Bezos, After Completing Space Travel, Donates Another $200 Million

Jeff Bezos, Chairman of the Amazon Board of Directors (second from the left), is taking a commemorative photo with colleagues after successfully completing a space trip and returning to Earth on the 20th (local time).
Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Jeff Bezos, Chairman of Amazon's Board, announced his intention to donate a large sum of money after successfully completing a space trip on the 20th (local time).

According to CNN, Bezos held a press conference after safely returning to Earth from the space trip and announced that he would donate $100 million each to Jos? Andr?s, a Spanish star chef and philanthropist, and Van Jones, a social activist, selecting them as recipients of the 'Courage and Courtesy Award.'

Prior to the space flight, Bezos donated $200 million (about 230 billion KRW) to the Smithsonian Institution, which operates the National Air and Space Museum in the United States, and immediately after completing the space trip, he again expressed his intention to donate another $200 million.

Before Bezos, British billionaire Richard Branson, Chairman of Virgin Group, also went on a space trip, which has led some to criticize space travel as a 'money party for billionaires only.' Analysts suggest that Bezos's consecutive announcements of large donations are not unrelated to such criticism. CNN reported that amid criticism of billionaires spending their wealth on space tourism, Bezos announced a large donation.

Bezos said, "We need people who unite, not those who slander, people who act on what they believe," naming Andr?s and Jones as 'role models.'

Andr?s founded the hunger relief nonprofit organization 'World Central Kitchen' in 2010 and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 for his philanthropic activities. Jones leads a civic group pushing for reform of the U.S. criminal justice system and works as a political commentator on CNN and other networks.

Andr?s said he would donate the entire $100 million from Bezos back to 'World Central Kitchen,' and Jones said he would use the money for social reform activities.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.