MacKenzie Scott Donates $7.2 Billion In Latest Giving Spree

Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donated $7.2 billion this year in her biggest ever giving announcement. 

The gifts bring her total philanthropy to $26 billion over the past half decade. 

Scott, 55, who was married to Amazon.com Inc. co-founder Jeff Bezos until 2019, made the latest contributions to 186 organisations around the world, including universities, environmental nonprofits and groups fighting for equality.

Scott's net worth stands at almost $40 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, largely stemming from her stake in Amazon. Earlier this year, a filing showed that she had reduced her holding in the online retailer by $12.6 billion. 

Since her split from Bezos, Scott has become one of the most prolific philanthropists in history. Her giving is characterized by large gifts to small or otherwise overlooked nonprofits. Unlike some other billionaire donors, her donations come with few strings attached, giving recipients the chance to use the money as they see fit.

Scott has donated to more than 2,700 organizations since she started her philanthropic project several years ago. The latest list includes many groups that already received gifts in the past.

For example, Camfed International, or the Campaign for Female Education, which helps get girls in rural Africa into schools, received contributions in 2020, 2023, 2024 and in this latest round. Altogether, her gifts to the nonprofit exceed $105 million.

Other repeat recipients include Upstream USA, Blue Meridian Partners and Restore Local, which work on health care, social mobility and land restoration, respectively.

Scott's announcements are frequently accompanied by essays. This year she wrote about a prophecy written by Hopi elders. “It encourages us to recognise and celebrate our role as active participants in the co-creation of our communities,” she said.