Jeff Bezos Names Ex-Amazon Exec Tom Taylor as CEO of $10B Earth Fund
Five years ago, Jeff Bezos pledged to donate $10 billion over a decade to environmental causes, in marking the largest philanthropic commitment ever made to combat climate change. Now, at the halfway point, the billionaire still has $7.7 billion left to give—a task that will soon be led by Tom Taylor, a former Amazon executive newly appointed as CEO and president of the Bezos Earth Fund.
The fund confirmed Taylor’s appointment this week. Bezos serves as executive chair, and his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, is vice chair. “I am excited to work with Jeff and Lauren to implement their vision and grateful to inherit an incredibly capable and mission driven team,” said Taylor in a LinkedIn post.
Taylor brings extensive experience working alongside the Amazon founder. Over more than two decades at the company, he held several leadership roles, including senior vice president of Amazon’s Alexa division, before leaving in 2022. He also held previous roles at K2 Sports, a sporting goods company, and Delphi Automotive Systems.
“After I retired from Amazon, I followed the good advice to consider this as ‘Quarter 3’ of my life and look for an opportunity that balanced my desire for both adventure and service,” Taylor wrote. “Leading the Bezos Earth Fund is this perfect opportunity—a place where I can bring something new to the table, learn from amazing people, and help the planet now and for future generations.”
Bezos, currently the world’s fourth wealthiest person with an estimated net worth of $236.5 billion, pledged in 2020 to give away the bulk of his fortune to philanthropy. His largest charitable initiative to date, the Bezos Earth Fund, supports efforts in food conservation, environmental justice, decarbonization and climate-focused technology. To date, the fund has distributed $2.3 billion through more than 270 grants, according to its website.
The fund was formerly led by Andrew Steer, an economist who previously headed the World Resources Institute. In a 2023 interview, Steer described the organization’s strategy as similar to a venture capitalist firm that prioritizes high-risk, high-impact projects and relies on data and analysis to guide funding decisions. He stepped down in February, citing a desire to return to work focused on “international development and the interaction of the environment, finance and the economy.”
Recent grants from the Bezos Earth Fund include $19.3 million for research into reducing methane emissions from livestock and $2 million to support conservation and disease prevention efforts for frog species. In May, the fund also announced $1.2 million in funding for initiatives using A.I. to tackle environmental challenges like sustainable protein and power grid optimization.
With his background at Amazon, Taylor is expected to continue the fund’s focus on new technology-driven solutions. “I am thrilled to join the Bezos Earth Fund and lead with the bold mandate to invent our way out of Earth’s environmental challenges with a combination of long-term thinking, technical curiosity and excellent execution,” he said.