Billionaire eBay founder gives nearly $2M to defund police - while funding ... trends now
The billionaire founder of eBay has donated nearly $2 million to defund the police - while also making a substantial contribution to a private security startup dubbed 'Uber for bodyguards.'
Pierre Omidyar gave $500,000 through his philanthropic entity, the Omidyar Network, to organizations that protested against the death of George Floyd in 2020.
Omidyar Network gave $100,000 to Equity and Transformation, a local group that partnered with Movement for Black Lives to help 'defund police.'
Two other organizations affiliated with the Omidyar Network, PolicyLink and Democracy Fund, received a substantial sum of $1.3 million, according to Independent journalist Lee Fang who uncovered these financial transactions.
This funding was allocated to support the creation of DefundPolice.org, an online platform utilized by advocates to defund or abolish police.
The founder of the renowned e-commerce platform has a reported net worth of $8.91 billion
Omidyar’s Nevada mega estate boasts a whopping 75,000 square feet of living space with 11 bedrooms, 35 bathrooms, an indoor racquetball court and more
Omidyar Network gave $100,000 to Equity and Transformation, a local group that partnered with Movement for Black Lives to help 'defund police'
The Movement for Black Lives recently expressed their stance on police defunding, stating unequivocally, 'When we say 'defund and abolish the police,' we mean exactly that.' These words reinforce the organization's commitment to their cause.
Meanwhile, Omidyar has invested in start-ups that specialize in monetizing the growing demand for private security, according to Fang.
One of those investments is Bond, an app that provides licensed bodyguards instantly. The app is described as a way for customer to order a bodyguard as easily as takeout dinner, according to founder and former Special Forces for the Israeli Defense Forces Doron Kempel.
Bond, a personal security platform available for iOS and Android, allows users to hire their very own bodyguards to escort them to meetings, walk them home, or even get them safely from one bar to another during a wild night out.
The app also offers location tracking, video
