Kamal Ghorui
Mackenzie Scott has donated more than $26 billion over the past few years. Despite these big donations, she continues to remain one of the world’s richest individuals. The billionaire author and philanthropist has a net worth of $43.8 billion (Bloomberg Billionaire index). Most of Scot’s wealth, who was previously married to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is tied to her Amazon stocks, which have increased in value over time. After her divorce in 2019, Scott received about a 4% stake in Amazon. Since then, she has sold or donated a significant portion of these shares. However, gains in Amazon’s stock price have helped maintain her overall wealth. According to a Forbes report, she has added over $2 billion to her net worth so far this year.
Mackenzie Scott’s unique style of donation
Mackenzie Scott is known for her unique approach to philanthropy. Unlike traditional donors, she often gives money without strict conditions. This means organisations can decide how best to use the funds. Experts say this approach allows faster and more flexible use of donations. Many beneficiary groups have praised this method, saying it helps them address urgent needs without long approval processes.Since 2019, Scott has donated over $26 billion to thousands of organisations. Much of this giving has been done through her platform, Yield Giving, which she launched in 2022. The funds have supported areas such as education, diversity and inclusion, disaster relief and community development.In 2025 alone, Mackenzie Scott donated hundreds of millions of dollars to institutions including universities and non-profit organisations. Some of the biggest contributions include $80 million to Howard University and $70 million to the United Negro College Fund.
Top donations made by Mackenzie Scott in 2025
The Forbes reported a list of her largest donations in 2025 that includes:
- Howard University: $80 million; one of the largest single donations in Howard’s history
- Virginia State University: $50 million; the largest gift in the university’s history
- Alcorn State University: $42 million; the largest single gift in the university’s 154-year history
- Spelman College: $38 million; one of largest donations in Spelman’s history
- United Negro College Fund (UNCF): $70 million
- African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund: $40 million which is twice the size of Scott’s previous donation to the same organization in 2021
- Center for Disaster Philanthropy: $60 million
When Elon Musk criticized MacKenzie Scott’s donation style
Scott is among the top philanthropists in the US with her donations exceeding some of the world’s richest billionaires – Elon Musk, Larry Page, Larry Ellison, and even her ex-husband Jeff Bezos. Earlier this year, Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan shared a post on X called her donations ‘bad’. Garry Tan argued that her lack of oversight fosters mismanagement, likening it to “pouring sugar on the floor” that attracts chaos.“MacKenzie Scott has given away $26B faster than anyone in history — with no oversight, and no accountability for the chaos that follows,” Tan wrote in the post. “This is not stewardship. Real philanthropy requires real care and attention. Pour sugar on the floor? You get ants,” he added. Elon Musk seemed to agree who replied to Tan’s post writing “Yup”.
