Jeff Bezos' $500,000 Charity Gala Donation Elicits Cheers… And A Groan? When you're that wealthy, money speaks in weird ways.
By Entrepreneur Staff Edited by Jessica Thomas
Donating half a million dollars would be considered an incredible act of generosity by most standards, but when it comes from the second-richest man in the world, it raises a kind of unanswerable question: How much is enough?
On Saturday, Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos attended a charity gala in West Hollywood, where he donated $500,000 to Baby2Baby, a nonprofit organization that provides children living in poverty with diapers, clothing and basic necessities.
The response he got depends on what you read. The gesture was met with an "audible groan" from the audience, an unnamed source told Page Six, and that report was repeated in other media outlets. But many sources, including an updated story in Vanity Fair, report a roomful of cheers and a joke from the crowd about him donating more.
"People were clapping and screaming when Jeff donated half a million," someone in attendance tells Entrepreneur.
Related: Elon Musk Says He's Sending Jeff Bezos a Silver Medal After Surpassing Him in Wealth
The event also honored Vanessa Bryant with its Giving Tree Award for her longstanding support of the cause. Bryant's late husband, Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, was also a benefactor of Baby2Baby.
Bezos' girlfriend Lauren Sanchez was also in attendance, as were numerous celebrities, including Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba, Kerry Washington, Jennifer Garner, Ciara, Nicole Richie and Mindy Kaling.
