Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' net worth just reached a new high of $171.6 billion.

Bezos founded Amazon in 1995. The company has since grown to one of the most valuable, powerful companies on the planet.

Bezos has gone from a New York hedge-funder to the richest man in the world, but in the process, he's weathered a high-profile divorce and hacking scandal, faced antitrust scrutiny from lawmakers, and everything in between.

These days, Bezos is focused on making Amazon more climate-friendly, growing his personal real estate empire, and speaking out on issues like the Black Lives Matter movement.

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Jeff Bezos just hit a new milestone: a net worth of over $171 billion.

The founder and CEO of Amazon, who incorporated the company in 1994, has had a tumultuous 18 months, beginning with a divorce and a leak of his personal messages to the National Enquirer.

But it hasn't been all bad for Bezos: he jetted across the globe with his girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez, he attended the exclusive Met Gala, and he celebrated another successful Prime Day with Katy Perry, Lil Nas X, and 45,000 Amazon employees. Over the last several months, Amazon has seen a surge in demand as the coronavirus outbreak has forced people to shop online more than ever. And after Amazon's stock hit a new high in July, Bezos' net worth has jumped to an all-time high of $171.6 billion, according to Bloomberg.

That success hasn't come overnight, however. Bezos began his career in the hedge fund world in the '90s, then left a cushy job to launch his own startup.

Here's how Bezos got his start, and built one of the largest tech companies in the world.

Allana Akhtar contributed to an earlier version of this story.