Amazon founder Jeff Bezos plans to give away most of his $124 billion fortune while he’s still alive.
In an interview with CNN, Bezos was asked if he planned to donate most of his money to charity, to which he replied, “Yes, I do.”
He plans to focus his charity on climate change and supporting people who can unite the world.
Bezos, the fourth richest person in the world, has been criticized for not signing the Giving Pledge campaign created by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates to encourage the richest to donate most of their money to charity.
So far, he hasn’t fleshed out his plans for his fortune, despite pledging about $10 billion to the Bezos Earth Fund.
He appeared with his partner Lauren Sánchez in their first interview since they became a couple in 2019 to promote the Bezos Courage and Civility Award, which this year went to country singer and philanthropist Dolly Parton and to her ‘ awarded a grant of 100 million US dollars.
“The hardest part is figuring out how to do it with leverage,” he said. “It’s not easy. Building Amazon wasn’t easy. It took a lot of hard work — a bunch of really smart, hard-working teammates, and I discovered — and I think Lauren agrees — that charity, philanthropy, very similar is.
“I think there’s a lot of ways you can do inefficient things as well, so we’re building the capacity to be able to give that money away.”
Bezos stepped down as Amazon’s CEO last year, but remains executive chairman.
Elsewhere in the interview, Bezos said the current global financial turmoil meant it was prudent for consumers and businesses alike to “take some risk off the table.”
“Have some dry powder handy,” he added. “A little bit of de-risking can make all the difference for this small business if we end up in even bigger economic problems. You have to play with the probabilities.”
Amazon’s Prime Video streaming service is behind the most expensive show in streaming The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Firewhich has a five-season commitment worth approximately $1 billion.
Watch a clip of Bezos’ conversation with CNN here
Writer: Jesse Whittock
Source: Deadline
Joseph Fearn is an entertainment and television aficionado who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for what’s hot in the world of TV, Joseph keeps his readers informed about the latest trends and must-see shows.
