People with an opinion of how Bezos should spend his money have criticized him for not acting sooner. Bezos also hasn’t signed the Giving Pledge, a charitable organization founded by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett in 2010 that encourages wealthy individuals and couples to contribute at least half of their net worth to philanthropic causes, either during their lifetime or when they die. More than 230 signatories from 28 different countries have signed the Giving Pledge to date including Bezos’ ex-wife MacKenzie Scott. She currently ranks 18th on the Forbes 400 with a net worth of approximately $37.7 billion. Bezos said most of his wealth will be used to fight climate change and to support people who he believes can unify humanity. Over the weekend, country music star and philanthropist Dolly Parton was presented with the Bezos Courage and Civility Award. The honor came with a $100 million grant that Parton can donate to charities as she sees fit. Bezos stepped down as CEO in July 2021 but continues to serve as the company’s executive chairman. He also owns The Washington Post and private space tourism venture Blue Origin, and is reportedly interested in purchasing the NFL’s Washington Commanders football team alongside Jay-Z.
