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Jeff Bezos’ nonprofit preschool reportedly paid leadership significantly higher-than-average salaries in 2021.
Bezos Academy’s president and chief of operations were both longtime Amazon employees.
For most of last year, Bezos Academy consisted of just one location with 13 students.
Jeff Bezos has hired former Amazon workers to run his Montessori-inspired tuition-free preschool system, and he’s reportedly paying them a small fortune to do so.
According to an annual tax form analyzed by Bloomberg, Michael George was paid $800,452 plus $28,000 in benefits to oversee Bezos Academy in 2021, which consisted of just one school and only 13 students for most of last year.
George spent more than 20 years at Amazon and led consumer projects like Amazon Echo and Alexa, according to Bezos Academy’s website.
Data from Total Compensation Solution collected by Bloomberg shows that George’s pay is significantly higher than that of a median nonprofit director, which was $294,000 in 2021.
George’s pay falls “within a reasonable range of competitive market prices,” Bezos Academy told Bloomberg.
Bloomberg also found that another former Amazon worker on the pre-K staff was paid a large sum, as well. Miguel Roque, Bezos Academy’s chief of operations, was paid $463,144 in 2021. Roque was at Amazon for 9 years.
Bezos Academy prioritizes children in underserved communities, is free of charge, and “aims to nurture the potential in every child to become a creative leader, original thinker, and lifelong learner,” its website reads.
Katie Ford, a spokesperson for the nonprofit, told Bloomberg that Bezos Academy plans to open 15 more schools by the end of 2023.
Bezos has turned his eye to charity since stepping down from his role as CEO of Amazon. Last month, Bezos signed the “Giving Pledge,” which is “a promise by the world’s wealthiest individuals and families to dedicate the majority of their wealth to charitable causes,” according to the pledge’s website.