Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Create $100 Million Fund to Help Hawaii Recover from Fires
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In the aftermath of the deadly wildfire that devastated Lahaina, Maui in Hawaii, Jeff Bezos and his fiancé Lauren Sánchez announced the creation of the Maui Fund, to help rebuild the island.
"Jeff and I are heartbroken by what's happening in Maui," Sánchez posted on Instagram. "We are thinking of all the families that have lost so much and a community that has been left devastated."
She continued, "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."
Bezos, like other billionaires, owns property in Hawaii. In 2021, he purchased a 14-acre property in La Perouse Bay, in southern Maui. He joins a growing number of celebrities who have pledged to help the island, including Oprah Winfrey and Jason Momoa.
"What this week has taught me is that when you don’t know what to do…you do whatever you can," Winfrey said in a video posted to Oprah Daily's Instagram. "I went to visit one of the big shelters here at the War Memorial and asked people what it is they needed and then went shopping for some things, some, you know, basic things like towels and sheets and shampoo and other necessities."
Winfrey, who also owns property in Maui, added, "And at some point, I will make a major donation after all of the smoke and ash have settled here and we figure out what the rebuilding is going to look like."
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