Amazon's Bezos Launches $2 Billion Fund to Help the Homeless

[Hydrogen]

Jeff Bezos and his wife, MacKenzie Bezos, launched a $2 billion fund to help homeless families and create a network of nonprofit preschools in low-income communities.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-09-13/amazon-s-bezos-launches-2-billion-fund-to-help-the-homeless

....

I have nothing against Jeff Bezos or amazon. They've innovated and improved markets for consumers with their revolutionary free shipping program. Their future proposals in the form of drone deliveries, fresh food and plants being purchasable from their website have potential to further enrich consumers and provide new ways of thinking about how business can be done and what a good online shopping experience is. There are distinct postives as far as Jeff Bezos and amazon go.

That said, when I read stories like this I tend to assume Jeff Bezos is donating $2 billion to the homeless as it is cheaper than giving amazon's workers a raise. At points in past history, the term philanthropy may have meant making a legitimate effort to help the poor. Today being a "philanthropist" may simply mean donating less than 0.5% of your net worth to the poor, as it is cheaper than net alternatives.

Pursuing the same type of cost effective spending extends far into politics. Many corporations are aware of it being cheaper to spend millions lobbying politicians to create tax loopholes than it is spending billions paying taxes.

Suffice it to say we could have an interesting dilemma developing here.

[KINGCHACHA1]

He is a good person to set aside such a huge amount of  money to help the homeless. It is not the money meant for his workers salary that he is using for this purpose.

[hugeblack]

As the saying goes, do not give me a fish but teach me to catch.
Many rich people donate to show others that they donate and not for the poor.
Teaching children does not mean anything if they are hungry or without hunger. The same is the case when building homes for homeless people or treating patients.
Many big companies are the cause of this poverty so the treatment must be by creating more jobs so that the poor can help themselves and others.

[hatshepsut93]

That said, when I read stories like this I tend to assume Jeff Bezos is donating $2 billion to the homeless as it is cheaper than giving amazon's workers a raise. At points in past history, the term philanthropy may have meant making a legitimate effort to help the poor. Today being a "philanthropist" may simply mean donating less than 0.5% of your net worth to the poor, as it is cheaper than net alternatives.

Homeless people and amazon workers are two different groups of people, so what does giving $2 billion to one has to do with the other? It's not like he's getting a green light to do whatever he wants from now on, and he certainly won't stop paying taxes because of his charity. I just don't get this hostility towards rich people - whatever they do, the crowd always hates them.

Also, Bitcoin has libertarian roots, so in some way it is anti-government and anti-tax. It certainly doesn't have thinking about the poor as one of its core values.

[vederfreds]

I'm sure there is an angle to all of this.  Also if you continue feeding the homeless and rewarding the weak your going to end up being a civilization of weak people.  This new society we have tells us to help these people but maybe that's why the world is such a mess.  Check that initial though that was brainwashed into your head and really think about it. 

[mostkey]

It might not hurt if they give but I agree more when opening jobs or anything that can make poor people go forward not for the weak just waiting for gifts from others, but I like if they care about others by not knowing Surely the real intention is whether for humanity or to spread a picture, what I imagine is better to open more job openings from various large companies, because currently the country's problems are lack of job openings.

[LeGaulois]

Same excuse as the Bill Gates foundation and others

Marketing excuse to say, hey I am stealing million dollars from your country, every year, by not paying my taxes but look at me I am doing a charity project. Yes, I am going to spend 2 billion, but who cares, I cheated 5 billion from your country.
:clap: :clap: :clap:

[pawel7777]

...
That said, when I read stories like this I tend to assume Jeff Bezos is donating $2 billion to the homeless as it is cheaper than giving amazon's workers a raise.
...

Cheapest option is to not give workers a raise and keep that $2 billions for himself.

And I'm sure Amazon are spending much more on research & development - to achieve full automation and finally resolve underpaid workers problem.

[figmentofmyass]

jeff bezos is doing what's good for jeff bezos. he's infamous for being uncharitable and is the wealthiest person in modern history. i suppose he's trying to change that image.

it looks like he's a creating a fund that he controls. that way, he can set up friends and family as employees and write off their salaries as tax deductions, along with other loopholes. and he can recoup much of that $2 billion in tax deductions.

Homeless people and amazon workers are two different groups of people, so what does giving $2 billion to one has to do with the other? It's not like he's getting a green light to do whatever he wants from now on, and he certainly won't stop paying taxes because of his charity. I just don't get this hostility towards rich people - whatever they do, the crowd always hates them.

i think it's partly that it's so transparently not to "help the world" or anything like that. it's just a PR thing, and it doesn't cost bezos much to do this because of the tax loopholes. and we all know that most charity money is squandered and wasted. it's just an empty gesture meant to fool the plebs.

[Jaina]

He is a good person to set aside such a huge amount of  money to help the homeless. It is not the money meant for his workers salary that he is using for this purpose.

Can't comment on this with good or bad. The first is to benefit Amazon's growth. The second Amazon eCommerce will impact the traditional economy. In my opinion, this is Amazon's obligation, such a big company is obligated to be socially responsible.

[Piggy]

Amazon should think about improving the working conditions of it's own worker before thinking to the homeless people imo 

https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/16/17243026/amazon-warehouse-jobs-worker-conditions-bathroom-breaks

[timerland]

Pursuing the same type of cost effective spending extends far into politics. Many corporations are aware of it being cheaper to spend millions lobbying politicians to create tax loopholes than it is spending billions paying taxes.

Interesting take on the matter.

I think that it's extremely likely that most of these philanthropist projects are in fact just ways to go around tax laws in order to minimise taxes, as well as creating a better public image for the person why has built this fund himself.

Notice how he's creating a fund, and has not actually donating anything to anyone yet. I'm not saying that he won't, it's just something to take note of.

And Piggy's completely right - if Bezos does want to become a philanthropist, perhaps he should start with the most manageable and easy to change thing - the working conditions under Amazon themselves. But obviously that would cost the company and himself much more money to do and isn't as "cost effective".