Phoenix bike shop owner reveals the shocking moment he discovered he was Jeff Bezos' biological dad

A Phoenix bike shop owner spent decades unaware that his son had grown up to become one of the richest people on Earth – he was Jeff Bezos’ biological dad.

Ted Jorgensen had been running his bicycle repair business for years when a writer walked through the door and delivered news that would completely change his life.

Jorgensen had no idea that he was the biological dad of Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder who transformed online shopping and built a fortune worth billions.

Even more surprisingly, Jorgensen said he didn’t even know who Bezos was.

The Phoenix bike shop owner learned the truth from a writer

He and Jeff Bezos’ mother, Jackie, were teenagers when they married in 1963, and Bezos was born the following year.

At the time, Jorgensen was struggling to make ends meet as a circus performer.

The marriage eventually broke down and Jorgensen gave up custody of his son, a decision he would later describe as the biggest regret of his life.

“Big mistake,” he admitted to Inside Edition when asked if he regretted the decision.

“But at the time, I thought it was the best.”

For the next four decades, Jorgensen lived a relatively ordinary life, eventually opening a bike shop in Phoenix, Arizona.

Then one day, a biographer researching Bezos arrived with an astonishing revelation.

“When the writer came in and told you that your son was Jeff Bezos, what was your reaction?” Jorgensen was asked.

Jorgensen, who died in 2015, recalled the conversation in disbelief.

“He asked me if I knew who Jeff Bezos was.”

“And what did you say?”

“I said, ‘No, the name kinda sounds familiar, but I don’t know him’.”

At the time, Jorgensen wasn’t using computers and had never heard of Amazon.

Ted Jorgensen hoped for one final chance to meet Jeff Bezos

The discovery forced Jorgensen to reflect on the last time he had seen his son.

“I was working in a Walmart, and I remember them comin’ to visit me for some reason,” he said.

“And it was cold, and he had his little winter coat on, and I just remember him walkin’ down the aisle comin’ to see me.”

After Jorgensen lost contact with the family, Jackie married Miguel ‘Mike’ Bezos, who adopted Jeff and raised him as his own.

Meanwhile, Jorgensen continued living in a modest suburban home in Phoenix while Bezos went on to become one of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs.

When Jorgensen learned the scale of his son’s success, he was stunned.

“27 billion, you know, with a B?” he said after hearing an estimate of Bezos’ wealth at the time.

Despite the unimaginable fortune, Jorgensen insisted he wanted nothing from Bezos financially.

Battling emphysema in his later years, he simply hoped for an opportunity to apologise and reconnect.

“What would you say to him?” he was asked.

“I would just like to tell him I used to change your diapers, you know?” Jorgensen replied with a laugh.

“And just see him, shake his hand, and tell him he’s really done a good job with his life.”

It’s a remarkable story that proves even the world’s most famous success stories can still contain family secrets, surprise dad reveals and billions of dollars.