Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez donate to Maui wildfires © Bang Showbiz
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez are “heartbroken” over the Maui wildfires.
The couple are donating $100 million as part of a Maui Fund to help fight the hellish fallout from the blazes raging on the island, which have so far claimed the lives of more than 90 people.
Amazon founder Jeff, 59, and his 53-year-old wife said in a joint Instagram statement: “We are thinking of all the families that have lost so much and a community that has been left devastated.
“The immediate needs are important, and so is the longer term rebuilding that will have to happen – even after much of the attention has subsided.”
Jeff and ex-broadcaster Lauren added they hoped their fund and $100 million donation would help get Maui “back on its feet now and over the coming years as the continuing needs reveal themselves”.
Among the celebrities to heap praise on the couple for the move were Katy Perry, 38, who commented on their post: “This is it (red heart emoji.)”
Actress Mindy Kaling, 44, added: “Wow. truly incredible.”
Jeff – who is worth an estimated $160 billion – stepped down as Amazon CEO in 2021, and the firm has been repeatedly slammed for its treatment of its workers and tax set-ups.
He got engaged to Lauren in May aboard his $500 million mega-yacht, with the third richest man in the world proposing to his girlfriend of five years with a 20-carat engagement ring estimated to cost $2.5 million.
The death toll from the Maui wildfires hit 93 on Sunday (13.08.23), making it the deadliest outbreak of the blazes in modern US history.
Britney Spears’ sons Sean Preston, 17, and Jayden, 16, who moved to Hawaii at the start of August, are said to have been left “traumatised” by seeing their new neighbours hit by the infernos, even though their home has not been hit.
Mark Vincent Kaplan, the attorney for the boys’ dad Kevin Federline, 45, said they are not “personally (affected)” but added “there’s people in the area that are dying and having their homes destroyed, so it’s very traumatic (for the boys.)”
He added: “Obviously, right now, everyone is very sad about what’s going on there with the fires and the casualties from the fires, but other than the trauma from that, they’re very happy to be there.”
—Reuters
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