Amazon’s Jeff Bezos to start $2 billion charitable fund

NEW YORK  — Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos says he will start a $2 billion charitable fund to help homeless families and open new preschools in low-income neighborhoods.

“MacKenzie and I share a belief in the potential for hard work from anyone to serve others,” Bezos also the owner of the Washington Post, said in a tweet, referring to his wife MacKenzie Bezos.

Bezos, the wealthiest person on the planet whose stake in Amazon is worth about $160 billion, says the he’ll call it the Bezos Day One Fund. An Amazon.com Inc. spokeswoman said the $2 billion will all come from Bezos.

Bezos made the announcement Thursday in a tweet and a post on his Instagram account.

Bezos and Amazon’s board of directors are convening in Washington, D.C., this week ahead of a series of high-profile appearances for Bezos, and in the midst of speculation about whether the retailing giant might reveal its decision on where to locate a second headquarters.