MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon (AMZN) founder Jeff Bezos, has cemented her place as one of the most generous philanthropists alive, having given away more than $26B since 2019, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Her most recent disclosure revealed $7.17B in giving over a roughly one-year period ending in December 2025 — her largest single slug yet.
Scott’s approach to philanthropy has been nothing short of transformative for recipients, the Journal said. Native Forward, an Albuquerque-based nonprofit funding scholarships for Native American students, received an initial $20M million gift in 2020, followed by a stunning $50M grant last August. The organization used the funds to create a $40M endowment and expand from serving 800 students to projecting more than 2,000 awards this academic year.
What sets Scott apart from traditional philanthropists is her trust-based approach. Unlike the data-driven, return-on-investment model that has dominated giving in recent decades, Scott’s team operates with minimal strings attached. Michael L. Lomax, CEO of UNCF, which received $80M from Scott, noted the stark difference: “She’s rewriting American philanthropy.”
Scott’s giving process remains deliberately opaque. There is no application process, no public list of advisers, and her team doesn’t engage with media. Recipients often describe shock at receiving unexpected emails from addresses they nearly dismissed as spam. University of Maryland Eastern Shore President Heidi M. Anderson initially trashed several emails before discovering Scott was offering her school $20M.
Despite giving away billions, Scott’s wealth has been difficult to diminish entirely. Amazon’s soaring stock complicated her pledge to give everything away, though her stake’s value dropped to $18.7B by the end of 2025.
Her focus remains on “undersupported causes and people,” spanning equity, education, economic security, and the environment.