The third richest person in the world, Jeff Bezos, has a morning ritual that involves a pretty expensive piece of tech.
Amazon founder and space enthusiast Bezos likes to start his day with a cup of coffee – black with non-dairy cream, to be precise. And the vessel of choice? A smart, self-warming mug that will set you back $149.95.
Bezos has been revealed as a fan of the Ember Mug in a new Vogue interview with his partner, Lauren Sánchez.
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It’s basically a high-tech mug with its own heating element and battery, so if you like to nurse your coffee for a good hour or so, you can, as the cup will keep your drink hot.
You can even control it with your phone, setting it to the right temperature via an app – a deal breaker for those who don’t like to down their drink as soon as they get it. If you want the travel mug version, that will cost closer to $200.
This small detail about Bezos’ morning routine offers a rare glimpse into the personal life of a man who has shaped the modern digital landscape. Perhaps the Ember Mug is symbolic of Bezos' approach to life: a blend of simplicity and efficiency but – of course – embedded in technology.
The Ember mug has become a celebrity favourite – Joe and Nick Jonas were initial investors in the company, and the likes of Reese Witherspoon and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have been seen using one.
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Bezos has evolved from his early days as an online bookseller to a figure often compared to Tony Stark, known for his ventures into industry and space exploration. Stepping down as Amazon CEO in 2021 marked a new phase in his life, focusing more on his profound interest in space exploration.
The Vogue interview with Sánchez reflects this, shedding light on Bezos' love of space and the work of his company, Blue Origin.
Sánchez – a trained helicopter pilot who has played a significant role in the aerial production aspects of Blue Origin's projects – is planning to join Bezos on his exploits in space soon enough.
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Earlier this year, it was revealed that Blue Origin will send Sánchez and a crew of women to space in early 2024.
It will mark the first-ever all-female crew in space, although we don’t yet know who will be joining Sánchez – all she will say is they are “paving the way for women”.
Bezos, 59, travelled to space with three crew mates - his brother Mark Bezos, 56, pioneering female aviator Wally Funk, 83, and physics student Oliver Daemen, 20 - on the maiden flight of Blue Origin’s New Shepard launch vehicle on 20 July 2021.