Being a Distinguished Engineer is the highest there is for an engineer. He moved away from management and max'd out on the engineering track.
https://college.lclark.edu/programs/entrepreneurship/firesid...
https://college.lclark.edu/programs/entrepreneurship/firesid...
The "self-demotion" is real though, especially since, according to the (much disputed) book, The Everything Store, alv declined Bezos' offer to lead AWS, and the job then of course was Andy Jassy's (who took over from Colin Bryar) which laid the foundation for him to eventually become the CEO-elect of one of the most enduring companies of all time.
I mean, in an alternate universe, alv is the CEO-elect :) Imagine the scenes!