Bezos Trades Atomic Time for 10,000-Year Clock

Jeff Bezos' fascination with precision timekeeping has come full circle since he was profiled in a 1999 interview, where he showed off his ultra-accurate watch that updated itself from the atomic clock 36 times a day. At the time, Amazon was still primarily an online bookstore and Bezos was comfortable embracing his geeky reputation.

Bezos described himself as 'nerdy' and hardworking, high-achieving student who had not changed since his childhood. He said his watch's ability to update itself 36 times a day was a fitting example of this.

More than two decades later, Bezos has taken a considerably longer-term turn in his interest in clocks. He has backed the construction of the Clock of the Long Now, a mechanical timepiece designed to operate for 10,000 years. The billionaire has invested roughly $42 million in the project.