Jeff Bezos' ex-wife MacKenzie Scott outpaced lifetime donations of billionaires

MacKenzie Scott gave away more last year than several noteworthy US billionaires have collectively donated throughout their lives.

In the year 2025, Scott, who is 55, reportedly donated an incredible $7.2 billion to 186 causes, as per Forbes, which noted this as the largest single-year donation recorded since 2012 when the magazine began monitoring major donors.

In fact, as noted by Forbes, Scott's philanthropy in 2025 surpassed the lifetime donations of four of the United States' most illustrious billionaires, estimated as follows: Elon Musk ($500 million), Larry Page ($100 million), Larry Ellison ($1 billion), and Scott’s former spouse Jeff Bezos ($4.7 billion).

Scott ranks third on the publication's list of the top 25 benevolent individuals in America — trailing only Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, and Melinda French Gates (who share the second spot) — with her lifetime donations approximated at $26.4 billion.

Her wealth is currently estimated at $30.9 billion, according to Forbes.

Scott and Bezos separated in 2019. As part of their divorce proceedings, Scott received an estimated $36 billion and a 4% interest in Amazon.

Presently, according to Forbes, Scott has donated 75% of her Amazon shares acquired through the divorce.

Through the years, Scott has garnered attention for her philanthropy, notably contributing at least $760 million to 18 historically Black colleges and universities in the latter part of 2025 within a three-month span.

Scott has generously donated $45 million to The Trevor Project, $48 million to schools in Chicago, and $10 million to Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs (ACE).

A three-year investigation released by the Center for Effective Philanthropy in February found that Scott has distributed over $19 billion to more than 2,000 charities in the years following her divorce.

Scott joined the Giving Pledge in May 2019, shortly after her divorce from Bezos. She committed to giving away half of her riches and ensuring that her philanthropic approach remained “thoughtful.”