What do you get a guy who already has a megayacht and multiple houses? Apparently, a beard comb.
If you’ve seen photos of Jeff Bezos lately — whether at Paris Fashion Week or strolling through Aspen — you might’ve noticed the Amazon founder trying out a new look. Long gone are the khaki pants and button-up shirts of his past. Now, Bezos is sporting $975 Jacques Marie Mage sunglasses, designer tuxedos, and, most notably to some, a white beard.
The facial hair made its latest appearance on CNBC on Wednesday morning, where Bezos told Andrew Ross Sorkin that he believes low earners should pay zero tax and that software engineers should be “so happy” about AI.
The CNBC appearance also — more importantly for this story — marked the beard’s business TV debut. No longer is it just a vacation style or fashion-week accessory; it’s officially part of the Bezos Brand.
The billionaire’s scruffy look is the latest chapter in his transformation from a bookish businessman to a more relatable and image-conscious public figure.
“This shift to grow his beard really demonstrates an inner desire to repaint and redraw his image,” image consultant Joseph Rosenfeld told Business Insider.
Why a beard, and why now?
It was September 2025 — two months after his wedding to Lauren Sánchez Bezos — when 62-year-old Bezos was first photographed with white stubble lining his chin.
Rosenfeld, an image consultant who’s worked with high-profile clients for 25 years, said the luxury wedding was likely the turning point in Bezos’ look.
“Major lifestyle changes can be a trigger, not in a bad way, for change,” he said.
Bezos’ beard of choice is subtle. It’s inconspicuous and well-groomed. That’s likely intentional.
“We could look at Jack Dorsey, who famously grew a beard that, to the length that he did, takes a kind of discipline,” Rosenfeld said about the billionaire Twitter cofounder. “His whole thing was about looking prophet-like and anti-corporate.”
Bezos, by comparison, seems more interested in looking refined.
Read between the beard
Rosenfeld said Bezos’ image transformation has happened in phases.
First, there was the “geeky, bookish-looking guy,” then the more corporate Amazon executive, and later what he described as a “Bond-man tech multi-billionaire.” His latest, a more relaxed yet glamorous era, appears to call for a different image.
“It’s not just a physical act to grow a beard,” Rosenfeld said. “It’s a mental and emotional decision. [I think] he’s doing some deep thinking about his life, and is perhaps finding some wisdom.”
“When you’re a mature person, and you grow a beard, there’s a maturation happening inside that you want to exact on the outside,” he added.
Of course, we still don’t know exactly what Bezos is trying to convey. Does he want to look more fashionable or approachable or sexy even?
Bezos hasn’t said.
Rosenfeld’s theory is that Bezos is simply entering a calmer phase of life. “When you see a person mellowing before your eyes, you get the softer side of a person,” he said.
Or, maybe he got tired of shaving. He certainly has plenty of other things to worry about.
Personally, I just want to know what Sánchez Bezos thinks of her husband’s look.
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