Here’s Why Billionaire MacKenzie Scott Won’t Leave All Her Fortune To Her Kids

When author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos divorced in 2019 after 25 years of marriage, the former walked away with $38 billion in Amazon stock – reportedly the biggest settlement ever awarded in a marital split.

The settlement instantly made her the world’s fourth-richest woman. Today, Scott has a net worth of roughly $48.2 billion, per Forbes, and many people have been wondering what she plans to do with all that money.

But one thing is for sure, Scott will not leave all her fortune to the four children she shares with Bezos.

Shortly after the divorce, Scott signed the Giving Pledge, a non-binding promise by many high-profile billionaires to give away the majority of their wealth to charitable endeavors.

In vowing to give away at least half of her wealth within her lifetime, the philanthropist said something greater is bound to happen every time people act quickly on the impulse to give.

“In addition to whatever assets life has nurtured in me, I have a disproportionate amount of money to share. My approach to philanthropy will continue to be thoughtful. It will take time and effort and care. But I won’t wait. And I will keep at it until the safe is empty,” Scott wrote in her pledge letter.

Scott is one of the world’s leading philanthropists at present, according to Forbes. Since her divorce, she has donated over $8 billion to more than 780 organizations that focus on issues like racial justice, gender equality and public health.

Bezos, who has a net worth of $187.1 billion has so far donated $2.1 billion to environmental organizations, former President Barack Obama’s foundation, nonprofits that support the homeless and the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, among others.

In 2020, Scott gave over $5.8 billion in gifts to some 500 nonprofits. Experts say this might be the most ever given directly to charities in a single year by a living donor. In June 2021, she gave another $2.74 billion to 286 groups.

Last week, it was reported that Scott donated $133.5 million to the nonprofit Communities in School.

Communities in School works with 2,900 schools in America, supporting students at risk of dropping out and providing resources to help young people be successful, as stated on the organization's website.

Scott’s donation is the largest unsolicited gift in the program's history, as per CNN.