Amazon co-founder Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott made the headlines not for their philanthropy but for his philandering ways and the ultimate demise of their 25 year-old-marriage. Then their divorce settlement made headlines as one of the most expensive divorces in history. She reportedly parted ways with Bezos and, in the settlement, was awarded 266 million shares of Amazon which were worth $38.3 billion.
The ex-wife of the newly-engaged centibillionaire (engaged to former broadcaster Lauren Sanchez) has only made news in the past years owing to her magnanimous donations. In 2019, Scott signed the Giving Pledge, committing to give away the majority of her fortune to charitable causes. “I have no doubt that tremendous value comes when people act quickly on the impulse to give. No drive has more positive ripple effects than the desire to be of service,” she stated in her Giving Pledge letter.
“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 added. It brings to mind the thought- what will she leave her children? Scott and Bezos have three boys and one adopted daughter from China, who they co-parent together in utmost secrecy.
What is not a secret is that the affluent parents ruling the wealth charts plan to donate more than half their fortune. On December 14, 2022, billionaire philanthropist and novelist MacKenzie Scott, worth $31.8 billion, announced that her donations since 2019 have totaled more than $14 billion and helped fund around 1,600 nonprofits. In addition to the money that she aims to give more and more of, the philanthropist also donated two of her Beverly Hills home worth $55 million to the California Community Foundation (CCF), which provides grants to mission-based nonprofits in Los Angeles.
Evidently, their plan isn’t to leave mansions and trust funds for their kids. Bezos, who shares 50/50 custody of their children with MacKenzie, once shared the best advice he’s given his kids regarding their careers. “Whatever you do, choose something you can bring passion to,” he said. “That’s going to make it easier for you to make that choice to work hard,” he added, per CNBC. That statement attests that affluent parents Scott and Bezos want their kids to pave their own successful paths, and inheritance though existent, won’t be ginormous as their donations.
