Jeff Bezos, the world’s second richest man, was greeted with cheers at a charity gala at the weekend after donating $500,000 – the joint-largest pledge of the evening.
The world’s second richest man, 57, and his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez, 51, were attending an A-lister studded fundraising dinner at the Pacific Design Center in Hollywood on Saturday night.
It was hosted by the Los Angeles-based Baby2Baby charity which provides diapers, clothing and basic necessities to children living in poverty.
The charity features a host of celebrity ambassadors, including Jennifer Garner, Gwyneth Paltrow, Amy Adams and Jessica Alba, among others.
It was initially thought that a larger donation of $1million had been submitted at the event, but Baby2Baby clarified that this was incorrect and was the result of an inputting error.
The charity added that Bezos’ $500,000 donation, in addition to his pre-event giving, made him the single largest donor of the event.
The Amazon owner first became a billionaire in 1998, the year after Amazon went public as an online bookseller and has since increased his fortune by 12,425 per cent – now raking in more than $140,000 per minute.
The world’s second richest man, 57, and his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez, 51, were attending an A-lister studded fundraising dinner in Hollywood on Saturday night
Jennifer Garner, Jeff Bezos, and Lauren Sanchez attend the Baby2Baby 10-Year Gala presented by Paul Mitchell on November 13, 2021 in West Hollywood, California
Nearly 90 per cent of his wealth is tied up in his 10 per cent stake in Amazon – with each share currently worth $3,540.70 – with the rest of his money invested into other avenues such as Blue Origin and property.
However, he has previously faced criticism for lagging behind fellow billionaires, such as Bill and Melinda Gates, and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, in his charitable donations.
Despite the promise of massive donations, Bezos has given around $1.5 billion in actual funds, less than one per cent of his $203.9 billion wealth.
In comparison, the Gates’ have donated more than a third of their wealth, while Bloomberg has shelled out more than 10 percent.
Bezos has invested his fortune into a number of different avenues, including his company Blue Origin – which earlier this year took him on a voyage to space (Bezos is picture floating inside Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft on July 20)
Pictured: Jeff Bezos celebrates with his brother on July 20, 2021, after successfully returning home following a Blue Origin trip to space
However, Bezos has asked the public how he should donate his money and said that he wants to be careful to make a donation where it can be ‘at the intersection of urgent need and lasting impact.’
In January, he topped the rankings made by the Chronicle of Philanthropy with a $10 billion pledge for the Bezos Earth Fund. This was a pledge and has not yet been delivered.
Bezos is the second richest man in the world after Tesla owner Elon Musk who recently knocked him off the top spot with a fortune of $276.2 billion compared to Bezos’s $203.9 billion, according to Forbes.
Also at the gala was Kobe Bryant’s widow Vanessa, who was honored with the Giving Tree Award for her longtime support of the charity.
She paid tribute to the late LA Laker’s player in her speech, who had also been a donor to Baby 2 Baby.
Also at the gala was Kobe Bryant’s widow Vanessa, who was honored with the Giving Tree Award for her longtime support of the charity
‘I want to thank my husband Kobe and my daughters Natalia, Gianna, Bianka and Capri,’ Bryant said. ‘Without your love and support, I wouldn’t have this strength to be here this evening. I love you.’
Gianna was killed alongside her father in a helicopter crash in Janurary 2020 that killed seven others.
Other guests at the Baby 2 Baby event included Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba, Kerry Washington, Jennifer Garner, Ciara, Nicole Richie and Mindy Kaling.
Bezos and Sanchez were pictured hanging out with Garner at the glittering event.
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