Amazon founder and one of the richest people in the world, Jeff Bezos is stepping down as chief executive of the e-commerce giant.

Like Apples Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, 57-year-old Bezos started Amazon in his garage nearly 30 years ago.

BBC Tech reports that Bezos will become executive chairman, a move he says would give him “time and energy” to focus on his other ventures.

Bezos will be replaced by Andy Jassy, who currently leads Amazon’s cloud computing business.

In a letter to Amazon staff on Tuesday, Bezos says being the CEO of Amazon is a deep responsibility and consuming.

“When you have a responsibility like that, it’s hard to put attention on anything else. As Exec Chair I will stay engaged in important Amazon initiatives but also have the time and energy I need to focus on the Day 1 Fund, the Bezos Earth Fund, Blue Origin, The Washington Post, and my other passions. I’ve never had more energy, and this isn’t about retiring. I’m super passionate about the impact I think these organisations can have.”

Amazon says the change will take place in the second half of 2021.