Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, which sells used paperback books, toilet paper, and erotic toys for the bedroom, has a net worth of $161 billion. (Yeah, with a “b.”)
So, he’s decided to use a smidge of that unfathomable wealth to help out the beleaguered residents of Maui, which have suffered utter destruction to a devastating wildfire.
The donation in mind? $100 million (aka 0.00062% of his net worth).
In a joint post from Bezos and his fiancé, Lauren Sánchez, the couple wrote:
“Jeff and I are heartbroken by what’s happening in Maui. We are thinking of the families that have lost so much and a community that has been left devastated.
“The immediate needs are important, and so is the longer term rebuilding that will have to happen – even after much of the attention has subsided.
“Jeff and I are creating a Maui Fund and are dedicating $100 million to help Maui get back on its feet now and over the coming years as the continuing needs reveal themselves.”
Other big names – more specifically to the surf community – have expressed their sorrow and pledged to help out Maui in any way they can, such as Kelly Slater.
In a recent TMZ video, Slater said:
“I heard that a lot of people jumped in the water, and then the water caught on fire because the boats were burning, and the fuel was on top of the water. I don’t even think you can express how bad it is.
“Everyone within our surf community is rallying to get boats in, supplies, donate money. In the coming days there will be a lot of outlets for that.”
As of now, the death toll has clocked in at 93, but it’s expected to rise. The historic town of Lahaina has been pretty much incinerated.
For more information on how to help Maui, and to donate support, check out our coverage of the catastrophe and relief efforts here, here, and here.
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