In December, MacKenzie Scott released a year-end summary of all of the nonprofits that she’d donated to in 2025. It revealed that she’d given $7.1 billion last year, bringing her lifetime donations total to $26.3 billion. Over the years, MacKenzie’s given money to more than 2,450 to nonprofits and other worthy organizations such as HBCUs, food banks, climate organizations, and many, many more. You can see a list of where she’s donated to on her Yield Giving website.
MacKenzie reportedly received a $38 billion settlement in her divorce from Jeff Bezos in July 2019, so she’s only been a solo billionaire for six and a half years. A recent report by Forbes analyzed the charitable habits of America’s Top 25 philanthropists. In terms of lifetime donations, MacKenzie is ranked third after Warren Buffet and Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates (who are tied for second). The report also found that MacKenzie donated more in 2025 alone than some billionaires have donated in their entire lifetime. I’m sure you can guess which ones.
MacKenzie Scott gave away more money last year than several of the most prominent United States billionaires have donated over the course of their lives — combined.
In 2025 alone, Scott, 55, donated an estimated $7.2 billion to 186 organizations, according to Forbes, which went on to report that’s the most money gifted in a single year since the publication began tracking top donors in 2012.
In fact, according to Forbes, Scott gave away more in 2025 than four of the most prominent billionaires in the United States are estimated to have given away in their lifetime: Elon Musk ($500 million), Larry Page ($100 million), Larry Ellison ($1 billion) and Scott’s ex-husband Jeff Bezos ($4.7 billion).
Scott is currently third on the outlet’s list of America’s 25 most generous givers — behind only Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates (who jointly hold second place) — with an estimated lifetime giving of $26.4 billion.
Her current fortune is estimated at $30.9 billion, according to Forbes.
Scott and Bezos divorced in 2019. As part of their split, Scott received an estimated $36 billion settlement and a 4% stake in Amazon.
Now, Scott has given away 75% of the Amazon shares she received in the divorce, according to Forbes.
Over the years, Scott has continuously made headlines for her generosity, including giving away at least $760 million to 18 historically Black colleges and universities in just three months in late 2025. (She previously gave $560 million to 23 HBCUs scattered across the country in 2020.) Scott has also donated $45 million to The Trevor Project, $48 million to schools in Chicago, $10 million to Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs (ACE).
A three-year study published by the Center for Effective Philanthropy in February indicated that Scott has given away more than $19 billion to more than 2,000 organizations in the six years since the divorce.
“It could take decades to truly understand the effects these gifts have had on nonprofits and the sector at large,” the report reads. “However, after five years of giving, the reported effects of her gifts on recipient organizations … remain overwhelmingly positive.”
Forbes also pointed out that because she’s donated so much money in less than seven years, no one has given away money faster than MacKenzie has. Lordy, there really should be a billionaire tax. I wholeheartedly believe that it’s unethical for billionaires to even exist in the first place, but if they are going to exist, then MacKenzie is the only good one. Put it on a t-shirt or whatever. I’m genuinely grateful that she’s marching to the beat of her own drum and using her wealth for good. I’m sure that she’s made a positive difference for the organizations that she’s donated to.
While I’m not surprised that people like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Larry Ellison have given so little in their lifetime, it’s still absolutely atrocious. (According to Forbes, Mark Zuckerberg’s lifetime donation is right at $7.1 billion, so he doesn’t get a pass either.) MacKenzie proves that you can give a sh-tload of money away and still be a multi-billionaire. They should be ashamed of themselves, but we all know that they have no shame. Meanwhile, a-holes like Elno are not only well on their way to becoming trillionaires while not paying taxes, but have also gotten more subsidy money from US taxpayers than MacKenzie got in her divorce settlement. There’s a special place in hell.
Photo credit: Cover Images, Avalon.red and Getty Images
We need more MacKenzies in this world.
Wow this woman is really really good at hiding. I have never seen a current picture of her. A few years back The NY Times did a piece on her where they tried to locate her and interview her and the piece ended up being all about how she has made sure no one has any way of contacting her.
Yes, the world needs more people like Mackenzie. And when is the last time you saw an article about “what Mackenzie wore”? She has a graceful and gracious way of not making everything–including her awesome philanthropy–all about herself.
She’s a really decent human. For the most part women are just better than men. I wonder what this world would look like if we had been allowed to be in charge for the last oh,let’s say..5000 yrs. Would it be perfect? Nope. Would it be better. Yeah I think so.
I’m a man (a gay man, if that changes anything – LOL) and I tend to agree with this statement.
She’s incredible. Looking at of the entities she’s donated to, it’s just one incredible organization after another that will be able to continue ministering to their respective communities thanks to her altruism.
Shante, you stay, Mackenzie! The rest can sashay away.
I have so much admiration for MacKenzie- seriously!
It is ridiculous how wealthy people get away with paying little to no tax. We need to stop allowing this.
The only billionaire I’d leave alone.
She follows in the footsteps of another great philanthropist, Chuck Feeney, who was self-made and gave away his entire forturn of 8 billion dollars before he died to so many great organizations. He flew under the radar since he didn’t want anything named after himself and didn’t want publicity. He’s actually the person who inspired Warren Buffet to start the billionaires pledge thing. She is right up there with him, an amazing person with an actual soul.
She is the reason I don’t mind using Amazon….her wonderfully targeted donations have done some TRUE good to my community and so many others✨️💚✨️
I wish the other billionaires would have pssing contests about meaningful things.
I completely agree.
Mackenzie Scott received $36bil and is worth $31bil after 6.5 years, after giving away $26.4bil. She is demonstrating that it’s incredibly difficult for a billionaire to out-give their own wealth. (Additionally, if she’d kept her Amazon shares, her wealth would’ve likely *doubled*.)
#TaxTheRich
Bless her and surround her with love! She is a forever True Queen.
Our local school district was lucky to received a modest donation from her a few years ago, that partly went towards after school enrichment programs (chess club, skate club, gardening, cooking, and on) available to all kids in all grades, free. Been going on for several years now. Just a small, but locally impactful, example.
May her example of real giving influence the world as much as any influencer out there. She is the best!