Billionaire Jeff Green leaves the Mormon church, donates $600K to LGBTQ organization
The Salt Lake Temple is pictured on October 5
By Michelle Watson, CNN
Jeff Green, reportedly one of the richest people from Utah, has officially left The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is donating $600,000 to Equality Utah, according to a letter obtained by CNN. Equality Utah describes itself as, “Utah’s Premier LGBTQ Civil Rights Organization.”
In the letter dated Thursday and addressed to President Russell Nelson, Green explained that he unofficially left the church about a decade ago and has just recently, “requested the removal” of his records.
Green cited the church’s wealth, and its “unhealthy paradigms around gender roles” as some of the reasons why he left.
“The church has been wealthy for many generations and yet doesn’t do nearly as much as it could,” Green said. “Given you claim to represent the will of God and act as a special witness of Jesus, the Mormon church should be doing more to help the world and its members with its wealth.”
“I believe the Mormon church has hindered global progress in women’s rights, civil rights and racial equality, and LGBTQ+ rights,” the letter also read.
CNN has reached out to the church for comment.
Green is worth $5.2 billion according to Forbes. His company, The Trade Desk, of which he is CEO and chairman, had $836 million in revenue in 2020 according to Forbes. Ian Colley, the senior vice president of communications and editor in chief of The Trade Desk, confirmed in an email to CNN that Green is donating $600,000 to Equality Utah.
The-CNN-Wire
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