief divorce educator at PartWise, prioritizing practicality can actually be conducive to a stable, long-term relationship. However, that's only really the case if the relationship also has an equal amount of genuine emotional intimacy as a second pillar. "If such pragmatism overshadows emotional connection, intimacy, or adaptability, it could leave partners ill‑prepared for conflict or emotional crises," Miller told us, adding, "Relationship research emphasizes emotional resilience, mutual respect and constructive communication. Absent that emotional glue, even the most pragmatic pairing may struggle in the long run."

Jeff Bezos' billionaire lifestyle could certainly be another reason why his marriage to MacKenzie Scott failed, given that she reportedly made it a point to try and keep their family a bit more grounded. Scott certainly got a nice payout in the divorce, but it's still clear they had different priorities. However, the fact that they apparently didn't realize that difference earlier may just be a product of how fast their courtship was ahead of their 1993 wedding.

In a 2013 interview with Vogue, Scott recalled how she fell in love with Bezos, and that they had only been dating for about six months by the time they tied the knot. In our chat with Kimberly Miller, she told us that couples who get married after spending less than a year as a couple tend to experience higher-than-average levels of divorce. "While whirlwind romances often begin with intense passion and spontaneity, they can also bypass the slower, steadier process of building emotional intimacy and navigating real-life challenges together," Miller said.

The divorce educator also noted than when couples move too quickly, they can end up bypassing stress tests for relationships. "Without that deeper foundation, the early excitement can fade, leaving behind a relationship that feels rushed or mismatched," she said, adding, "On the other hand, couples who take more time before marrying tend to benefit from a stronger sense of compatibility and shared goals."