Lauren Sánchez, the girlfriend of Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, announced on Monday that she plans to go to orbit sometime in 2023 alongside “a great group of females.” Bezos, who made the trip with his rocket business Blue Origin in 2021, will remain planted on earth.
The couple sat down with CNN for a friendly interview at their home in Washington, DC, in which they touched—often vaguely—on topics ranging from philanthropy to Bezos’ reported interest in buying the Washington Commanders football team.
The interview, their first, presented another opportunity for the pair to shift the narrative about their relationship from tabloid fodder to mainstream news.
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Bezos declared that he plans to give away most of his wealth, though he offered few details. He said he is still searching for a way to contribute huge sums of money in a “levered way.”
He likened philanthropy to his experience scaling Amazon. “I’m finding, and I think Lauren is finding the same thing, that charity, philanthropy, is very similar,” he said.
The couple timed the interview with their announcement that Bezos will give Dolly Parton $100 million as the latest recipient of his Courage and Civility Awards. She can use the funds to pursue any charitable initiative of her choosing.
“When you think of Dolly,” Sánchez said, “everyone smiles, right? And all she wants to do is bring light into other people’s world.” Bezos added that the gifts are intended to combat divisiveness in the real world and on social media.
“You have too many examples in the world of conflict and people using ad hominem attacks on social media,” he said. “I think that people use conflict as a tool to achieve their own ends…. Certain politicians criticize other politicians; they criticize their motives, their character, they call them names. Once you’ve done that it’s hard to work with somebody.” (Bezos was famously a combustible leader when he served as Amazon’s CEO.)
Last year, after completing his spaceflight, the centi-billionaire inaugurated the awards by handing $100 million each to CNN commentator Van Jones and celebrity chef José Andrés. Since then, Andrés’ nonprofit, World Central Kitchen, has given out tens of millions of meals to aid victims of the war in Ukraine. It is less clear what Jones has done with the funds.
During Monday’s interview, Bezos forecasted possible economic pain in the months ahead. He encouraged both consumers and businesses to “take some risk off the table,” such as delaying the decision to buy an expensive new TV or keeping more assets parked in cash.
The billionaire also addressed speculation that he will pursue a bid for the Commanders NFL team. Rumors are flying that Jay-Z and Matthew McConaughey may join his cohort.
“I do like football. I’m just going to throw that out there for everyone,” Sánchez told CNN.
Bezos noted that he “played football growing up as a kid,” adding that it remained his favorite sport.
