While Jeff Bezos is making more money than ever, his ex-wife MacKenzie Scott is continuing to give her wealth away. Recently, the philanthropist made a nine-figure donation to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
The national organization made an announcement on Thursday confirming Scott’s $281 million donation, which is her largest public contribution to date.
As per US News, $25 million of the donation will go towards the Boys & Girls Club’s head office in Atlanta, while the remainder will be divided between the organization's 62 local clubs. Scott reportedly consulted with her advisers as to how the money should be divided within the organization.
“Gifts like this are rare and have incredible impact,” Jim Clark, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Club, said in a statement to the media.
“It’s a historic moment for our organization and the Clubs that received MacKenzie Scott’s significant support,” Clarke continued. “We know now, more than ever, that with the right support system, positive mentorship, and opportunities, kids can thrive.”
Scott and Bezos were married from 1993 to 2019. The couple announced their divorce via Twitter in January 2019. “As our family and close friends know, after a long period of loving exploration and trial separation, we have decided to divorce and continue our shared lives as friends,” it read.
When they finalized their divorce, Scott received a 4% stake in Amazon, valued at $38 billion at the time. This made Scott the third richest woman in the world, though she’s since claimed the title of world’s wealthiest woman.
Since the divorce, Scott has been an active philanthropist. Last year, she gave away over $8.6 billion to charity, including a $12 million grant to Global Citizen Year and a $10 million donation to Public Allies.
Scott has been outspoken about her philanthropy. In an essay published last December, she wrote about the importance of small charitable donations and unrecognized work.
“Which is a more 'generous donation of money to good causes' — 100 dollars from someone who earns 50,000 a year, or 100,000 from someone with 50 million in the bank?” she wrote. “How did the only ‘work of practical beneficence’ worth acknowledging become writing checks?”
Scott is currently worth a reported $45.8 billion. Comparatively, Bezos is worth $178.9 billion. He was previously the richest person in the world, though Tesla’s Elon Musk now reportedly holds ‘the title with a $224 billion net worth.
Sources: US News, National Post, Business Insider, Financial Post, Entrepreneur,