Jeff Bezos awarded $100 million for Eva Longoria and the admiral who got Osama bin Laden to give to charity (2024)

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has picked the latest recipients of his Bezos Courage & Civility Award. The actress Eva Longoria and retired Admiral Bill McRaven will each receive $50 million to donate to the charities these choose, Bezos announced Friday.

Longoria, the longtime actress known for her role on the TV series Desperate Housewives, is a Latino community advocate and activist. McRaven, a retired four-star admiral, oversaw the 2011 military raid that led to the killing of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the U.S.

“Twelve years ago, I started the Eva Longoria Foundation, because Latinos believe in the American Dream, but we don’t always have enough access to it,” Longoria in a statement. “I am honored and thrilled to have this opportunity to build and expand on that work to invest in the infrastructure of opportunity for my community.”

“I am incredibly honored to receive this award from Lauren and Jeff,” McRaven said in a statement, referring to Bezos’ fiancee Lauren Sánchez. “Their generous gift will truly change the lives of countless veterans and their families. Nothing is more inspiring to those that serve than knowing that their sacrifice is recognized and genuinely appreciated.”

The Bezos Courage & Civility Award was established in 2021 to, as the group puts it, “support leaders addressing today’s seemingly intractable problems.”

Previous recipients include the activist and former TV personality Van Jones, celebrity chef José Andrés, and the singer andactor Dolly Parton.

Bezos earlier this month retook the top spot in the never-ending battle for the title of world’s richest person. The Amazon founder and executive chairman, has been selling billions of dollars worth of Amazon stock in recent weeks.