Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has been in the news for the better part of the year, first for his Venetian nuptials, then for the Koru megayacht that’s been cruising the Mediterranean and is now at the La Ciotat shipyard. He also made heads turn recently with the new Mrs. Bezos at Paris Fashion Week. The ex-Mrs. Bezos, however, has been in the limelight for the reason she’s best known for, philanthropy. Known as a modern megadonor, MacKenzie Scott has set a precedent for giving, reducing her stake in Amazon.com Inc. by 42% over the past year, according to a filing disclosed on Oct. 14, 2025.
According to Bloomberg, as of Sept. 30, 2025, Scott held 81.1 million Amazon shares, down by 58 million year-over-year, a reduction worth about $12.55 billion at the Oct. 14 close. It’s an astronomical number but not an alarming one for those who have followed her giving. Not only are her grants large, they’re also unrestricted. In 2024, she awarded more than $2 billion to 199 organizations, bringing total giving to about $19.25 billion over roughly five years. In 2025, her publicly disclosed gifts have remained significant, with multiple large education-focused grants.
This year’s highlights include $70 million to UNCF for a pooled endowment supporting all 37 private HBCUs, $50 million to Native Forward Scholars Fund (the largest award to date in Indian Country) to expand Native student scholarships, and $42 million to 10,000 Degrees (the largest in its 45-year history) to expand advising, scholarships, and completion support for low-income students. “A gift like this… has put such wind into our sails,” 10,000 Degrees CEO Kim Mazzuca said. Scott ended up with about 4% of Amazon after her 2019 divorce and has since donated more than $19.25 billion to over 2,450 organizations.
Scott is still worth $41 billion, and her road to philanthropy seems far from over, a journey that will continue until the hands tire and the vault finally empties. In her own words, “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.”
