Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez gush over one another during first dual interview on CNN
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Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and girlfriend Lauren Sanchez gave their first sit-down television interview together in which the pair gushed over each other and sang each other’s praises.
Bezos, 58, the fourth-richest person in the world, and Sanchez, 52, said the couple’s partnership is made stronger because they are “teammates.”
“We are really great teammates, and we also have a lot of fun together and we love each other… We always look at each other and we are the team,” Sanchez said during the interview that aired on CNN.
‘It’s easy. We bring each other energy, we respect each other. So it’s fun to work together,” Bezos added.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez gave their first sit-down television interview together in which the couple gushed about each other
Bezos, 58, the fourth richest person in the world, and Sanchez, 52, said the couple’s partnership is made stronger because they are “teammates”
Bezos, who is also the founder of aerospace company Blue Origin, says he believes anyone who wants to go into space will have the chance to do so in their lifetime.
‘I do [believe space travel will be attainable for everyone]. Let me give you an example. The Wright brothers flew this little plane, just a few hundred feet. And if you told the Wright brothers that in a hundred years there will be a 787 carrying 400 people, they would laugh,” Bezos said.
Sanchez, a former Emmy award-winning journalist born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, also announced she plans to go into space next year with a “big group of women” accompanying her.
Sanchez holds her own pilot’s license and in 2016 founded Black Ops Aviation, the first female-owned and operated aerial film and production company.
Bezos, who is also the founder of aerospace company Blue Origin, says he believes anyone who wants to go into space will have the chance to do so in their lifetime. He is depicted carrying Sanchez over his shoulder
Sanchez, a former Emmy award-winning journalist born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, also announced she plans to go into space next year with a “big group of women” accompanying her.
Bezos, 58, the fourth richest person in the world, and Sanchez, 52, said the couple’s partnership is made stronger because they are “teammates”
“I also learned how to fly the helicopter,” Bezos added. And she’s a terrible backseat pilot. She’s terrible!’
“I’ve realized that when I’m in the back of the helicopter as it flies, I just have to look out the window, just enjoy the scenery a little bit,” Sanchez laughed. “I’m like, ‘No, no. Pull up. Okay. Okay, take it easy. But he’s very good.’
The couple, who are normally relatively private when it comes to their relationship, saw Bezos lay down the compliments thickly.
“Lauren is the most generous, most big hearted person you would ever meet. So she’s an inspiration in that way. She never misses a birthday. The network of people to whom she gives birthday presents is huge. And that’s just a small example.’
The pair also revealed what they get up to on a Saturday night and joked that their night is nothing special.
The couple, who are normally relatively private when it comes to their relationship, saw Bezos lay down the compliments thickly
“We can be pretty boring,” Sanchez said with a laugh. ‘I would say normal. We eat with the children. That is always fun and a good conversation. There are seven between us, so there is a lot of discussion. And then we watch a movie … per committee. It takes a long time to find that movie.’
“We probably spend more time choosing the movie than we need to,” Bezos added.
During the interview, Bezos said that he will give away most of his wealth in his lifetime and become the latest billionaire to pledge to donate a large portion of his massive fortune.
Bezos, whose “real-time” worth Forbes magazine estimates at about $117 billion, made the announcement during the interview.
The billionaire did not specify how – or to whom – he will give the money away, but said the pair were building the “capacity” to do it.
“The hardest part is figuring out how to do it with leverage,” Bezos said during the interview. ‘It is not easy. Building Amazon wasn’t easy. It took a lot of hard work and very smart teammates. And I find — and Lauren’s findings — that philanthropy is very similar. It is not easy. It is very difficult.’
Bezos has been criticized in the past for not signing the Giving Pledge, the campaign by Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates and Warren Buffet to encourage billionaires to donate most of their wealth through philanthropy.
The couple is photographed on New Year’s Eve 2021
Bezo’s ex-wife McKenzie Scott signed that pledge in 2019 and has since become a formidable force in the world of philanthropy, showering charities across the country with unexpected — and often secret — contributions.
Over the past three years, she has given more than $12 billion to traditionally black colleges and universities, women’s rights groups, and other nonprofits.
Bezos, who divorced Scott in 2019, stepped down as CEO of Amazon last year to devote more time to philanthropy and other projects.
Among other donations, he has pledged $10 billion to fight climate change as part of his Bezos Earth Fund initiative.
Last year, according to The Chronicle of Philanthropy, he donated $510.7 million to charities.
Last week, Bezos awarded Dolly Parton $100 million to give children worldwide access to books.
Dolly Parton, 76, (pictured) received $100 million from Jeff Bezos for giving children worldwide access to books. The recipient will be awarded $100 million to “forward to the charities they see fit”
Parton, 76, became the latest recipient of the Courage and Civility Award at the Bezos Awards. The recipient gets $100 million to “send to the charities they deem appropriate.”
The beloved singer appeared shocked when she was handed the gigantic sum of money — adding, “Did you say $100 million?”
“I’ve always said, I try to put my money where my heart is,” the country music legend said when she accepted her award. “I will do my best to do good things with this money,” she promised.
The pair say they wanted to bring a “little bit of light” to the people who use unity rather than conflict to solve problems.
“We wanted to amplify their voices because the voices that are really negative in this world seem to be amplified,” she said. “I think the work we do with the Bezos Courage and Civility Award should have a voice,” Sánchez added during the CNN interview.
“And the people we’ve picked so far, Van Jones, Jose Andres, Dolly Parton, they all have stories like that to tell. I’m just honored to be a part of what they’re doing for this world.”
The award “recognizes leaders who aim high, find solutions and always do so with courtesy,” Bezos’ longtime friend Lauren Sanchez said at the awards ceremony last week.