Posted on 11/22/21
| News Source: NY Post
Barack Obama has a big new backer: Jeff Bezos.
The Amazon founder and world's second richest man is donating a whopping $100 million to the former president's charity, the Obama Foundation said Monday.
The donation comes as Amazon seeks to fend off challenges from the Biden administration.
As part of the donation, Bezos has asked that Obama rename the plaza at his controversial Chicago presidential center in honor of former Congressman and civil rights advocate John R. Lewis, according to the Obama Foundation.
In a release sent to The Post, Bezos gushed that he's "thrilled to support President and Mrs. Obama and their Foundation in its mission to train and inspire tomorrow's leaders."
Bezos' $100 million donation — which represents less than 0.1 percent of his estimated $210 billion fortune — is the largest individual contribution ever received by Obama's foundation. It's also one-fifth of the reported $500 million Bezos recently spent on a yacht.
The donation was arranged by Jay Carney, a former Obama press secretary and Amazon's current public policy and public relations chief, according to Puck News, which first reported the donation.
Obama and Bezos spoke directly to each other earlier this year and have occasionally seen each other socially, the outlet reported.