ROME — Pope Francis received Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his partner Lauren Sanchez in a private audience in the Vatican Thursday, underscoring his views on climate change.
It was an honor for Jeff and me to spend time with His Holiness, Pope Francis, at his home in the Vatican, Sanchez wrote on Instagram. “His wisdom, warmth, and humor were deeply touching.”
Sanchez said they “discussed the urgent need for climate action, something he’s passionate about, as are all of us at the Bezos Earth Fund.”
“His belief in finding beauty and meaning in everything we do resonated deeply with me,” she added. “I love that he encourages priests to read poetry and literature to stay connected with the human spirit.”
The Amazon founder shares the pontiff’s concern for the “climate crisis” and in 2020 launched the Bezos Earth Fund with a $10 billion endowment for combating climate change.
Bezos, one of the world’s wealthiest individuals, has a fortune estimated at over $200 billion.
During his 11-year pontificate, Pope Francis has periodically received leftward-leaning American celebrities, honoring American actors George Clooney, Richard Gere, and Salma Hayek with the “Olive Medal” for peace and discussing environmental concerns with Leonardo DiCaprio.
Francis has also received former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Alex Soros (son of billionaire George Soros) in private audience at his Santa Marta residence in the Vatican.
Alex Soros is the chairman of Open Societies Foundations (OSF), a WEF Young Global Leader, and a champion for the LGBT and abortion lobbies, heir apparent to the legacy of global disrupter George Soros.