Jeff Bezos’ ex-wife Mackenzie Scott isn’t the only billionaire that can throw big checks around. Jeff showed he’s capable of handing out nine-figure payments of foundations that might benefit his causes.
Bizos is donating $100 million to Barack Obama’s charity, the Obama Foundation. What Bezos will get in return for the gift is the re-naming of the plaza where his presidential center is located in honor of John R. Lewis, the former Congressman from Maryland.
The deal broker is former Obama press secretary Jay Carney, who is now Amazon’s public policy and public relations head.
The timing and size of the donation are curious. Amazon is in the midst of a battle with the Biden administration over what the FTC believes is anti-competitive practices. The word is they are looking into the $8.5 billion purchase of the MGM movie studio.
Several lawmakers are hoping to go after Big Tech through bills that would prevent Amazon from favoring its own products in search results.
Obama has received significant donations from other tech titans, including Sean Parker, Bill and Melinda Gates, and Mackenzie Scott.
The $100 million is something Bezos might not even know he’s missing. It is precisely 0.1 percent of his $210 billion net worth.
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