post_page_cover

Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sánchez Pledge $100 Million for Fire-Ravaged Maui – The Hollywood Reporter

Aug 14, 2023

Amid the deadly devastation brought by fast-moving wildfires on the island of Maui, which has been in an extreme state of emergency since Tuesday, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancé and entertainment reporter Lauren Sánchez are joining the growing list of celebrities showing support for those impacted.

Sánchez announced on Friday via Instagram that the “heartbroken” pair are pledging $100 million to aid in what will surely be a years-long recovery.

She wrote, “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 I are creating a Maui Fund and are dedicating $100 million to help Maui get back on its feet now and over the coming years as the continuing needs reveal themselves.”

Indeed, though there are many urgent needs for those displaced right now, including water, food, clothing and shelter, there is awareness that this recovery will take far more than a few news cycles. Celebrities including Hawaiian actor Jason Momoa have been vocal on social media with sharing ways for his followers to contribute, while Oprah Winfrey, who has some 2,000 acres on the island, is there personally now, buying and distributing supplies to those in need.

Billionaire Bezos — whose estimated net worth is $163 billion, the world’s third-richest person, according to Bloomberg — has a personal connection to Maui in the form of a 14-acre property on South Maui’s La Perouse Bay, which he purchased in 2021 for $78 million. There’s no word yet on how exactly the Maui Fund will work, but there is no doubt it’s a gift that is much needed by a community where the death toll due to the fires has hit 67, the deadliest in the state’s history.

Added Sánchez in her Instagram post: “We are thinking of all the families that have lost so much and a community that has been left devastated.”

Disclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by filmibee.
Publisher: Source link

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Taylor Sheridan’s New ‘Yellowstone’ Sequel ‘Dutton Ranch’ Breaks Streaming Records
Taylor Sheridan’s New ‘Yellowstone’ Sequel ‘Dutton Ranch’ Breaks Streaming Records

Yellowstone ran for six seasons, most of them with great success, but the show landed on a rocky conclusion. On-set turmoil, coupled with clashes between stars and producers, left the final seasons delayed and air dates in question for some…

May 28, 2026

...
Netflix’s Hit Crime Thriller Overtaken by New 95% Rated Sci-Fi Smash

After spending the majority of last week in first position on the Netflix charts, the streamer's hottest crime thriller series has finally been toppled by a new sci-fi hit. Released on May 21, the new show that's produced by the…

May 27, 2026

’30 Rock’ Cast Member Grizz Chapman Dies at 52
’30 Rock’ Cast Member Grizz Chapman Dies at 52

Actor Grizzwald ‘Grizz’ Chapman, best known for playing Tracy Jordan's (Tracy Morgan) confidante Grizz on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, has died. He was 52 years old. “We are very sad for his family and friends and for all who…

May 26, 2026

...
Nicolas Cage’s ‘Spider-Noir’ Rotten Tomatoes Score Revealed

Following a thrilling voiceover portrayal of Spider-Noir in 2018's animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Nicolas Cage will take the role into live-action in the upcoming Spider-Noir series. Here, Cage will play Ben Reilly, a down-on-his-luck private investigator in New York…

May 25, 2026