Free Republic

For the world’s richest man, charity begins — and stays — at home. Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos has given only a tiny fraction of his $160 billion fortune to philanthropic causes, falling far behind fellow billionaires such as Bill and Melinda Gates and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, public records show. Although Bezos, 55, and his estranged wife MacKenzie recently pledged $2 billion to a new charitable initiative, their previous giving amounts to a total of just over $145 million or .0906 percent — far less than one percent — of their net worth. Out of $100,000,...

President Obama and Vice President Biden released their tax returns today, ahead of Tax Day, which is on April 16 this year (since April 15 falls on a Sunday). According to the White House, "Together, [the Bidens] reported adjusted gross income of $379,035. The Bidens paid $87,900 in total federal tax for 2011. They paid $13,843 in Delaware income tax and $3,614 in Virginia income tax. The Bidens contributed $5,540 to charity in 2011." In other words, the Bidens donated less than 1.5 percent of their adjusted gross income to charity. The president and his family were more charitable, giving...