Billionaire philanthropist and Jeff Bezos’ ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott, donated more than $7.1 billion in 2025, marking the largest annual charitable giving of her lifetime. The disclosure was made through an essay published on her philanthropic platform, Yield Giving, where Scott detailed the scale and philosophy behind the donations.
According to the post, the funds were distributed among 186 organisations worldwide, spanning universities, environmental nonprofits and groups working on equity and inclusion. “Since my post last December, I’ve given $7,166,000,000 to organizations doing work all over the world,” she wrote in the blog post. “This dollar total will likely be reported in the news, but any dollar amount is a vanishingly tiny fraction of the personal expressions of care being shared into communities this year,” she further added.
Major Focus on Education and Equity Causes
Scott’s giving in 2025 included several high-profile education grants. Earlier this year, the 55-year-old donated $80 million to Howard University, one of the largest single contributions in the institution’s 158-year history. The donation reinforced her continued focus on diversity, equity and access to education.
Beyond Howard University, Scott also gave $42 million to 10,000 Degrees, a Bay Area-based nonprofit that works to expand college access for low-income and predominantly non-white students. Additional eight-figure donations were directed towards Native student scholars and HBCU endowments through the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). According to Forbes, Scott’s cumulative giving places her behind only Warren Buffett and Bill Gates in terms of lifetime philanthropy.
Amazon Stake Reduction and Net Worth
Scott’s record donation year coincided with a significant reduction in her stake in Amazon. In September, she revealed through a regulatory filing that she had reduced her holdings in the e-commerce giant by $12.6 billion. As per a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Scott cut her Amazon stake by nearly 42%, and now holds 81.1 million shares, down from 139 million a year earlier.
Despite the large-scale divestment and sustained philanthropy, Scott’s wealth remains substantial. As per Forbes estimates, her net worth stands at $29.9 billion, making her one of the world’s richest women following her 2019 divorce from Bezos. Her continued approach of large, unrestricted donations has positioned her as one of the most influential figures reshaping modern philanthropy.
