Miami’s New Billionaires Are Making Local Donations

·34 Comments

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Citadel founder Ken Griffin have announced new charitable donations in Miami.

Bezos announced he was moving to Miami a year ago. Griffin announced he was moving his company headquarters to Miami in 2022.

The Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust announced last week it had received a $5 million donation from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez, the largest donation in its history.

A week earlier the Pérez Art Museum Miami announced it had received a $10 million gift from Griffin.

According to a recent Herald article, Griffin has announced significant local philanthropical gifts since relocating here. They include at least $125m in donations to local hospitals, $11.1m to local schools, $5m to The Underline, and $5m to build mini soccer pitches in under-resourced areas.

 

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Anonymous
16 days ago

Would it be possible for them to donate to expanding public transit? Less cars on the road means they can travel faster in their own cars.

58
Jamrock
16 days ago

Sadly they would donate and the county would use it to do a traffic study, make a new bus route, and expand a highway.

48
Anonymous
16 days ago

Can a donation be earmarked for a specific project like this?

8
anonymous
16 days ago

yes, some charitable donations can be earmarked for a specific purpose

10
Jimmy
16 days ago

It is possible.
It is also possible that these two individuals did not become Billionaires by being stupid.

Perhaps there is some lesson to be learned from the things that highly successful people pay attention to.

4
Anon
16 days ago

Should not be donating to Perez Art Museum. They pay their Director over $600,000 per year. Waste of money on such a small, shabby collection. That money could be put to better use elsewhere.

29
Cover the Podiums
16 days ago

Geez I thought you were trolling but it’s true. What a waste

6
Realtalk Reilly
16 days ago

Just because it’s true doesn’t mean he or she wasn’t trolling.

-6
Anon Response
15 days ago

Clearly, you have not bothered to visit the Perez Art Museum to see what they do, from groundbreaking exhibits to educating children. The collection is no longer small nor shabby, thanks to the Director. The Director is a rock star and Miami is lucky to have him.

0
Anony
13 days ago

Let’s get rid of the charitable deduction. Tired of billionaires inflating the value of junk art to get huge deductions. How much does the Perez Museum pay in property taxes? Too many lousy museums and too much government debt.

1
Maceo
11 days ago

You may have a different opinion if you had the talent, skill, or acumen to sell art to billionaires, or provide value to enough people that you would be a billionaire.

Charitable Deductions for Miami residents only apply to Federal Income taxes, and have nothing to do with property taxes.

The Perez Art Museum Miami is owned by the public. It is on a park owned by the public. As such, you get ZERO property tax revenues for public schools, infrastructure, services, or any contribution to the General Fund.

0
Anon
9 days ago

You must be the director. I’ve been there twice – nothing to see – ask anyone – $18 to park – $18 admission – total waste of money!

-1
Jennifer
16 days ago

Awesome. We need more billionaires to move in!

22
Anonymous
16 days ago

We love to see it!

17
Anonymous
16 days ago

The Underline is amazing!

17
Xlon Xusk
16 days ago

Things that a billionaire could donate to Miami that would genuinely improve the city and have said billionaire’s legacy endure for generations:

1.A Haussmann-esque grand redevelopment of some of the more sprawly, soulless parts of Miami (yes, the ghetto). Basically doing what happened with Wynwood but building actually classy traditionalist European style architecture rather than the samey Arquitectonica commieblocks.
2. A genuinely sizeable public park – something on a lesser scale of Hyde Park or Central Park.
3. A Cathedral in either the Gothic or Baroque style and in a prominent location (again, New York has one, so it absolutely can work in a big modern american city)
4. Expanded Metro Lines/Elevated Rail to actually connect the entire county rather than forcing everyone to suffer with the Palmetto/95/75 etc

16
Anonymous
16 days ago

Arquitectonica commieblocks lmao

3
Maceo
11 days ago

None of those 4 ideas (with the exception of building a church maybe) would be worth any billionaires time and effort. Further, I fail to see how my life would change with anyone of those 4 suggestions.

People should do whatever they want with their money.
Sadly, when the government wants to do something they CONFISCATE money from people, commission a study, waste a lot of that money, then build inferior products and services that only a few people want/need/or use.

If the Metromover was as comfortable, reliable, or as affordable per mile as any Tesla, their ridership would be much higher.

-2
Voltaire ll
16 days ago

I hope the donation to Perez Museum is used in getting better art pieces, las time I was there was a W@ke exhibition everything was about r@cism and how bad we are as a country!

5
Ff
16 days ago

I guess they dont want to pay taxes

4
Anonymous
16 days ago

“Under-resourced areas?” Wow, and I thought “unsheltered individuals” was peak PC…

4
Citizen
13 days ago

Good for them and Miami ! In terms of how the money is used , we need D O G E in Miami as well .

2
Mark Lange
16 days ago

I prefer pre-Covid Miami.

1
calivalle
15 days ago

Donations work thats how Americans work,give your share Miami

1
Anonymous 2
9 days ago

And we are supposed to say what ‘praise the lord’? Wow.

0
Cover the Podiums
16 days ago

Donations like these are band-aid solutions to solving the root cause of these issues. Its just a way for them to feel better about themselves, ask for favors later, and improve their images locally. Prove me wrong.

I would rather them actually work with the government to provide permanent solutions, but that of course takes actual time and effort and they ain’t got time for that! lol

-2
Jimmy
16 days ago

You are absolutely wrong.
Smart men know that the government is the PROBLEM not the SOLUTION.

Mids will complain about how horrible the government is one post, then whine and complain that government isn’t wasting enough money on the things that cannot do well.

Of course you “would rather them” do something with their money, time, and efforts.

Good news. Smart, successful, producers create value to society. Some of the reward for creating value for the whole of society is monetary, and some of it is to be ever to do whatever the hell you want to do with your money. Karens need not apply.

2
Anonymous
16 days ago

As long as society exists, there are always be homelessness. That and prostitutes.

9
Chit show
16 days ago

And roaches..and keith richards

4
Downtown Vagabond
16 days ago

Lost me at “work with government.” So they can steal off the top or hand out contracts to their buddies who do unnecessary and poor work? No thanks. Foundations do a much better job.

8
Maceo
11 days ago

True. The good Foundations do a much better job than governments.
Smart people research and vet the good ones from that bad ones, and they vote with their dollars.

0
calivalle
15 days ago

I need more free rides to Miami beach on a ferry.

-5
Urbanist
16 days ago

Im glad we are at the mercy of the rich ho decide what we want!

-7
Jimmy
16 days ago

That makes absolutely no sense.

7