Amazon founder Jeff Bezos awarded country singer Dolly Parton a Courage and Civility award, along with a $100 million prize, while also pledging to give away most of his $124 billion fortune within his lifetime.
Dolly Parton receives $100 million Courage and Civility award from Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos, the multi-billionaire founder of Amazon, announced the awarding of a $100 million prize to use for charitable causes and the Bezos Courage and Civility award to country singer and philanthropist Dolly Parton on Saturday.
He presented the award to Parton alongside his partner, Lauren Sanchez, NBC reported.
The Bezos Courage and Civility award recognizes “leaders who aim high, find solutions and who always do it with civility,” Sanchez said, granting them the money to direct to the charity they see fit.
“The woman you’re about to meet embodies these ideals so thoroughly,” Bezos said before presenting Dolly with the award. “She gives with her heart. What she’s done for kids, literacy and so many other things is just incredible.”
“Wow!” Dolly exclaimed after she was called up to the stage. “Did you say $100 million?”
“When people are in a position to help, you should help, and I know that I’ve always said I try to put my money where my heart is,” Parton added.
Parton will be able to donate the $100 million dollars to any charities of her choice, BBC reported.
Jeff Bezos pledges to give away most of his $124 billion fortune within his lifetime
During an exclusive interview with CNN, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos announced, for the first time, that he plans to give away the majority of his $124 billion fortune during his lifetime.
Bezos pledged to devote the bulk of his well to fighting climate change, as well as supporting people he feels can unify humanity.
Previously, Bezos has been criticized for not signing the Giving Pledge, a promise by hundreds of the world’s richest people to donate the majority of their wealth to charitable causes.
Bezos has yet to specify any details on how or where his money would be spent.
Bezos has also yet to identify a specific percentage of his wealth he plans to donate. Bezos is currently the fourth-wealthiest person in the world, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
However, Bezos had previously committed $10 billion over 10 years, or about 8% of his current net worth, to the Bezos Earth Fund, of which Sanchez is the co-chair. The fund is focused on reducing the carbon footprint of construction-gray cement and steel, as well as persuading financial regulators to consider climate-related risks, advancing data and mapping technologies to monitor carbon emissions, and building natural, plant-based carbon sinks on a large scale.
