MacKenzie Scott did it again.
After already donating $ 1.7 billion to charities by July – and announcing that she is no longer using the last name of her ex-husband, Jeff Bezos – she said she has donated another $ 4.2 billion to 384 organizations in the last four months.
As all the tech brothers fight for California’s colonizing space and tax codes, they unite for the only thing they really care about – defending antitrust lawmakers – Scott makes everyone look stingy and greedy, without a piece of compassion for those ruined by COVID-19.
“This pandemic has been a devastating ball in the lives of Americans who are already struggling,” Scott wrote in a December 15 media statement. “The economic losses and health outcomes have been even worse for women, for people of color and for people living in poverty. Meanwhile, the wealth of billionaires has increased substantially. ”
The billionaires who, with the exception of Bill Gates and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, were relatively mothers in this pandemic. Remember Elon Musk loudly entering the Thai cave rescue crisis, acting like a real-life Tony Stark? Why so quiet now?
And where is Mark Zuckerberg? He signaled political ambitions. Do you know what helps you? Acts of generosity, compassion and humanity.
That being said, no one on the planet has benefited more from this pandemic than Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos (who not long ago publicly humiliated Scott, having an extramarital affair with his fiancée now). Amazon has been the biggest beneficiary of the COVID-19 crisis so far and will likely be for some time in the future, as the retail sale of bricks and mortar and even older, technology-deficient Americans turn to online shopping.
A recent USA Today report ranked Bezos 1st among 30 billionaires who have become even more disgustingly rich in a virus that has claimed 1.65 million lives worldwide. By April 2020, in just one month, more Americans were unemployed – 14.7 percent – than ever before, according to a Congressional report.
However, Bezos remained terribly silent about the economic devastation suffered by so many Americans. A poll conducted by The Washington Post (also owned by Bezos) in June reported that he, “the richest man in the world with a fortune of $ 143 billion,” had donated only $ 125 million to charity by 2020. .
To be clear, this is only 0.08% of his fortune – the equivalent of rooting in the couch for free change.
Meanwhile, in February, Bezos bought David Geffen’s Beverly Hills property for $ 165 million. Last summer, he bought several New York apartments for $ 80 million, and in April it was reported that he bought another New York apartment for $ 16 million. During this pandemic, Bezos’ wealth increased by $ 13 billion in a single day in July. Amazon shares were traded at a pre-lock of $ 1,700. I’m over $ 3,000 now.
All this, while employees of Amazon fulfillment centers protested and demanded adequate safety conditions at work and PPE. Some, such as New York protester Christian Smalls, have been fired. Amazon executive Tim Bray resigned in May, calling such layoffs “chickenshit” and writing in a blog post that “remaining Amazon vice president would actually mean signing the actions we despised.”
As The Guardian mentioned, Bezos is now worth more than Exxon Mobil, McDonald’s or Nike.
However, his ex-wife, who obtained a $ 38 billion divorce, is holding him back in charitable donations.
“It responds urgently to the present moment,” Chuck Collins, director of the Institute for Political Studies’ Charity Reform Initiative, told the New York Times. “You think about all these technological fortunes, they’re big disruptors, but it disrupts the rules around billionaire philanthropy, moving fast.”
In his average post, Scott wrote about ordinary Americans giving what they could – not just financially, but from themselves – to help others in need.
“Our hopes are fueled by others,” Scott wrote, encouraging those of us lucky enough to have jobs, homes and health care to provide what we can. “The hope you nurture with your gift,” she concludes, “is likely to nurture yours.”
With her dedication, Scott didn’t just prove his beautiful holiday spirit. She proved what her billionaire brothers really are – and especially her ex-husband – Scrooges.