The richest man in the world, Jeff Bezos, has just donated $100 million to CNN political contributor Van Jones for the charities of his choosing.
Bezos shared the generous contribution shortly after completing the first civilian trip to space. The gift is the inaugural donation of his Courage and Civility Award. He said that Jones is free to give the funds to his own charity or “share the wealth.” In addition to Jones, Bezos also gifted chef and philanthropist José Andrés with a separate $100 million for the same initiative.
The Amazon mogul stated that the world needs more people like Jones and Andrés who “argue hard and act hard for what they believe.”
Following the award, Jones gave an emotional speech stating that “sometimes dreams come true.” He thanked Bezos for betting on him and assured him that the money would go to people and causes who really needed it.
During an interview with Anderson Cooper, Jones stated that he “lost the ability to speak” when he learned of the award.
Andrés, the nonprofit World Central Kitchen founder, said that as soon as he got the news from Bezos, he immediately began thinking of ways to invest the money and change the world “one plate of food at a time.”
