Jeff Bezos finally collected the Légion d'honneur awarded by France about a decade ago at a 'secret' ceremony, report says
Mandel Ngan/Getty Images
- Jeff Bezos collected France's prestigious Légion d'Honneur on February 16, Le Point reported.
- The Amazon founder was given the award about a decade ago but hadn't collected it, per The Guardian.
- French President Emmanuel Macron gave Bezos the award at a private, unannounced ceremony, per Le Point.
Jeff Bezos has finally collected France's most prestigious honor about a decade after it was awarded to him, French news magazine Le Point reported on Thursday.
President Emmanuel Macron presented the Amazon founder with the Légion d'honneur at a "secret" private ceremony on February 16, according to the report.
The ceremony, which was attended by a small group of elite guests, wasn't announced by the Elysée Palace, France's equivalent of the White House, and didn't appear in Macron's official calendar.
Le Point published a photograph of Macron sitting with Bezos, who's wearing a pale grey suit, inside the ornate Elysée Palace.
—Le Point (@LePoint) February 23, 2023
According to a report by The Guardian, Bezos was awarded the Légion d'honneur about a decade ago – well before Macron became president – and was simply collecting the medal during a visit to Paris.
However, the ceremony for the world's third-richest person who's worth $119 billion, per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, was held on the same day as nationwide strike action against Macron's plan to raise the retirement age in France to 64.
Le Point's revelations have sparked criticism of the president by some of his political opponents.
François Piquemal, a lawmaker for the left-wing La France Insoumise (Unbowed France) party tweeted: "Always and forever, everything for the rich, nothing for the people."
His colleague Alma Dufour condemned Macron for honoring a man whom she said had "contributed to the destruction of 85,000 retail jobs in France." She tweeted: "Tell me who your friends are, I'll tell you who you are."
About 2,200 French citizens and 300 foreigners are awarded the Légion d'honneur annually. It's intended to honor individuals who've served France or upheld its ideals, according to the award's website.
Many past recipients were veterans of the Second World War, including former president Dwight D. Eisenhower.
It's also been issued to Bill and Melinda Gates for their charitable endeavors, as well as cultural figures including Steven Spielberg, Barbara Streisand, David Lynch and Martin Scorsese.
The Elysée Palace did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.