Latest news with #MiguelBezos
Daily Mail
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Jeff Bezos' 'rock' who'll be by his side as he weds Lauren Sanchez: Adopted father fled Cuba as a teen - and bravely invested in 'start-up' Amazon
When Jeff Bezos weds his girlfriend of six years, Lauren Sanchez, in Venice this week, there'll be one man by his side who's been a constant in the Amazon mogul's life - and even funded his global brand when it was a mere start-up. Despite protests from locals, Italy 's Lagoon City will play host to one of the biggest celebrity weddings in recent decades, when the billionaire Amazon CEO, 61, marries ex journalist Sanchez, 55. The guest list, thought to be just under 200 people, could feature some of the most famous faces in the world - with Oprah, Kim Kardashian and Bill Gates all rumoured to be jetting in to help the happy couple celebrate. However, it is Miguel Bezos, the man whose name the entrepreneur took when he was just four, after his mother Jacklyn married him in 1968, who will steel his nerves as Sanchez walks down the aisle. Miguel, who goes by the name of 'Mike', legally adopted Bezos and raised him as if he was his own son - backing his business ventures even when Jeff warned him he might lose his money. Now 79, Miguel has frequently been dubbed a 'rock' in the Amazon billionaire's life and he's likely to play a major part in this week's three-day nuptials. As one of the world's richest men, Jeff - worth around $227billion - has frequently made reference to Miguel's extraordinary rags-to-riches life, after his father fled his native Santiago de Cuba, the second largest city on the Caribbean island, when Fidel Castro seized power. Three years ago, he presented Miguel with the award for 'embodying the heart of the immigrant story' at the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Awards. Father and son: Miguel Bezos has been a constant in the life of the Amazon mogul since he adopted him when he was just four, after he married Jeff's mother Jacklyn in 1968 (Pictured: Miguel and Jeff at the Statue Of Liberty Museum Opening Celebration at Battery Park on May 15, 2019) Jeff became visibly emotional as he described how Miguel had left for the US at just 16 'fighting for a better life' after Castro nationalized his father's successful lumber mill business. He said Miguel had endured 'tough experiences' saying immigrants quickly learned how to be resilient. He said: 'That's certainly the story of my dad. He came from Santiago, Cuba. He was 16. He spoke no English, he had to make his way. 'He had those tough experiences. I think in every immigrant you'll find a deep optimism and a deep resilience too. 'My dad is an intense hard worker. My dad is warm and he teaches an easy smile. He adds he and his siblings could not 'have had a better role model.' Earlier, in 2019, he bought his father a star, costing $2million, on a piece of artwork at the Statue of Liberty museum in New York which honours immigrants. The Amazon founder is actually the biological son of Ted Jorgensen - and was born on January 12, 1964 as Jeffrey Preston Jorgensen - but became estranged from his father when he split from his mother Jacklyn 17 months later after his birth. Soon after Jacklyn started dating her co-worker, Mike Bezos, and, after the pair were wed, she asked Jorgensen's legal permission to allow her new husband to adopt their son, Jeffrey, and he agreed. Jorgensen was only revealed as Bezos's biological father in October 2013 and only learned the identity of the son when approached by a writer working on a biography. Reporter Brad Stone, author of 'The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and Amazon,' tracked Mr Jorgensen down to a small bike repair shop in Glendale Arizona in 2012. He was stunned to discover Mr Jorgensen had no idea who Bezos was or his intimate connection to him. Jorgensen said: 'I'm anxious about it. I would like to connect with him. I'm not in great health. 'I don't plan on dying just yet but it does make me think, it plays a part in wanting to see him. 'I'm his biological father and I just want to shake his hand and tell him he's done well and be recognized as his father. I would want that no matter what he turned out to be.' The pair never reconciled before Jorgensen's death in 2015 but a year before he died he begged his son to get in touch with him. Jorgensen, who owned a small biker repair shop in Arizona, told MailOnline: 'I don't think he will come to me now. I haven't heard a word from him or had any sign that he wants to connect with me. 'I hoped with the publicity it might happen but I can't blame him. I guess I wasn't a very good father.' When asked about his biological father in 1999, Bezos told Wired: 'The reality, as far as I'm concerned, is that my dad is my natural father. 'The only time I ever think about it, genuinely, is when a doctor asks me to fill out a form.' Shortly after getting married, Miguel graduated in maths and computer science from the University of Albuquerque in New Mexico. The talented graduate was offered a job with Exxon, and the family moved to Houston, Texas - upping sticks whenever a new role with Exxon came up. Bezos eventually went to Princeton, where he graduated in 1986. Miguel and Jacklyn backed their son's ideas, investing $245,573 in Amazon back in 1995 - despite Bezos warning them it was incredibly risky. Speaking of their investment in the past, Miguel said: 'We were fortunate enough that we have lived overseas and we have saved a few pennies so we were able to be an angel investor. The rest is history.' That stake, around 3.4 per cent of the company, is likely to be worth over $30billion now, although it is not known exactly how much the couple still own. In 2023, the Amazon CEO relocated from Seattle to South Florida, revealing he wanted to be closer to his parents. 'My parents have always been my biggest supporters. They recently moved back to Miami, the place we lived when I was younger,' Bezos said. 'I want to be close to my parents, and Lauren and I love Miami. Also, Blue Origin's operations are increasingly shifting to Cape Canaveral.
Arabian Post
30-04-2025
- Health
- Arabian Post
Philanthropic Coalition Unveils $500 Million Initiative to Combat Maternal and Newborn Mortality in Africa
A consortium of philanthropic organisations has launched a $500 million fund aimed at reducing maternal and newborn mortality rates across sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative, known as the Beginnings Fund, was announced in Abu Dhabi and is spearheaded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Mohamed Bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity, and other partners. The fund aims to save the lives of 300,000 mothers and infants by 2030 through targeted interventions in ten African countries. The Beginnings Fund seeks to address the alarming statistic that over 800 women and 7,000 newborns die daily from preventable complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. These deaths are predominantly due to infections, postpartum hemorrhage, and respiratory issues, which are often exacerbated by inadequate healthcare infrastructure and limited access to essential medical supplies. The initiative will focus on implementing low-cost, high-impact solutions in hospitals with high maternal and neonatal mortality rates. These solutions include the provision of intravenous iron to treat anemia, the use of antibiotics like azithromycin to prevent infections, and the administration of oxytocin and misoprostol to manage postpartum bleeding. Additionally, the fund will support the deployment of portable ultrasound devices equipped with artificial intelligence to assist healthcare workers in remote areas with prenatal diagnostics. A distinguishing feature of the Beginnings Fund is its emphasis on collaboration with local governments and organisations. By partnering with entities such as the Children's Investment Fund Foundation, Delta Philanthropies, and the ELMA Foundation, the initiative aims to ensure that interventions are culturally appropriate and sustainable. The fund's operations will be coordinated from Nairobi, Kenya, facilitating closer engagement with the target regions. See also Washington Accord Signals New Phase in Congo-Rwanda Peace Efforts This substantial investment comes at a time when international aid for maternal and child health has seen significant reductions. The World Health Organization has warned that such cuts could reverse decades of progress in reducing maternal and infant mortality rates. The Beginnings Fund represents a concerted effort by private philanthropies to fill the void left by dwindling public funding and to reinvigorate global commitments to maternal and newborn health. Complementing this initiative, the Gates Foundation has also pledged $200 million to improve access to medical supplies and contraception in low- and middle-income countries. This funding will be divided equally between Unitaid and the United Nations Population Fund , supporting efforts to expand healthcare access and reproductive health services. At the Nutrition for Growth Summit in Paris, philanthropists including the Gates Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, and Jackie and Miguel Bezos committed over $2 billion to combat global child malnutrition. These pledges underscore a growing recognition among private donors of the critical need to invest in maternal and child health, especially in regions where public funding is insufficient. Despite previous gains in reducing maternal and newborn mortality, progress has stalled in recent years. The Gates Foundation reports that maternal mortality rates have remained static globally since 2016, with two-thirds of these deaths occurring in sub-Saharan Africa. Addressing underlying vulnerabilities, such as malnutrition and lack of access to quality healthcare, is essential to reversing this trend.
