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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 1d

9. Don't rely on publications OWNED BY BILLIONAIRES for reporting ABOUT BILLIONAIRES.

Subscribe to Oligarch Watch. It's free to sign up.

oligarchwatch.substack.com/subscribe

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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 1d

8. Bezos' ex-wife, McKenzie Scott, has donated more than 4x as much as Bezos since their divorce.

Jeff Bezos Can’t Give Away His Money

Maybe he should ask his ex-wife.

oligarchwatch.substack.com

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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 1d

7. Bezos has done some good donating to groups that address homelessness, but the effort is extremely modest relative to his wealth. Bezos has donated $750 million over 7 years to the project, or about 0.3% of his net worth.

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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 1d

6. The revolving door between Amazon and the Bezos Earth Fund is particularly concerning, as Amazon’s carbon emissions have increased by over 50% since 2018, largely driven by increased energy usage associated with AI. Bezos Earth Fund argues that AI is part of the solution to climate change.

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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 1d

5. In July 2025, Bezos appointed Tom Taylor, an Amazon executive focused on AI, as CEO of the Bezos Earth Fund. Taylor has no experience in either environmental issues or philanthropy.

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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 1d

4. After a staff revolt, the SBTi reversed course and, in December 2024, the Bezos Earth Fund stopped funding the organization.

Jeff Bezos Can’t Give Away His Money

Maybe he should ask his ex-wife.

oligarchwatch.substack.com

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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 1d

3. The Bezos Earth Fund reportedly pressured a leading environmental standards group, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), to relax its rules around letting corporations use offsets to meet carbon goals.

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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 1d

2. Most of Bezos' charitable giving ($2.3 billion) has gone to the Bezos Earth Fund. But the organization has developed a reputation less as a sincere effort to combat climate change and more as a vehicle for the corporate infiltration of the key climate organizations.

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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 1d

1. In 2022, Jeff Bezos promised to give away the majority of his wealth during his lifetime.

It is not going well.

Since making the pledge, his net worth has almost doubled to $240 billion.

Meanwhile, he has given less than $5 billion to charity.

Jeff Bezos Can’t Give Away His Money

Maybe he should ask his ex-wife.

oligarchwatch.substack.com

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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 1d

9. For more accountability journalism that FOLLOWS THE MONEY, subscribe to Popular Information.

No paywalls. No capitulation. No BS.

popular.info/subscribe

popular.info

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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 1d

8. In May, the Trump administration agreed “to sell Saudi Arabia an arms package worth nearly $142 billion.”

While previous arms sales to Saudi Arabia were smaller and focused on defensive weaponry, the Trump deal was expansive, including “state-of-the-art warfighting equipment."

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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 1d

7. Shortly after Trump left the White House, the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) invested $2 billion in Affinity Partners. In January, Kushner funneled a portion of that money to the Trump Organization, announcing the construction of a Trump-branded luxury hotel and apartment complex in Belgrade.

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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 1d

6. Two weeks after the UAE’s massive USD1 purchase, the Trump administration agreed “to allow the U.A.E. access to hundreds of thousands of the world’s most advanced and scarce computer chips.”

Quid Pro Presidency

Nations that have bestowed lavish gifts to President Trump — or enriched Trump and his family by striking business deals with Trump-connected companies — have later received extraordinary benefits…

popular.info

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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 1d

5. In May, the UAE purchased $2 billion worth of USD1, a stablecoin issued by a Trump-connected crypto firm, World Liberty Financial (WLF). The purchase is expected to generate tens of millions annually for WLF. Trump owns 38% of the company.

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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 1d

4. In 2024, the Qatari government was one of two investors in a $1.5 billion funding round for Jared Kushner's fund. Although Kushner had pledged not to be involved in policy-making in Trump’s second term, he has reemerged as one of Trump’s top foreign policy advisors.

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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 1d

3. On October 10, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that the government will permit Qatar to establish a military presence on U.S. soil.

Quid Pro Presidency

Nations that have bestowed lavish gifts to President Trump — or enriched Trump and his family by striking business deals with Trump-connected companies — have later received extraordinary benefits…

popular.info

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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 1d

2. On May 21, Qatar gifted a luxury 747 jet, valued at $400 million, for Trump to use as Air Force One.

In a September 29 executive order, Trump stated that it is now “the policy of the United States to guarantee the security and territorial integrity of the State of Qatar against external attack.”

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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 1d

1. Nations that have bestowed lavish gifts to President Trump — or enriched Trump and his family by striking business deals with Trump-connected companies — have later received extraordinary benefits from the Trump administration.

Quid Pro Presidency

Nations that have bestowed lavish gifts to President Trump — or enriched Trump and his family by striking business deals with Trump-connected companies — have later received extraordinary benefits…

popular.info

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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 5d

To avoid swearing in a duly elected Democratic House member who will force a vote to release the Epstein files, the House is in recess indefinitely

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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 5d

Qatar gave Trump the luxury 747 that he wanted and now we are LETTING THEM BUILD A MILITARY BASE ON US SOIL

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 5d

Hegseth: "I'm also proud that today we're signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatari Emeri air force facility at the Mountain Home Airbase in Idaho."

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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 5d

Trump has less than 40% approval and Republicans have convinced themselves you need to pay people to protest his policies

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 5d

Sen. Roger Marshall: "October 18 is when the protest gets here. This will be a Soros paid-for protest for his professional protesters. The agitators show up. We'll have to get the National Guard out. Hopefully it will be peaceful. I doubt it."

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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 5d

Counterpoint: Protest is patriotic

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 5d

Mike Johnson: "We're so angry about it. I mean, I'm a very patient guy, but I've had it with these people. The theory we have right now -- they have a hate America rally that's scheduled for October 18 on the National Mall. It's the pro-Hamas wing and antifa people ... "

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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 6d

I'll be speaking LIVE with @karenattiah.bsky.social at 1 PM Eastern about the state of free speech in America. Join us!

(If you have questions for Karen, let me know in the replies)

open.substack.com/live-stream/...

Starting Oct 9 at 1:00 PM EDT

open.substack.com

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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 7d

Never forget.

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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 7d

7. For more accountability journalism that FOLLOWS THE MONEY subscribe to Popular Information.

No paywalls. No capitulation. No BS.

popular.info/subscribe

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