Amazon’s $690K donation to Australian fire relief draws criticism

Amazon’s announcement that it would donate about $690,000 to Australian wildfire relief was mocked online by critics who said the company and its billionaire CEO should contribute more.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said Sunday the tech giant would donate $1 million Australian dollars, which is about $690,000 (USD), in an Instagram post.

“Our hearts go out to all Australians as they cope with these devastating bushfires,” he said in the announcement.

Bezos’s personal net worth is estimated at more than $100 billion.

Many of the critical comments on Instagram were directed toward Bezos, saying he should have donated more, but others thanked Bezos, arguing any donation will help Australia recover from the devastating fires that have killed more than two dozen people, destroyed thousands of homes and ravaged Australia’s wildlife habitat.

Others tweeted criticism of the size of Bezos’s donation in relation to the amount of his personal wealth.

An official for Amazon was not immediately available for comment.