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Jeff Bezos says he'll give away most of his $124 billion before he dies

Daniel Howley
·Technology Editor
Updated ·2-min read

Amazon (AMZN) founder Jeff Bezos says he will give away the bulk of his $124 billion fortune in his lifetime. In an exclusive interview with CNN, Bezos and his partner Lauren Sanchez explained how the former Amazon CEO will donate the majority of his billions to fight climate change.

Bezos told CNN that he and Sanchez are establishing a framework to determine how to donate his wealth. The Amazon chair didn’t specify exactly how much he plans to give away. Some of the funds will also be used to support individuals who seek to unite the world at a time of political and social upheaval.

Bezos and Sanchez kicked off his giveaway on Saturday, announcing that he will provide country music icon Dolly Parton with a $100 million grant through Bezos’ Courage and Civility Award. Parton is the third recipient of the award.

Bezos is the fourth richest person in the world, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index. Unlike other billionaires on the list such as Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, Bezos has not signed on to the Giving Pledge, an organization designed to help the world’s richest people donate the majority of their wealth either in their lifetimes or in their wills.

NOVEMBER 13th 2022: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos awards $100 million to fellow philanthropist Dolly Parton to donate to her favorite charities. - File Photo by: zz/Dennis Van Tine/STAR MAX/IPx 2017 12/14/17 Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos at the premiere of
NOVEMBER 13th 2022: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos awards $100 million to fellow philanthropist Dolly Parton to donate to her favorite charities. - File Photo by: zz/Dennis Van Tine/STAR MAX/IPx 2017 12/14/17 Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos at the premiere of "The Post" held on December 14, 2017 in Washington, DC. (zz/Dennis Van Tine/STAR MAX/IPx)

The former CEO runs the Bezos Earth Fund, which he established to fight climate change. But his commitments to other charitable endeavors are dwarfed by his fellow billionaires. In particular, Bezos’ ex-wife MacKenzie Scott, whose net worth is valued at $23.8 billion, has donated $10.2 billion more than Bezos in a little more than two years.

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In October, Scott donated $84.5 million to the Girl Scouts. So far, Bezos has donated roughly $2 billion to charity.

Bezos, who stepped down as Amazon CEO in July 2021, now spends his time focusing on his reusable rocket startup Blue Origin. Andy Jassy, the former head of Amazon Web Services, serves as the company's CEO. Bezos is still Amazon's largest shareholder.

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Got a tip? Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@yahoofinance.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley.

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