Here are the words Jeff Bezos relies on for motivation every morning

May 7, 2018

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos tends to operate a little bit differently to other business types.

He recently made headlines after revealing that he still reads customer complaint emails and forwards problems to appropriate staff members with a formidable question mark, and now he’s shared more insight into what makes keeps him motivated.

In a photo shared to Twitter on Friday, Bezos revealed the inspirational quote he reads every day, placed proudly on his fridge door.

The quote from US writer and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson reflects on what it mans ‘to have succeeded’ and Bezos claims he’s had this front-of-mind for years.

Love this quote. It’s been on my fridge for years, and I see it every time I open the door. #Emerson pic.twitter.com/kN8HjM4bOI

— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) May 5, 2018

The quote reads:

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

However, the image was not received well by some of the entrepreneur’s half a million Twitter followers, with several questioning whether the sentiment reflected recent claims about Amazon employees’ working conditions.

In a filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission last month, it was revealed that the median pay for for Amazon employees was just $28,446 in 2017.

Jeff Bezos, who topped Forbes’ list of richest people this year with an estimated net worth of $US112 billion ($148.8 billion) , recently also confirmed he liquidates more than $1 billion of Amazon stock annually to help fund his ‘most important work’: space tourism and reusable rockets.

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