The annual release of the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s Philanthropy 50 list is usually a straightforward ranking of America’s most generous individuals. However, the 2026 report has caused significant debate because it omitted MacKenzie Scott, despite her record-breaking donations over the past year. Even though Scott confirmed on her website – Yield Giving – that she donated over $7 billion (roughly Rs 59,000 crore) in 2025, she did not appear on the list released this March.
This exclusion is particularly notable because her $7 billion total would have placed her at the very top of the ranking. According to AP News, the actual 1 spot went to Michael Bloomberg, who donated $4.3 billion in 2025. Scott’s contribution was nearly double that of the top-ranked donor, yet she remains absent from the official count.
Why was Mackenzie Scott excluded from the list?
The primary reason for Scott’s absence comes down to the strict reporting rules used by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. The publication focuses on tracking money that moves into a philanthropic vehicle, such as a private family foundation or a donor-advised fund.
They generally do not count money as it is distributed out to the final charity. Because Scott often sends money directly to nonprofits through her Yield Giving vehicle, the inbound transfer of those funds is often not publicly documented in a way that fits the Chronicle’s criteria.
Furthermore, the Chronicle requires donors to provide verified tax documents or internal records to confirm their place on the list. According to Luxurylaunches and The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Scott and her representatives declined to provide this information.
While she is transparent on her own website about the organizations she supports, she does not participate in the formal verification processes required by major media outlets. Without these official receipts, the publication chooses to leave her off to maintain their data standards.
Mackenzie Scott’s pledge to give away her wealth
Scott’s approach to donating is rooted in her 2019 commitment to the Giving Pledge, a campaign started by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. In her public letter, she stated her intention to give away the majority of her wealth “thoughtfully” and “until the safe is empty.” Unlike many other billionaires who sign the pledge but keep their money in private foundations for decades, Scott has moved at an unusually fast pace.
According to Forbes, she has already given away more than 75% of her original Amazon shares, in seven years. Her pledge letter emphasizes that she sees her wealth as the “product of a collective effort” and believes that the people working on the ground are the ones best equipped to design solutions. This philosophy is why she provides no-strings-attached grants; allowing organizations to spend the money however they see fit.
The scale of the omission
To understand the size of this gap, one can look at the total combined giving of the entire Philanthropy 50 list. According to Bloomberg, the fifty donors on the list gave a combined $22.4 billion in 2025. If Scott’s $7 billion had been included, the total for the year would have jumped by more than 30%.
Her giving in 2025 was more than the totals of Michael Bloomberg, Bill Gates ($3.7 billion), and the late Paul Allen’s estate ($3.1 billion) combined. Since 2019, Scott has donated more than $26 billion (over Rs 2.1 lakh crore), supporting over 2,000 organizations with unrestricted grants. While she may not have a spot on this specific list, her impact remains the largest in modern philanthropy, with CBS News noting that she is currently giving away wealth faster than any other billionaire in history