Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has made headlines with her remarkable donation of $7.1 billion to a variety of nonprofits and charitable organizations last year, according to a recent update from the private benefactor herself.
In her blog post, Scott shared, “Since my post last December, I’ve given $7,166,000,000 to organizations doing work all over the world.” It’s inspiring to note that she had previously contributed $2.6 billion in 2024 and $2.1 billion in 2023. Since 2019, the California native has generously donated a staggering total of $26 billion, nearly all of her assets acquired during her divorce from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
Despite her incredible generosity, Scott remains largely out of the public eye, often choosing to inform recipients of her donations through intermediaries, providing little to no advance notice of their selection. Kim Mazzuca, CEO of the California-based nonprofit 10,000 Degrees, shared her emotional response upon receiving the news. “I was just filled with such joy. I was speechless and I kind of stumbled around with my words,” she recounted, having been contacted by a representative from Fidelity Charitable, which is not involved in managing Scott’s wealth.
In her blog, Scott reflected on the acts of kindness she received during her college years, which influence her philanthropic decisions today. She wrote, “Whose generosity did I think of every time I made every one of the thousands of gifts I’ve been able to give? It was the local dentist who offered me free dental work when he saw me securing a broken tooth with denture glue in college.”
Scott also recalled how her college roommate stepped in during a difficult time, lending her a thousand dollars to help prevent her from dropping out in her sophomore year. Many of her contributions have focused on organizations that enhance access to higher education and alleviate tuition costs, showcasing her commitment to empowering students.
Let’s celebrate this incredible journey of generosity and share the inspiring story of MacKenzie Scott’s philanthropic spree with friends and family!
