MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, finalized their divorce in July 2019, receiving a $38 billion settlement. Since then, Scott has become a prominent figure in the world of philanthropy.
With a net worth of $36 billion, Scott is currently ranked 39th on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index and is one of the wealthiest women in the world. She is one of only 11 US billionaire philanthropists who have given away more than a fifth of their wealth, according to Forbes.
Scott has committed to giving away half of her wealth through the Giving Pledge initiative. In 2022 and 2023, she made substantial donations totaling almost $4.2 billion to various organizations, revolutionizing the world of philanthropy.
However, not everyone has been supportive of Scott's philanthropic efforts. Elon Musk, another billionaire, criticized Scott for her charitable giving, suggesting that her donations were motivated by animosity towards her ex-spouse rather than genuine altruism.
In addition to her philanthropic work, Scott is also an accomplished novelist, having published two literary fiction books. She was raised in San Francisco, attended Princeton University, and worked at investment management firm D.E. Shaw before marrying Bezos.
Scott's personal life has also been in the spotlight, as she remarried in 2021 to a teacher named Dan Jewett, only to file for divorce the following year. Legal experts believe that Scott likely had a prenuptial agreement in place with Jewett to protect her substantial assets.
Overall, MacKenzie Scott's journey from a high-profile divorce to becoming a leading philanthropist and author has been marked by significant achievements and controversies, making her a figure of interest and discussion in the media and beyond.