The world’s richest man and CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, has pledged $10 billion (R150,485,000,000) to help fund work done by scientists, activists and other groups that are actively trying to combat climate change.
In the past, Bezos has been called out for his lack of philanthropic work, despite being the richest man alive. His net worth is estimated at $130 billion (R1,956,305,000,000) according to Forbes.
In an Instagram post, Bezos announced he would be launching the Bezos Earth fund: ‘Climate change is the biggest threat to our planet. I want to work alongside others both to amplify known ways and to explore new ways of fighting the devastating impact of climate change on this planet we all share,’ he said on Instagram.
‘This global initiative will fund scientists, activists, NGOs – any effort that offers a real possibility to help preserve and protect the natural world.
‘We can save Earth. It’s going to take collective action from big companies, small companies, nation states, global organisations, and individuals.
’I’m committing $10bn to start and will begin issuing grants this summer. Earth is the one thing we all have in common – let’s protect it, together.’
In October 2019, Forbes 400 list named Bezos the richest man in the US with an estimated worth of $114 billion. Bill Gates is the second richest, with an estimated worth of $106 billion and Warren Buffet is the third richest with an estimated $80.8 billion.
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