Jeff Bezos is perhaps the most well-known member of his family, but his parents occasionally make waves as well.
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Case in point: Mike and Jackie Bezos donated $185.7 million to the Aspen Institute this week, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. The money will be used to create the Center for Rising Generations, which will work toward civic engagement and leadership development for young people. The donation is the largest ever given to the Aspen Institute and the biggest endowment from the Bezos Family Foundation yet.
“My wife Jackie and I are continually inspired by the bright ideas and hope that young people bring for our collective future,” Mike Bezos said in a statement. “Supporting the leadership, passion, and creativity of young minds to enact change today has been at the heart of the Foundation, and for two decades, we’ve worked side-by-side with the Aspen Institute to support new programs and platforms for young people to put their education into action … We are confident the Center for Rising Generations will exponentially expand opportunities for our rising generations, bringing their voices to the forefront to shape our world for the better.”
The elder Bezoses have become known for their philanthropic efforts over the years. In 2022, the couple personally donated $710.5 million to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. That impressive gift allowed Jackie and Mike to reach the ranks of the top five U.S. donors of 2022. The same year, they donated Amazon shares worth $168 million in today’s prices, Bloomberg noted.
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Mike and Jackie’s wealth comes largely from their early investment in their son’s business ventures: In 1995, they gave Jeff just $245,573 to help out with Amazon, Bloomberg wrote. It’s not clear how much stock in the company they still have but they’ve been able to donate massive sums to several organizations in recent years. Since the Bezos Family Foundation was created in 2000, the philanthropic organization has made some 766 grants, with many going toward groups that support early learning and adolescence.
It seems like Jeff Bezos has gotten some philanthropic tendencies from his parents, too. The second-richest person in the world, currently worth $200 billion per the Bloomberg Billionaire Index, has pledged to give most of his wealth to charity while he’s alive. Jackie and Mike have certainly set a good example for that sort of giving.
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