MacKenzie Bezos to give away half her fortune
May 29, 2019
MacKenzie Bezos said Tuesday she planned to give away half of her multibillion-dollar fortune as part of a philanthropy campaign founded by billionaires Warren Buffett and Bill Gates.
Bezos became the world's third-richest woman in April when she and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced that their 25-year marriage was over. After finalizing the divorce settlement, she received a quarter of the stock they owned and gained a fortune of about $36 billion (€32 billion).
Jeff Bezos, the world's richest man, was estimated to be worth around $130 billion at the time.
Read more: The world's richest tech entrepreneurs
MacKenzie Bezos said in a statement that she has "a disproportionate amount of money to share" and her approach to philanthropy will continue to be thoughtful.
"It will take time and effort and care. But I won't wait. And I will keep at it until the safe is empty."
In the past, Bezos has supported causes including housing for homeless families, scholarships for undocumented immigrants, marriage equality and cancer research.
Her latest donation is part of the Giving Pledge initiative set up by Buffett and Gates in 2010. More than 200 people have signed up to the campaign by committing to give away at least half their wealth.
nm/se (Reuters, AFP, dpa)
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