Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos caught flak over the weekend after announcing the company would donate $1 million Australian dollars (around £530,000) to the wildfire crisis.
“Our hearts go out to all Australians as they cope with these devastating bushfires,” Bezos wrote on his Instagram account. “Amazon is donating 1 million AU dollars in needed provisions and services.”
Critics called out Bezos, whose personal net worth is estimated to be around £85 billion, for the amount, arguing it is a meagre percentage of his and his company’s net worth. They also compared his donation to that of other public figures.
Other high profile donations so far have included a £2.3 million pledge from Leonardo DiCaprio, whose net worth is around £200 million. Chris Hemsworth, Kylie Jenner and Elton John all pledged £770,000, and others including Pink, Bette Midler, Nick Cave, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, and Kylie Minogue’s family, all donated £385,000 to the cause. One Instagram model says she’s raised nearly £800,000 by selling nude photos in exchange for donations.
Here’s some of the commentary on Twitter:
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