• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon

2

Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026

3

'We didn’t see this coming': Wall Street eats its forecasts as stocks sell off globally on fear of AI bubble ahead of SpaceX IPO

1

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon

2

Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026

3

'We didn’t see this coming': Wall Street eats its forecasts as stocks sell off globally on fear of AI bubble ahead of SpaceX IPO
SuccessJeff Bezos

Jeff Bezos is taking a page out of the Bill Gates playbook with vow to give away most of his billions

By
Chloe Berger
Chloe Berger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chloe Berger
Chloe Berger
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 14, 2022, 2:50 PM ET
Jeff Bezos
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is hesitantly jumping on the philanthropy train.David Ryder / Stringer — Getty Images

Bill Gates wasn’t always known as a wise and benevolent philanthropist (and clap-heavy dancer), dedicated to, among other things, finding a cure for cancer, funding public health studies that illuminate the harmful effects of alcohol, or sounding the alarm on how destructive a global pandemic would be.

Since sometime after 1986, when he appeared on the Fortune cover at age 30 for a deal that made him $350 million (about $950 million today, adjusted for inflation), he became something more like a supervillain. By 1995, Time put him on the cover with the headline “Master of the Universe.” Things change, though. Wired highlighted “Bill Gates’ plan to save the world” in 2021.

Now it’s Jeff Bezos’s turn to try to rehab his image and take his turn playing Batman. He’s not like other billionaires, he’s a billionaire hopping on the in-vogue movement of wanting to give his billions away, or at least saying he will.

The world’s second-richest man (for now) sat down with CNN this weekend and was asked whether he plans to give away the majority of his wealth in his lifetime. “Yeah, I do,” he responded. 

What’s not as trendy: giving a detailed plan of upcoming gifts. How the founder of Amazon plans to shell out his $124 billion seems to be a bit of an intentional mystery. In the CNN interview, Bezos didn’t lay out anything like a plan to save the world. He did, though, reveal himself to be a Dolly Parton fan. 

Although his future philanthropy plans are unclear, since 2021 he has been using his Courage and Civility Award to donate $100 million to do-gooders he believes will use his money well. He and his girlfriend, Lauren Sánchez, let CNN know on Saturday that Parton is the latest recipient of the Courage and Civility Award, and she’ll get $100 million to donate as she sees fit. 

Bezos has gotten some pushback in the past for not signing the Giving Pledge, a promise many ultra-high-net-worth individuals, including Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, have made to give away the majority of their wealth. 

There’s also the case of the philanthropy of his ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott, who’s given away $12 billion in two years. 

Scott became the richest woman in the world after her divorce from Bezos in 2019. At the time she was worth about $68 billion, a number that has dropped to $23.8 billion more recently as Amazon stock has declined, and she’s donated a tremendous amount, mainly to nonprofit organizations. Scott is making this philanthropy thing seem easy. Just as her ex-husband announced his plans to someday give away more, Scott announced that she’s donated $2 billion to 343 organizations over the past seven months. 

Bezos was a bit more hesitant when it comes to pledging away his money. “The hard part is figuring out how to do it in a levered way. It’s not easy,” he said of his thoughts on big donations.

Bezos made the largest single charitable donation of 2020, a gift of $10 billion toward creating the Bezos Earth Fund, which seeks to ally with nonprofits that are tackling climate change. 

Gates has more of a straightforward approach than Bezos’s multilayered donation process. The fellow billionaire said in July that he was giving $20 billion to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and tweeted that he would eventually “give virtually all my wealth” to the charity.

“It’s not easy. It’s really hard,” Bezos said of giving away money. “And there are a bunch of ways, I think, that you could do ineffective things too. So we’re building the capacity to be able to give away this money.”

While it’s not a giving pledge, it’s a pledge to continue to one day maybe give. 

Sign up for the Fortune Features email list so you don’t miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations.

About the Author
By Chloe Berger
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Success

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Success

penn
North Americatransit
‘I’m not focused on names at all’: Rumors of Trump Station replacing Penn Station in New York batted aside
By Philip Marcelo and The Associated PressJune 9, 2026
18 minutes ago
Alex Karp
SuccessView from the C-Suite
Palantir CEO Alex Karp says executives who brag about their AI cuts might as well ‘sign up for the Bernie Sanders manifesto’
By Preston ForeJune 9, 2026
21 minutes ago
Stephen Schwarzman’s grandfather inspired the Blackstone billionaire’s philanthropy: It was ‘his privilege to help others in need’
Successphilanthropy
Stephen Schwarzman’s grandfather inspired the Blackstone billionaire’s philanthropy: It was ‘his privilege to help others in need’
By Sydney LakeJune 9, 2026
36 minutes ago
wood
North AmericaObituary
One of America’s greatest historians just died at 92 after being hit by a car in a supermarket parking lot
By Hillel Italie and The Associated PressJune 9, 2026
40 minutes ago
Teenage boy on laptop
SuccessJobs
Around 22 million teenagers are making their pocket money on video games, online reselling, and in-game platforms like Roblox
By Emma BurleighJune 9, 2026
1 hour ago
noah
SuccessMedia
This CEO says he’s helping journalists double their salaries by going to work for brands. But is it journalism—and does it matter?
By Nick LichtenbergJune 9, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
Environment
Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
By Sasha RogelbergJune 8, 2026
20 hours ago
Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
'We didn’t see this coming': Wall Street eats its forecasts as stocks sell off globally on fear of AI bubble ahead of SpaceX IPO
Economy
'We didn’t see this coming': Wall Street eats its forecasts as stocks sell off globally on fear of AI bubble ahead of SpaceX IPO
By Jim EdwardsJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
Success
Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
By Preston ForeJune 7, 2026
2 days ago
'The golden years are not golden': Boomers are hoarding most of America's wealth and power because they're terrified of outliving their money
Economy
'The golden years are not golden': Boomers are hoarding most of America's wealth and power because they're terrified of outliving their money
By Nick LichtenbergJune 7, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 8, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 8, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 8, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.