Jeff Bezos has launched a $2 billion "Day One Fund" to help homeless families and create preschools, the Amazon CEO announced Thursday.

"MacKenzie and I share a belief in the potential for hard work from anyone to serve others," Bezos said in a tweet, referring to his wife MacKenzie Bezos.

The fund will launch with a $2 billion commitment, split between the Day 1 Families Fund — helping homeless families — and the Day 1 Academies Fund — creating a "network of new, non-profit, tier-one preschools in low-income communities," Bezos said.

@JeffBezos on Day One Fund

As CEO of Amazon, founder of rocket company Blue Origin and owner of The Washington Post, Bezos is the wealthiest man in modern history, with a net worth of at least $150 billion.

Critics have long called for him to put his billions toward philanthropic efforts.

In June, Bezos teased that he had identified two areas of focus for future charitable endeavors.

Here's his full statement Thursday: