📺 Stream EntrepreneurTV for Free 📺

Jeff Bezos Posts Heartwarming Photo Honoring Humble First Job: 'Still the Same Great Burger' The billionaire visited his old stomping grounds over the weekend for a quick lunch.

By Emily Rella

entrepreneur daily

Becoming one of the world's richest men isn't something that happens overnight — the journey to get there is often arduous and at times, humbling.

Fans were delighted to see Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos pay homage to his first ever paid gig over the weekend when he posted a photo of himself on Twitter chowing down on a burger from his original place of employment — McDonald's.

Back in 1980, the now-billionaire took the job flipping burgers in the kitchen when he turned 16 years old.

"I was a cook," Bezos said in an interview with Fast Company back in 2001. "They wouldn't let me anywhere near the customers. This was my acned-teenager stage. They were like, 'Hmm, why don't you work in the back?'"

He went on to explain that the gig taught him that customer service is "really hard" and that the lessons he learned in that job set him up for making customer service a key pillar of Amazon's business model as the company developed.

In a book titled Golden Opportunity: Remarkable Careers That Began at McDonald's, Bezos also spoke about the lesson he learned in working under pressure and keeping up team morale.

"The most challenging thing was keeping everything going at the right pace during a rush," Bezos told the book's author, Cody Teets. "The manager at my McDonald's was excellent. He had a lot of teenagers working for him, and he kept us focused even while we had fun."

Bezos resigned as CEO of Amazon on July 5, 2021, marking the 27th anniversary of Amazon as a company. He still serves as Executive Chairman of the board.

As of Monday morning, Bezos' estimated net worth was $155.6 billion.

Emily Rella

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Side Hustle

He Started a Luxury Side Hustle at Age 13 — Now the Business Earns More Than $10 Million a Year: 'People Want to Help You When You're Young'

Michael Morgan, now the owner of Iconic Watch Company, always had a passion for "old things" — and he turned it into a lucrative venture.

Thought Leaders

It's the End of the Entrepreneurial Era As We Know It

With the rise of advanced technologies and AI, are we losing all sense of the independent business person and entrepreneur?

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business Plans

From Camera-Shy to Camera-Ready — Here's What to Consider Before You Go on Camera

Are you ready to be on camera? Here are a few things to consider.