Jeff Bezos Slammed For Donating $690,000 To Australian Bushfires Relief Effort
Jeff Bezos, world’s richest man, has been slammed on Twitter for donating meagre $690,000 to the Australian bushfires relief effort.
Critics online have put the donation into perspective, compared to the worth of Bezos, who is Amazon’s chief executive officer.
The Amazon boss, who unseated Bill Gates as the top billionaire on Forbes’ rankings, announced the donation of one million Australian dollars, approximately $690,000 U.S. dollars on Instagram and Amazon’s website on Sunday.
“Our hearts go out to all Australians as they cope with these devastating bushfires. Amazon is donating 1 million AU dollars in needed provisions and services. Find more about it and learn how customers can help as well,” Bezos wrote on Instagram.
The bushfires have claimed the lives of at least 25 people, and destroyed more than 2,000 homes.
University of Sydney experts have estimated that more than one billion animals have been killed since the fires began early September in 2019.
Australia’s government said it would pay “whatever it takes” to help communities recover, according to The Associated Press.
The fires and rebuilding efforts are expected to cost the country billions, some experts have predicted.
The announcement of Bezos’ $690,000 donation was received with displeasure on social media, with one user saying, “Are we supposed to be impressed?”
Other celebrities have announced donations as well.