The Trade Desk/Youtube
Billionaire Jeff T. Green of Utah said he is donating $600,000 to an LGTBQ group after publicly announcing his resignation from the Mormon church, which he accused of “hindering global progress” on social issues.
Green, believed to be the wealthiest person from Utah, announced his departure from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in a letter to its president, Russell M. Nelson, on Dec. 20, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
In his message, Green, the CEO and chairman of The Trade Desk, formally requested his records to be removed from the church, which is also known as LDS, more than a decade after he last participated in the organization.
“Although I have deep love for many Mormons and gratitude for many things that have come into my life through Mormonism, I have not considered myself a member for many years, and I’d like to make clear to you and others that I am not a member,” Green, 44, wrote in the letter, obtained by the Tribune.
“While I left the Mormon church more than a decade ago — not believing, attending, or practicing — I have not officially requested the removal of my records, until now,” he said.
Representatives for Green and the Mormon church did not immediately return PEOPLE’s requests for comment.
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Along with Green, 11 members of his family and a friend are also resigning from the church.
The billionaire claimed the church is opposed to a number of progressive social issues, including those affecting women, people of color and the LGBTQ+ community.
“[Most members] are good people trying to do right, I believe the church is actively and currently doing harm in the world,” Green wrote in the letter, as reported by the Tribune. “The church leadership is not honest about its history, its finances, and its advocacy.”
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“I believe the Mormon church has hindered global progress in women’s rights, civil rights and racial equality, and LGBTQ+ rights,” he continued.
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Green also criticized the church’s wealth, which includes a fund worth $48 billion, according to the New York Times.
“This money comes from people, often poor, who wholeheartedly believe you represent the will of Jesus,” Green said in his letter. “They give, expecting the blessing of heaven.”
Along with his departure from LDS, Green, who now lives in California, announced he was donating $600,000 to Equality Utah, an LGBTQ civil rights organization.
Forbes estimated his net worth is more than $5 billion as of Wednesday.