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MacKenzie Bezos pledges to donate half her $37bn fortune | MacKenzie Bezos pledges to donate half her $37bn fortune |
(32 minutes later) | |
MacKenzie Bezos, the ex-wife of Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, has promised to give half her fortune to charity. | MacKenzie Bezos, the ex-wife of Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, has promised to give half her fortune to charity. |
She joins billionaires such as investor Warren Buffett and Microsoft founder Bill Gates in the Giving Pledge. | She joins billionaires such as investor Warren Buffett and Microsoft founder Bill Gates in the Giving Pledge. |
The pledge was started by Mr Buffett and Mr Gates and calls for the richest to give away half or more of their wealth. | The pledge was started by Mr Buffett and Mr Gates and calls for the richest to give away half or more of their wealth. |
Ms Bezos is estimated to be worth almost $37bn (£29bn). She and Mr Bezos divorced earlier this year. | Ms Bezos is estimated to be worth almost $37bn (£29bn). She and Mr Bezos divorced earlier this year. |
She acquired 4% of the company in the settlement. | |
"In addition to whatever assets life has nurtured in me, I have a disproportionate amount of money to share," she said in a statement. "My approach to philanthropy will continue to be thoughtful. It will take time and effort and care." | "In addition to whatever assets life has nurtured in me, I have a disproportionate amount of money to share," she said in a statement. "My approach to philanthropy will continue to be thoughtful. It will take time and effort and care." |
The Giving Pledge has been signed by 204 individuals, couples and families from 23 countries. | The Giving Pledge has been signed by 204 individuals, couples and families from 23 countries. |
Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, CNN founder Ted Turner and entertainment executive Barry Diller were among the initial signatories in 2010. | Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, CNN founder Ted Turner and entertainment executive Barry Diller were among the initial signatories in 2010. |
Pledges this year have come from hedge fund billionaire Paul Tudor Jones; Jeremy Grantham, who is co-founder of US investment firm GMO; and Emirati businessman Sheikh Mohammed bin Musallam bin Ham Al Ameri. | Pledges this year have come from hedge fund billionaire Paul Tudor Jones; Jeremy Grantham, who is co-founder of US investment firm GMO; and Emirati businessman Sheikh Mohammed bin Musallam bin Ham Al Ameri. |
Public promise | Public promise |
The pledge is a public promise rather than a legal contract, according to its website, which says: "The goal is to talk about giving in an open way and create an atmosphere that can draw more people into philanthropy." | The pledge is a public promise rather than a legal contract, according to its website, which says: "The goal is to talk about giving in an open way and create an atmosphere that can draw more people into philanthropy." |
Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan joined the list in 2015, saying they will give away 99% of their shares in the company to good causes. | |
He said they were donating their fortune to the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to make the world a better place for their daughter Max to grow up in. The shares, worth more than £60bn, will not be donated to charity immediately, but over the course of the couple's lives. | |
Mr Bezos is not one of the signatories to the Giving Pledge. Last year, he put $2bn into a charitable fund he established to help the homeless and set up a new network of schools. | Mr Bezos is not one of the signatories to the Giving Pledge. Last year, he put $2bn into a charitable fund he established to help the homeless and set up a new network of schools. |
The move attracted a backlash from some quarters as Mr Bezos has been accused of underpaying his staff. | |
He is estimated by Bloomberg to be worth $114bn. | He is estimated by Bloomberg to be worth $114bn. |
Other top-10 billionaires who have not joined the pledge are Google co-founder Larry Page, Bernard Arnault, head of French luxury goods firm LVMH, and Mexican telecoms chief Carlos Slim. | |
British pledgers include Lord Michael Ashcroft, Sir Richard Branson, Phones 4u founder John Caudwell, Stagecoach co-founder Ann Gloag, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, property developer Sir Tom Hunter, Lord David Sainsbury and oil businessman Sir Ian Wood. |