Amazon founder Jeff Bezos reveals the one rule that helped him make decisions that built a $2.9 trillion empire: 'I like to putter....'

With a net worth of $277 billion (as per Forbes), Jeff Bezos is undoubtedly one of the wealthiest people in the world. According to a Stock Analysis.com report, Amazon's net worth is a staggering $2.91 trillion. In a recent conference, the business tycoon shared his secret of making sound decisions—that is, not making a decision before 10:00 am!

Bezos starts his day differently from many busy executives. Instead of diving into overflowing emails, urgent tasks, or back-to-back meetings, he dedicates his early morning to simple personal habits—savoring coffee, reading the newspaper, and having breakfast with his children before school. Guarding this quiet family time is a top priority for him.

He shared this routine during a 2018 talk at the Economic Club of Washington, DC, challenging the common idea that success demands nonstop hustle. Unlike many leaders who boast about waking before dawn and running on little sleep, Bezos values around eight hours of rest, a calm morning routine, and saving his mental energy for the most important decisions.


“I like to putter in the morning," Bezos said. "I like to read the newspaper. I like to have coffee. I like to have breakfast with my kids before they go to school. My puttering time is very important to me. That's why I set my first meeting at 10 o'clock," he explained.

In his words, the best time for complex work is late morning, when his focus is sharpest. He schedules his first meeting at 10 a.m., reserving demanding decisions for before lunch since cognitive ability wanes later in the day. Scientific studies back this approach, showing decision fatigue reduces judgment quality as choices pile up. Bezos believes success comes from a few high-quality decisions rather than many rushed ones, echoing Warren Buffett’s view that a handful of excellent decisions can shape long-term achievement.

"As a senior executive, what do you really get paid to do? You get paid to make a small number of high quality decisions," he said. "If I make three good decisions a day, that's enough. Warren Buffett says he's good if he makes three good decisions a year,” he said.