Lauren Sánchez plays major role in deploying Bezos' full $10 billion climate fund by end of decade: report - Fox Business

Over the last year, Lauren Sánchez Bezos has become a key player in determining which organizations and causes get donations from Jeff Bezos' $10 billion climate change fund. According to Fortune, Sánchez Bezos has served as the vice chair of the Bezos Earth Fund since its early days in 2020, when she was the girlfriend of the Amazon multi-billionaire. The fund, the largest contribution any individual has ever made to the environment, according to Northeastern University, is obligated to deploy all $10 billion by the end of the decade. So far, it has cut checks toward 335 grants, totaling $2.4 billion, according to the fund's website.  Since Sánchez Bezos married her now-husband last year in a star-studded affair in Venice, she has become a more public-facing leader of the fund, often announcing new donations. LAUREN SÁNCHEZ BEZOS DEFENDS RISQUÉ TRUMP INAUGURATION LOOK AFTER BACKLASH In September 2025, she touted that the fund had disbursed $37.5 million in grants to protect 835,000 square miles of water surrounding a dozen nations in the Pacific Ocean. The initial amount was part of the fund's $100 million commitment to what she called "one of the boldest ocean conservation efforts ever attempted." "The Pacific isn’t just a beautiful backdrop, it’s a lifeline," Sánchez Bezos said in a statement at the time. "Pacific Island nations and territories are setting the pace. We’re here to match that ambition and help turn it into protection at scale." In October, she announced $30 million in awards to 15 teams who won the fund's "AI for Climate and Nature Grand Challenge." Each team received $2 million to jump-start their use of artificial intelligence to solve problems such as biodiversity loss and food insecurity. "AI can be a powerful ally to help make the world a better place," said Sánchez Bezos. "These innovators, using AI, are showing us new possibilities by reimagining how we grow food, protect wildlife, and power our planet to make a true impact." Other than environmental causes, Sánchez Bezos said in December that she and her husband committed $102.5 million to organizations fighting homelessness across the United States. That money comes from the Bezos Day One Families Fund, which has so far donated more than $850 million to outfits in all 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and Guam. JEFF BEZOS' GLOW-UP AND LAUREN SÁNCHEZ'S TRANSFORMATION OVER THE YEARS: PHOTOS The Day One Families Fund is a portion of the total $2 billion Bezos and his wife plan to donate to nonprofits that help homeless families obtain stable housing. There is also an initiative to build and operate tuition-free pre-schools in areas of the country that lack education options. The couple also gave a $5 million grant, along with the Bezos Courage & Civility Award, to David Flink, the founder of the Neurodiversity Alliance. The New York-based non-profit provides mentors to students with learning disabilities. Sánchez Bezos has said she unknowingly grew up with dyslexia and struggled in school for years, later being diagnosed with the condition when she was in college. Despite the Bezoses' charity, they have not donated nearly as much of their net worth as others who have similar levels of wealth. Most notably, the couple lags significantly behind MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Bezos. LAUREN SÁNCHEZ BEZOS EXPOSES TV CAREER REALITY AFTER CRITICS SAID SHE DIDN'T ‘DESERVE TO BE THERE’ According to Forbes, Scott has donated $26.4 billion over a period of seven years, representing a staggering 46% of her estimated $35.4 billion net worth. In 2025 alone, she was the most charitable person on Earth with $7.2 billion in donations. Over his entire life, Bezos has given away $4.6 billion, which is less than 2% of his $266 billion net worth, per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Bezos has also not signed the Giving Pledge, an initiative launched in 2010 by Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates that urges billionaires to give the majority of their wealth away in their lifetimes.