Courting Good Will

Jeff Bezos Pours $100 Million Into Obama Presidential Foundation

Bezos has asked for a plaza to be named after late congressman John Lewis, a civil rights icon.

Jeff Bezos is working to burnish his name—by touting some else’s. The Amazon founder is giving $100 million to the Obama Foundation, its largest contribution to date, and is asking the organization to name a plaza after the late congressman John Lewis at the forthcoming Obama Presidential Center on Chicago’s South Side. A spokesperson for the foundation confirmed the gift to The Daily Beast; it was first reported by Puck News. Part of the money will help support “emerging leaders in the United States and around the world,” the spokesperson said. According to Puck, the gift was “midwifed” by Obama’s former Press Secretary Jay Carney, who now oversees public relations at Amazon. The outlet noted that Obama and Bezos are “not close” but have bumped into each other over the years. Money may help grease those social wheels.