Bezos makes charity pledge as Amazon is said to plan job cuts

Jeff Bezos said he plans to give away the bulk of his fortune during his lifetime in an interview that aired just hours before reports that Amazon.com Inc. plans to cut about 10,000 jobs.

Bezos, the e-commerce giant’s founder and the world’s fourth-richest person, will focus the bulk of his philanthropy on fighting climate change and supporting those who seek to unify people, the billionaire told CNN. It’s the first time he has committed to such a pledge. 

Bezos, who’s worth $123.9 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, said in the interview that he’s also anticipating a recession and that his advice to small businesses is to hunker down and cut expenses. 

“The economy does not look great right now,” he said, sitting alongside his partner Lauren Sanchez. “Things are slowing down. You’re seeing lay offs in many many sectors of the economy.”