Billionaire Jeff Bezos flew into space on his company Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft on Tuesday, marking a historic moment in space travel. The founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, announced a $100 million “Courage and Civility” award upon his return to the planet.
This award will be conferred on leaders who engage the public to counter challenges facing the human race.
The first two “Courage and Civility” awards have been conferred on American political commentator Van Jones and celebrity chef José Andrés. Each of the award winners will receive a sum of $100 million.
Addressing a press conference to mark the success of his company Blue Origin’s first passenger spaceflight, Jeff Bezos said both Van Jones and José Andrés could donate the award money, if they wanted, either to one non-profit or split it among many.
The Amazon founder also said more of these awards could be given away to others in the future.
