Bezos will donate $100 million to Obama Foundation in honor of John Lewis

Jeff Bezos, the founder and former CEO of Amazon, has announced a donation of $100 million to the Obama Foundation in honor of the legacy of civil rights icon and former Congressman John Lewis.

"Freedom fighters deserve a special place in the pantheon of heroes, and I can't think of a more fitting person to honor with this gift than John Lewis, a great American leader and a man of extraordinary decency and courage," Bezos said in a statement. "I'm thrilled to support President and Mrs. Obama and their Foundation in its mission to train and inspire tomorrow's leaders."

As part of his gift – the largest ever to be given to the foundation – Bezos has asked that a plaza at the Obama Presidential Center be named the John Lewis Plaza.

Since his departure from Amazon in July, Bezos has awarded a number of significant philanthropic donations to a numerous causes, including a $96.2 million gift to organizations fighting homelessness, and a $1 billion gift for conservation efforts.