Amazon founder Jeff Bezos: The value created by for-profit companies far exceeds my charitable donations

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos discussed his understanding of "business value" during a live CNBC interview on May 20, 2026: truly great companies often create value for society and civilization far beyond that of charity itself. In his view, companies like Amazon are essentially addressing the real needs of countless ordinary people. Especially during the pandemic, many people realized for the first time how important Amazon was to their daily lives—from new mothers to those in home quarantine, everyone relied on it to maintain their daily routines.

He believes that the reason a company can remain profitable over the long term is essentially because it continuously creates enormous value for society, and this is the fundamental logic behind all great enterprises.