Amazon founder Jeff Bezos plans to give away the majority of his US$124 billion net worth during his lifetime, telling CNN in an exclusive interview he will devote the bulk of his wealth to fighting climate change and supporting people who can unify humanity in the face of deep social and political divisions.
Though Bezos' vow was light on specifics, this marks the first time he has announced that he plans to give away most of his money. Critics have chided Bezos for not signing the , a promise by hundreds of the world's richest people to donate the majority of their wealth to charitable causes.
In a sit-down interview with CNN's Chloe Melas on Saturday at his Washington, D.C., home, Bezos, speaking alongside his partner, the journalist-turned-philanthropist Lauren S谩nchez, said the couple is "building the capacity to be able to give away this money."
Asked directly by CNN whether he intends to donate the majority of his wealth within his lifetime, Bezos said: "Yeah, I do."
Bezos said he and S谩nchez agreed to their first interview together since they began dating in 2019 to help shine a spotlight on the Bezos Courage and Civility Award, granted this year to musician Dolly Parton.
The 20-minute exchange with Bezos and S谩nchez covered a broad range of topics, from Bezos's views on political dialogue and a to S谩nchez's plan to with an all-female crew and her reflections on a flourishing business partnership with Bezos.
That working relationship was on display Saturday as Bezos and S谩nchez announced a as part of her Courage and Civility Award. It is the third such award, following similar grants to chef Jose Andr茅s, who has spent some of the money making meals for Ukrainians 鈥 and the climate advocate and .
"When you think of Dolly," said S谩nchez in the interview, "Look, everyone smiles, right? She is just beaming with light. And all she wants to do is bring light into other people's worlds. And so we couldn't have thought of someone better than to give this award to Dolly, and we know she's going to do amazing things with it."
The throughline connecting the Courage and Civility Award grantees, Bezos said, was their capacity to bring many people together to solve large challenges.
"I just feel honored to be able to be a part of what they're doing for this world," Bezos told CNN.
Unity, Bezos said, is a trait that will be necessary to confront climate change and one that he repeatedly invoked as he blasted politicians and social media for amplifying division.
But the couple's biggest challenge may be figuring out how to distribute Bezos' vast fortune. Bezos declined to identify a specific percentage or to provide concrete details on where it would likely be spent.
Despite being the fourth-wealthiest person in the world, according to the , Bezos has refrained from setting a target amount to give away in his lifetime.
Bezos has committed US$10 billion over 10 years, or about 8% of his current net worth, to the Bezos Earth Fund, which S谩nchez co-chairs. Among its priorities are reducing the carbon footprint of construction-grade cement and steel; pushing financial regulators to consider climate-related risks; advancing data and mapping technologies to monitor carbon emissions; and building natural, plant-based carbon sinks on a large scale.
Though Bezos is now Amazon's executive chair and not its CEO 鈥 he stepped down from that role in 2021 鈥 he is still involved in the greening of the company. Amazon is one of more than 300 companies that have pledged to reduce their carbon footprint by 2040 according to the principles of the Paris Climate Agreement, Bezos said, though Amazon's footprint grew by 18% in 2021, reflecting a pandemic-driven e-commerce boom. Amazon's reckoning with its own effect on the climate mirrors its outsized impact on everything from debates about unionization to antitrust policy, where the company has attracted an enormous level of scrutiny from regulators, lawmakers, and civil society groups.
Bezos compared his philanthropic strategy to his years-long effort constructing a titanic engine of e-commerce and cloud computing that has made him one of the most powerful people in the world.
"The hard part is figuring out how to do it in a levered way," he said, implying that even as he gives away his billions, he is still looking to maximize his return. "It's not easy. Building Amazon was not easy. It took a lot of hard work, a bunch of very smart teammates, hard-working teammates, and I'm finding 鈥 and I think Lauren is finding the same thing 鈥 that charity, philanthropy, is very similar."
"There are a bunch of ways that I think you could do ineffective things, too," he added. "So you have to think about it carefully and you have to have brilliant people on the team."
Bezos' methodical approach to giving stands in sharp contrast to that of his ex-wife, the philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, who recently in the span of less than a year.
While Bezos and S谩nchez plot out their plans for Bezos' immense wealth, many people of more modest means are bracing for what economists fear may be an extended economic downturn.
Last month, Bezos a warning to his followers on Twitter, recommending that they "batten down the hatches."
The advice was meant for business owners and consumers alike, Bezos said in the interview, suggesting that individuals should consider putting off buying big ticket items they've been eyeing 鈥 or that companies should slow their acquisitions and capital expenditures.
"Take some risk off the table," Bezos said. "Keep some dry powder on hand.... Just a little bit of risk reduction could make the difference for that small business, if we do get into even more serious economic problems. You've got to play the probabilities a little bit."
Many may be feeling the pinch now, he added, but argued that as an optimist he believes the American Dream "is and will be even more attainable in the future" 鈥 projecting that within Bezos' lifetime, space travel could become broadly accessible to the public
S谩nchez said the couple make "really great teammates," though she laughed, "We can be kind of boring," S谩nchez said. Bezos smiled and replied, "Never boring."
S谩nchez, the founder of Black Ops Aviation, the first female-owned and operated aerial film and production company is a trained helicopter pilot. She said in the interview that they've both taken turns in the driver's seat.
Bezos has credited for helping to inspire his push to fight climate change. Now, it is S谩nchez's turn.
S谩nchez told CNN she anticipates venturing into orbit herself sometime in 2023. And while she did not directly address who will be joining her 鈥 quickly ruling out Bezos as a crewmate 鈥 she said simply: "It'll be a great group of females."
Bezos may be adding NFL owner to his resume. CNN recently reported that Bezos and Jay-Z are in talks on a potential .
It is not clear if the two have yet spoken with Dan Snyder and his wife, Tanya, the current owners of the NFL team, about the possibility.
But during the interview on Saturday, Melas asked Bezos if the speculation was true.
"Yes, I've heard that buzz," Bezos said with a smile.
S谩nchez chimed in with a laugh, "I do like football. I'm just going to throw that out there for everyone."
Bezos added, "I grew up in Houston, Texas, and I played football growing up as a kid ... and it is my favorite sport ... so we'll just have to wait and see."
The Bank of Canada made a sizable cut to its key lending rate Wednesday from 4.25 per cent to 3.75 per cent as the global economy continues to expand. The half percentage point cut is the fourth rate cut in a row by the central bank as inflation dropped from 2.7 per cent in June to 1.6 per cent in September.
A new report suggests that Canadians' exposure to a radioactive gas is increasing, putting millions of people at a higher risk of developing lung cancer.
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The Bank of Montreal says it has restored access to its website after an outage Wednesday.
Gisele Pelicot, the 72-year-old victim of mass rape whose ordeal has shocked the world, told a trial in southern France on Wednesday that she was determined that making her case public should help other women and change society.
A recall has been issued for certain clothing items sold at Giant Tiger stores over high levels of lead, according to a notice published by Health Canada Tuesday.
In part two of a four-part investigation into the seedy underbelly of the lucrative clothing donation bin industry, CTV W5 uses trackers tp reveal a for-profit operation masquerading as a charity.
Police have confirmed the body of an employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax over the weekend was found in a walk-in oven.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's caucus is meeting this morning for its weekly gathering, this time with much higher stakes, as an evolving number of MPs is expected to confront the leader and ask him to step down.
The Bank of Canada made a sizable cut to its key lending rate Wednesday from 4.25 per cent to 3.75 per cent as the global economy continues to expand. The half percentage point cut is the fourth rate cut in a row by the central bank as inflation dropped from 2.7 per cent in June to 1.6 per cent in September.
A new report suggests that Canadians' exposure to a radioactive gas is increasing, putting millions of people at a higher risk of developing lung cancer.
A recall has been issued for certain clothing items sold at Giant Tiger stores over high levels of lead, according to a notice published by Health Canada Tuesday.
An oil salvage operation is underway on the fragile wreckage of a U.S. army transport ship that sank almost 80 years ago off coastal British Columbia in a race to head off an eruption of thousands of litres of oil that a coast guard official says is "near imminent."
Ellen Francis says she and her family were having a great time at one of Cuba's famously stunning beaches and exploring the popular tourist town of Varadero when the situation turned into something like a scary movie.
British Columbia's highest court has weighed in on a dispute over an inflatable hot tub a couple set up on their condo's patio 鈥 potentially bringing a close to the years-long conflict.
Donald Trump's longest-serving chief of staff is warning that the Republican presidential nominee meets the definition of a fascist and that while in office, Trump suggested that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler 'did some good things.'
A Polish radio station has triggered controversy after dismissing its journalists and relaunching this week with AI-generated 'presenters.'
French politicians are deeply divided over the fate of lawmaker Andy Kerbrat, caught last week buying synthetic drugs, and whether his breaking the law should push him to resign.
Ukraine will receive US$50 billion in loans, backed by frozen Russian assets, from Group of Seven allies, the White House said Wednesday. Distribution of the money will begin by year's end, according to American officials.
Assailants set off explosives and opened fire in an attack Wednesday on the premises of the Turkish state-run aerospace and defence company TUSAS, killing four people and wounding several, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.
Three people were found dead Wednesday and four others were hospitalized after an 'unexplained' incident at a care home in southern England, police said.
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A recall has been issued for certain clothing items sold at Giant Tiger stores over high levels of lead, according to a notice published by Health Canada Tuesday.
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Harvey Weinstein's retrial on sex crimes charges in Manhattan won't start until at least next year 鈥 and his lawyer plans to hire a private investigator to look into a new allegation against the movie mogul that will now be part of the case.
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A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.
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Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.
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Ten things to do with friends or family this weekend.
The Bank of Canada made a sizable cut to its key lending rate Wednesday from 4.25 per cent to 3.75 per cent as the global economy continues to expand. The half percentage point cut is the fourth rate cut in a row by the central bank as inflation dropped from 2.7 per cent in June to 1.6 per cent in September.
Popular Kanata restaurant D'Arcy McGee's has suddenly closed its doors. In a post on Facebook Tuesday night, D'Arcy McGee's said, "We will sadly be closing our doors."
An Orl茅ans property that once belonged to a religious order is now in the City of Ottawa's hands.
Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante will not be seeking reelection.
As the case of the Bedford school, where teachers created a climate of terror, has brought the debate on secularism to the fore, Quebec Solidaire (QS) is joining the Parti Qu茅b茅cois (PQ) in calling for an end to the funding of religious schools in the province.
The majority of optometrists in Quebec will withdraw from the public health-care insurance program (RAMQ) as of Nov. 22, meaning that patients covered by the public plan will have to pay for services.
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Cool mornings and mild afternoons through the rest of this week in Edmonton and area.
The Bank of Canada made a sizable cut to its key lending rate Wednesday from 4.25 per cent to 3.75 per cent as the global economy continues to expand. The half percentage point cut is the fourth rate cut in a row by the central bank as inflation dropped from 2.7 per cent in June to 1.6 per cent in September.
The Nova Scotia government says it plans to reduce the province's harmonized sales tax (HST) rate by one percentage point next year.
The Southwest Nova RCMP Major Crime Unit has taken over the investigation into a fatal shooting in Kingston, N.S.
Police have confirmed the body of an employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax over the weekend was found in a walk-in oven.
The Manitoba government is looking to add more liquor outlets inside food and grocery stores.
An armed man was restrained by customers after he attempted to rob a Winnipeg restaurant on Monday.
It's being hailed as a sizable cut to the Bank of Canada's interest rate and the largest since the central bank began slashing in the summer.
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Employees at a grocery store in Cambridge had a surprising start to their morning as they walked in to work to find a fire.
Ontario Provincial Police are looking for a missing teenager from Goderich.
With the war in Ukraine still going on and Saskatchewan now home to hundreds of newcomers fleeing the attacks, there鈥檚 been a resurgence of a youth group here in Saskatoon.
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A Saskatoon family is voicing concerns after paying twice as much PST as expected on a recently purchased truck.
Greater Sudbury has ended the employment of CAO Ed Archer, Mayor Paul Lefebvre announced suddenly Tuesday evening
The Bank of Montreal says it has restored access to its website after an outage Wednesday.
Police have confirmed the body of an employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax over the weekend was found in a walk-in oven.
A man is miraculously alive after driving his pickup truck through the fence and down a 150-foot embankment at Hawk Cliff in near Port Stanley, Ont.
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A new mental health and addictions service inventory is launching for those looking for help with mental health and addition in Windsor and Essex County.
Chatham-Kent is set to distribute Cyanokits to the community.
A recall has been issued for certain clothing items sold at Giant Tiger stores over high levels of lead, according to a notice published by Health Canada Tuesday.
An oil salvage operation is underway on the fragile wreckage of a U.S. army transport ship that sank almost 80 years ago off coastal British Columbia in a race to head off an eruption of thousands of litres of oil that a coast guard official says is "near imminent."
Green Leader Sonia Furstenau is set to meet the media for the first time since British Columbia's indecisive election on Saturday, amid speculation about a possible minority government.
Mounties in British Columbia say a second person has been found dead after two vehicles ended up in a river on Vancouver Island when a road washed out amid torrential rains over the weekend.
Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.
A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.
Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.
A proposed coal mine 鈥 not tourism 鈥 is critical in revitalizing southwestern Alberta communities along the edge of the Rockies, a group in favour of a controversial project maintains.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she's waiting for NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi to declare where he intends to run for office before she calls a byelection in Lethbridge.
The health of honeybees will be the focus of a presentation at the University of Lethbridge on Wednesday evening.
The union representing the fire rangers with the Ministry of Natural Resources says money won鈥檛 fix the systemic problems in the workplace.
Rallies by a group called Voices Against Violence took place across the country on Monday, including Sault Ste. Marie.
An Indigenous group in northwestern Ontario shut down the highway for a couple of hours Monday morning in protest after ancestral remains were found at a construction site.
Police in western Newfoundland say a 77-year-old man visiting the province from Kansas is missing after a fire at a hotel in Deer Lake, N.L.
At 2 p.m. on Thursday, the scene at the Lions Club in Clarenville, N.L., rivalled any rowdy St. John's bar that thumps with music late on a weekend night.
A Newfoundland scientist known for identifying a gelatinous, rancid mass that washed up on the island's shores decades ago is hoping to get his hands on a slice of the strange white globs appearing on the province's beaches.
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