Jeff Bezos, the world’s third-richest person with a net worth of $162.1 billion, defies the stereotype of a privileged upbringing. He was born to a teen mom who struggled to make ends meet, unable to even afford a telephone.

But it’s not just Bezos’s success story that is inspiring — his mother’s journey is equally remarkable. In a 2019 commencement address at Cambridge College, Jacklyn Bezos shared her tale, prompting her proud son to tweet, M”y mom’s incredible story. Wow. So grateful. So proud. #Grit.”

Jacklyn Bezos’s path to success was anything but easy. Becoming a pregnant teenager in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during the 1960s was challenging and met with judgment. Initially, school administrators told her she couldn’t complete her high school education. Undeterred, she pushed back against the odds, and eventually, the school allowed her to return with strict conditions.