The valuation of Mr Bezos’s wealth by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index broke the previous mark that Mr Bezos set in September 2018, when his holdings were valued at $167.7 billion.

According to World Bank estimates, Bezos is now worth more than the GDP of Hungary or Algeria.

Mr Bezos’ wealth has been driven by a surge in demand for delivered items across the world as the coronavirus pandemic forces businesses to close. The spike in demand thrust Amazon’s share price up by over 50% this year, despite increasing criticism over the firm’s employee treatment and safety standards.

The rise in his wealth also comes just two years after he and his wife MacKenzie Bezos split. Jeff Bezos agreed a divorce settlement which saw his ex receive a quarter of their jointly-held Amazon stock - the equivalent to a 4% stake in the firm.

Their divorce settlement was valued at $38bn in total, making Ms Bezos the fourth-richest woman in the world, The Times reports.