Bezos and Snchez: Bringing Together Charity and Peace in the Era of the Berezos/Dolly Parton Disaster

Bezos said he and Snchez agreed to do their first interview as a couple in order to shine a light on the Bezos Courage and Civility Award, which was given to musician Dolly Parton.

Parton can use the money to support any charitable cause she chooses, similar to the deal Bezos made last year when he gave $100 million each to humanitarian chef José Andrés and activist/pundit Van Jones.

“I just felt so proud to have been part of that little seed money that will hopefully grow into something great and help to heal this world,” she said. “I’m a very proud girl today to know I had anything at all to do with something that’s going to help us through this crazy pandemic.”

The Dollywood Foundation was established in 1988 by Parton and has helped many children around the world get access to books.

The Dolly Parton Scholarship gives $15,000 to recipients towards a college education, which is one of her philanthropic efforts in Tennessee.

Bezos and Scott have very different approaches to giving, with Scott donating over four billion dollars to more than 500 organizations in less than a year.

But the couple’s biggest challenge may be figuring out how to distribute Bezos’ vast fortune. Bezos would not say where the percentage would most likely be spent.

The 20-minute exchange with Bezos and Snchez covered a broad range of topics, from Bezos’s views on political dialogue to Snchez’s plan to visit outer space with an all-female crew and her reflections on a flourishing business partnership with Bezos.

When it came to connecting the Courage and Civility Award grantees, Bezos said they had their capacity to bring many people together to solve large challenges.

He criticized politicians and social media for inciting division and said unity is a trait that will be needed to confront climate change.

Though Bezos is now Amazon’s

            (AMZN) executive chair and not its CEO — he stepped down from that role in 2021 — he is still involved in the greening of the company. Amazon is one of more than 300 companies that have pledged to reduce their carbon footprint by 2040 according to the principles of the Paris Climate Agreement, Bezos said, though Amazon’s

            (AMZN) footprint grew by 18% in 2021, reflecting a pandemic-driven e-commerce boom. Amazon’s

            (AMZN) reckoning with its own effect on the climate mirrors its outsized impact on everything from debates about unionization to antitrust policy, where the company has attracted an enormous level of scrutiny from regulators, lawmakers, and civil society groups.

Bezos compared his philanthropic strategy to his years-long effort constructing a titanic engine of e-commerce and cloud computing that has made him one of the most powerful people in the world.

“The hard part is figuring out how to do it in a levered way,” he said, implying that even as he gives away his billions, he is still looking to maximize his return. It is not easy. Building Amazon was not easy. It took a lot of hard work, a bunch of very smart teammates, hard-working teammates, and I’m finding — and I think Lauren is finding the same thing — that charity, philanthropy, is very similar.”

“There are a bunch of ways that I think you could do ineffective things, too,” he added. Do you think about it carefully and have brilliant people on the team?

Bezos, Jay-Z, and the American Dream: When will we know if space travel will become more accessible to the public?

Many people with modest means are worried about an economic downturn, just like Bezos and Snchez are.

The advice was meant for business owners and consumers alike, Bezos said in the interview, suggesting that individuals should consider putting off buying big ticket items they’ve been eyeing — or that companies should slow their acquisitions and capital expenditures.

Bezos said to take some risk off the table. “Keep some dry powder on hand…. Just a little bit of risk reduction could make the difference for that small business, if we do get into even more serious economic problems. You need to play the probabilities a little bit.

Many may be feeling the pinch now, he added, but argued that as an optimist he believes the American Dream “is and will be even more attainable in the future” — projecting that within Bezos’ lifetime, space travel could become broadly accessible to the public.

Sánchez said the couple make “really great teammates,” though she laughed, “We can be kind of boring,” Sánchez said. Bezos smiled and replied, “Never boring.”

Snchez founded Black Ops Aviation, the first female-owned and operated aerial film and production company. They both have taken turns in the driver’s seat.

Sánchez told CNN she anticipates venturing into orbit herself sometime in 2023. She said that the group of females would be a great one, quickly ruling out Bezos as a crewmate.

Bezos may be adding NFL owner to his resume. CNN reported last month that Bezos and Jay-Z are in talks about a potential joint bid for Washington Commanders.

Bezos added, “I grew up in Houston, Texas, and I played football growing up as a kid … and it is my favorite sport … so we’ll just have to wait and see.”

The Courage and Civility Award Winner: A Memorino of Parton’s Charitable Contribution to the Imagination Library

Parton was presented with the Courage and Civility award, and she said that she tries to put her money in her heart. I will use the money for good things.

Parton’s ongoing charitable projects include the Imagination Library, a popular literacy effort that is now closing in on sending its 200 millionth free book to young children in five countries.

The Climate Disaster Fund will be half the amount of money given last year by Andrés after he received the award. The group provided hot meals for the Ukrainians after Russia’s invasion.

Jones was not operating a global-scale charity when he won the Bezos award. Jones said he had assembled a team of people to look for ways to benefit people in low income communities with some of the $100 million.

Jones said that he can take time to be strategic about the process. The award recipients have 10 years to disburse the funds.

Bezos didn’t announce his largesse just after he returned from space, a juxtaposition that raises questions about his dedication to helping others.