Jeff Bezos and Leonardo DiCaprio launch $200 million Phoenix Species Project
Foundations led by Jeff Bezos and Leonardo DiCaprio have pledged an initial $200 million to launch the Phoenix Species Project, the largest single philanthropic fund dedicated to recovering critically endangered wildlife. The effort, a partnership between the Bezos Earth Fund (with Jeff Bezos and vice‑chair Lauren Sánchez Bezos) and Re:wild (co‑founded by DiCaprio and biologist Wes Sechrest), will target 100 species in 30 countries.
Funding is split evenly, $100 million from each foundation, and is supplemented by Age of Union and the Todd Graves Family Foundation. Recovery actions will include conservation breeding, habitat restoration, disease management and invasive‑species control, guided by the IUCN Species Survival Commission. The project aligns with Target 4 of the CBD Kunming‑Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and will be implemented by more than 100 local and international partners, Indigenous peoples, scientists and community groups.
Species highlighted for immediate support include the golden‑crowned sifaka lemur (Madagascar), the Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander (North Carolina, USA), the Visayan warty pig (Philippines), the Cozumel harvest mouse (Mexico), the pink land iguana (Galápagos, Ecuador), the Malayan (Sunda) pangolin, Tanzania’s pancake tortoise, the starry‑night harlequin toad (Colombia) and Attenborough’s long‑beaked echidna (New Guinea). Lauren Sánchez Bezos said the initiative aims to move beyond short‑term grants toward long‑term, locally led conservation.
Entities: Bezos Earth Fund · Jeff Bezos · Lauren Sánchez Bezos · Leonardo DiCaprio · Phoenix Species Project · Re:wild
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 17 SOURCES] The project aims to recover 100 critically endangered species across 30 countries. (multiple articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Since its 2020 launch, the Bezos Earth Fund has made 41 grants totaling $591 million for nature projects. (multiple articles)
- [● 17 SOURCES] The IUCN Species Survival Commission is a scientific partner for the project. (multiple articles)
- [● 14 SOURCES] The initiative aligns with Target 4 of the CBD Kunming‑Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. (multiple articles)
- [● 17 SOURCES] More than 100 local and international partners, including Indigenous peoples, scientists and community groups, will implement the project. (multiple articles)
- [● 17 SOURCES] Target species include the golden‑crowned sifaka lemur (Madagascar) and the Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander (North Carolina, USA). (multiple articles)
- [● 17 SOURCES] Funding is split $100 million from the Bezos Earth Fund and $100 million from Re:wild, with additional support from Age of Union and the Todd Graves Family Foundation. (multiple articles)
- [● 17 SOURCES] The Bezos Earth Fund and Re:wild launched the Phoenix Species Project with an initial $200 million commitment. (multiple articles)