Jeff Bezos donates $100 million to Obama foundation in honour of John Lewis
Bezos, 57, has been on a charitable binge since stepping down as CEO of Amazon.com Inc. in July, donating about $600 million this year, including the newest announcement, which was first reported on Monday by Puck Media.
FollowJeff Bezos is contributing $100 million to the Obama Foundation. It is the largest single donation ever given to former President Barack Obama's charity organisation. According to Courtney Williams, a foundation representative said that the contribution made in memory of late Congressman John Lewis would "help broaden the scope of programming that targets rising leaders in the United States and throughout the world. Â Bezos has requested that the plaza of the Obama Presidential Center be renamed John Lewis Plaza as part of the donation, according to the spokesman.
Bezos, 57, has been on a charitable binge since stepping down as CEO of Amazon.com Inc. in July, donating about $600 million this year, including the newest announcement, which was first reported on Monday by Puck Media. Bezos announced a $200 million contribution to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum only days before his firm Blue Origin completed an 11-minute journey into space, with the majority of the money going to create the Bezos Learning Center.
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Following the trip, Bezos said that he will donate $100 million to CNN political commentator Van Jones, founder of Dream Corps, and chef Jose Andres, co-founder of World Central Kitchen, which helps feed people in disaster-stricken areas. Bezos also announced a $2 billion Day One Fund pledge to combat family homelessness, with $96 million going to 32 groups. Bezos' $10 billion Earth Fund vow to fight climate change has also exposed more of his strategy in recent months, particularly at the COP26 in Glasgow.
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Separately, the Bezos Family Foundation, founded by his parents Jackie and Mike, contributed $166 million to NYU Langone Health, according to a statement made on Monday. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Bezos, who is worth $209.9 billion, has dramatically upped his charitable contributions after years of relatively low giving.
