Jeff Bezos’ Father Fled Cuba Alone at 16 — His Mother Made Him a Heavy Coat From Cleaning Rags: 'My Dad's Story Really Shows That People Help Each Other'

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ adoptive father, Miguel “Mike” Bezos, arrived in America alone at 16 as a Cuban refugee, carrying little more than a homemade coat.

Jeff Bezos’ Father Fled Cuba Alone

Mike left Cuba after Fidel Castro’s rise to power, as the government nationalized businesses, including his father’s lumber mill. His parents secured a U.S. visa for him and sent him to America alone.

"My parents were not allowed to go into the airport with me," Mike recalled in a video posted by Amazon on YouTube in 2019. "So they dropped me off, I got on an airplane and landed in Miami 45 minutes later."

He was allowed to bring only a few belongings — three shirts, three pairs of pants, three pairs of underwear and one pair of shoes.

But his parents made sure he had one item.

His Mother Made Him a Coat From Cleaning Rags

Mike’s mother worried that her teenage son would be cold in America. So, using cleaning rags and knitting materials, she made him a heavy coat with help from his older sister.

The handmade jacket became a family keepsake.

Mike spent about three weeks at a Florida refugee camp before being sent to Wilmington, Delaware, where he enrolled in high school despite not speaking English.

"You do learn the language very quickly when you’re immersed in it," Mike said, recalling how his grades improved as he learned English.

Jeff Bezos Says His Father’s Story Is About Helping Others

Mike eventually earned a college scholarship in New Mexico, where he met Jacklyn, Jeff Bezos’ mother.

Looking back, Jeff said his father’s journey required extraordinary determination — but also support from people who helped him along the way.

"He had an enormous amount of grit and determination," Jeff said. "He had incredibly kind and supportive people who guided him all along the way.

"My dad’s story really shows that people help each other," he added.

Mike concluded the video saying, "I look back on my life, and I had lived the American dream 30 years ago. It’s just really out of this world."

Bezos’ Fortune and His Biological Father

Mike’s fortune, estimated at more than $40 billion, includes stakes in Amazon, Uber Technologies Inc. and Meta Platforms.

Jeff’s biological father remained unaware of his son’s success for decades, learning only in 2012 that Jeff had become one of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs after journalist Brad Stone tracked him down.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Photo: lev radin on Shutterstock.com