Opinion: Bezos selflessly uses her assets, resources to help others

Katie Eippert, Guest Writer

Half of $36.6 billion is given away.

MacKenzie Bezos has dedicated half of her fortune to charity and has already signed The Giving Pledge, that encourages the super-rich to donate to charities and charitable causes. I think this is important because it displays a completely selfless act in the billionaire world and shows the upper class trying to help causes in the best way they can.

MacKenzie Bezos, the former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has committed to giving away half of her fortune.  Photo by Wikimedia Commons

If you really think about what Bezos is doing here, it truly amazing. Although she is wealthy, it still takes a lot of strength to donate half of your entire fortune and she just recently finalized her divorce from the creator of Amazon, Jeff Bezos. During a tidal wave of a time, she still can push through and do something nice for others.

Bezos has been left with a large chunk of change after her divorce so she has a ton of money to herself so she noted this, in a letter she wrote that announced her Pledge. She said via CNN, “I have a disproportionate amount of money to share.”

All you can really do is admire what she is doing, but it’s not just her. On Tuesday, 19 more people promised a donation to the Giving pledge alongside her. This is setting off a sort of chain reaction and I really hope it keeps going because it really is going to help support people in need. To see someone with an abundance of money, step outside themselves and help where it is due.

Jeff Bezos, her ex-husband, truly is happy for Bezos and appreciates all she is doing. He said “MacKenzie is going to be amazing and thoughtful and effective at philanthropy, and I’m proud of her,” he said on Twitter.

I have hope about what comes from this situation. I hope many people off the Bloomberg Billionaires Index follow suit and donate a big portion of their fortune to a good, in need, cause. I hope even average people who go on their 9-5 job donate a little. I want this to be a wakeup call for people to start helping those who are struggling, those who have endured more than they should ever. I want this to help start a difference.

Bezos talks about her approach to the whole situation and the details of her pledge in the letter she wrote on Tuesday. She told CNN, “My approach to philanthropy will continue to be thoughtful. It will take time and effort and care. But I won’t wait. And I will keep at it until the safe is empty.”