As the extent of shocking devastation and loss of life emerges, Amazon.com Inc.’s
AMZN,
billionaire founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancée, Lauren Sanchez, announced a $100 million donation to Maui wildfire relief efforts.
Sanchez posted a joint statement Friday on Instagram: “Jeff and I are heartbroken by what’s happening in Maui. We are thinking of all the families that have lost so much and a community that has been left devastated.
“The immediate needs are important, and so is the longer term rebuilding that will have to happen — even after much of the attention has subsided,” she said. “Jeff and I are creating a Maui Fund and are dedicated $100 million to help Maui get back on its feet now and over the coming years as the continuing needs reveal themselves.”
Bezos has extensive property holdings on Maui, including a 14-acre estate he bought for $78 million in 2021.
The death toll from the blaze grew to at least 93 on Sunday, with officials warning the number may still rise significantly as searches continue. Much of the historic town of Lahaina was destroyed by the fire, in what Hawaii’s governor has called the worst disaster in the state’s history. More than 2,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed, with damage estimated at about $6 billion.
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