In an interview with US news channel CNN on Monday, the once richest person in the world said he and his partner, Lauren Sánchez, would “build up the capacity” to donate the money. When asked if she would like to donate most of her fortune for the rest of her life, 58-year-old she replied, “Yes, I do.”
According to the “Forbes” financial magazine, Bezos is currently the fourth richest person in the world, with an estimated fortune of over $120 billion. The founder of online commerce giant Amazon has long been at the top of the rankings.
But his ex-wife MacKenzie Scott, unlike Microsoft founder Bill Gates and financial investor Warren Buffett, did not attend the “Giving Pledge,” in which many billionaires pledged to donate large portions of their wealth to charities.
Bezos now told CNN that deciding where donations make the most sense was “not easy.” “Starting Amazon wasn’t easy, and I think — and I think Lauren thinks so — philanthropy and philanthropy are very similar.” There are “many ways of doing ineffective things”.
Bezos and Sánchez, 52, announced over the weekend that they will give $100 million to country music legend Dolly Parton, thus donating the money to charities of her choice. Parton advocated for children’s literacy skills.
(AFP)