> would it pain you greatly to sell off some of that stock every year to pay taxes on your gains I imagine it would be painful because you'd lose control of th

> would it pain you greatly to sell off some of that stock every year to pay taxes on your gains I imagine it would be painful because you'd lose control of the company. If someone founds a great company, why should the taxman take it away? And why should we expect the new owner to be any better? As to whether Amazon provides something millions of people want, the facts speak for themselves. People choose to shop at Amazon, despite all its problems, instead of a brick and mortar store or another website. No one forces them. I'm not a big fan of Amazon myself, but whether you (or I) think Amazon is good is irrelevant. Millions of people love it.