SOURCE OF WEALTH: Founder and Former CEO of Amazon
OVERVIEW: Jeff Bezos is one of the wealthiest people in the world. His philanthropy has, so far, been less comprehensive than his billionaire counterparts, including that of his ex-partner, MacKenzie Scott. Back in 2017, Bezos put out an open call on Twitter soliciting ideas to guide his philanthropy. So far, three major funding vehicles bear the Bezos name: the Bezos Earth Fund, the Bezos Day One Fund and the Bezos Family Foundation, which his parents established 2003 with proceeds from he sale of Amazon stock. More recently, Bezos and new partner Lauren Sánchez established the annual Courage and Civility award, which recognizes individuals whose philanthropic efforts have a profound effect on society.
Bezos has also announced that, although he is not a Giving Pledge signatory, he intends to give away most of his money in his lifetime.
BACKGROUND: Bezos was born in Albuquerque and studied computer science and electrical engineering at Princeton University. He worked on Wall Street, and eventually became the youngest senior vice president at the investment firm D.E. Shaw. He went on to found Amazon, a company whose value has climbed dramatically in recent years. Jeff Bezos made his first major grants alongside his previous partner, MacKenzie Scott. Since their divorce in 2019, each has engaged in separate funding with different levels of impact. In early 2021, Bezos announced his intention to step down as CEO of Amazon later in the year. He wrote, “As Exec Chair I will stay engaged in important Amazon initiatives but also have the time and energy I need to focus on the Day 1 Fund, the Bezos Earth Fund, Blue Origin, The Washington Post, and my other passions.” On July 20, 2021, Bezos completed an 11 minute space flight aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard launch vehicle. He married former journalist and media personality Lauren Sánchez in a lavish wedding that was said to have cost at least $20 million.
ISSUES:
CLIMATE CHANGE: In early 2020, Bezos pledged $10 billion toward the creation of the Bezos Earth Fund to combat climate change, which Bezos has called “the biggest threat to our planet.” He has since given $100 million each to the Environmental Defense Fund, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Nature Conservancy, the World Wildlife Fund, as well as the World Resources Institute. The Earth Fund has scaled back some of its climate work since the second election of Trump. A newer area of interest, however, concerns the use of AI in climate mitigation strategies.
MEDICAL RESEARCH: Over the years, Bezos has made some large gifts to leading medical research institutions. Some of this funding stems from the Bezos Family Foundation, which is run by Jeff Bezos’s parents and siblings, but Bezos has made private gifts to research as well.
One of Jeff and MacKenzie’s first major grants was a $10 million donation to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to jumpstart a program to expand the use of certain types of immunotherapy for breast, ovarian and prostate cancers. The Bezos Family Foundation followed this up with $20 million grant in 2014, and another $35 million in 2017.
Another early gift was a $15 million donation to Princeton University, Bezos’s and Scott’s alma mater, to create the Bezos Center for Neural Circuit Dynamics, which focuses on a relatively new field of research known as “connectomics,” which involves the measurement of neural connectivity and mining to better understand the brain functioning and disorders.
In late 2021, the Bezos family donated $166 million to NYU Langone Health for its community health programs in Brooklyn.
EDUCATION: The Bezos Family Foundation has given millions in grants, both large and small, for education. It also funds the Bezos Scholars Program at the Aspen Institute every year. Family members sit on the board of the foundation, which is funded with gifts of Amazon stock from Bezos’ parents.
As far as his personal education giving, Bezos has supported Worldreader, a nonprofit started by one of his former employees that brings reading to parts of the world which previously had no access through the use of e-readers.
Bezos also launched the Day 1 Academies Fund, which is overseen by his Day One Fund which has funded the establishment of 41 Bezos Academy preschools in underserved communities in Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Texas and Washington.
ARTS & CULTURE: In 2011, Bezos gave $10 million to the Museum of History & Industry to establish a Center for Innovation at its new location. Another main recipient is the Smithsonian, which, over a period of several years, received about $200 million for the renovation of the National Air & Space Museum, which will house the Bezos Learning Center.
IMMIGRANTS: Bezos and MacKenzie previously donated $33 million to a scholarship fund for young “dreamers,” immigrants brought to the United States as children. The motivation is personal here, as Bezos’ adoptive father Mike left Cuba as part of Operation Pedro Pan and arrived in the United States. It is unclear if support for immigrants’ causes will continue in the current political climate.
HUMAN SERVICES: Bezos gave $100 million toward Feeding America’s Covid-19 Response Fund, which supports 200 member food banks across the country. He also donated $25 million to start the Amazon Relief Fund, which will offer grants of $400 to $5,000 to “Amazon Flex Delivery Partners, Delivery Service Partner Delivery Associates, Temporary Associates employed by eligible staffing agencies, and drivers of eligible line haul partners under financial distress due to a COVID-19 diagnosis or quarantine.” Meanwhile the Bezos Day One Families Fund, supports organizations providing services to homeless families in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and D.C. to the tune of about $100 million a year.
OTHER: Bezos established the Courage and Civility awards program in 2021 with Lauren Sánchez. The $100,000 prize recognizes individuals who make profound contributions to society across a range of interest areas. It is typically awarded to two people. The expectation is that recipients will redistribute the prize to charitable causes of their choosing. In 2024, the awardees were Eva Longoria, whose philanthropic work focuses on services and education in underserved Latino communities, and Bill McRaven, a navy veteran whose work revolves mental health and education for veterans and their families.
LOOKING FORWARD: With Bezos’ announcement that he intends to give away the majority of his net worth in his lifetime, expect him to spend more time on his philanthropy and other interests. While he has the means and ability to become a major donor on par with the Gates Foundation, what shape this will take is anyone’s guess. He has said that climate change and unifying humanity’s social and political divisions remain top priorities.
