Despite Giving Away Billions To Charities, MacKenzie Scott Is Still a Billionaire; What's Her Net Worth?

What is MacKenzie Scott's net worth?

Novelist, philanthropist and activist MacKenzie Scott, formerly known as MacKenzie Bezos, has an estimated net worth of $32.3 billion as of November 7, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaire Index. Being Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ ex-wife, her fortune could be much higher, but she has donated billions from her wealth to various charities. She further plans to donate a vast majority of her fortune during her lifetime.

MacKenzie Scott's Career and Sources of Income

Born in San Francisco, California, Scott grew up across the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County. Her father, Jason Baker Tuttle ran a financial investment company. Scott  attended the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut.

In her  junior year, her parents filed for bankruptcy while her father was being probed by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Her parents then moved to Florida where her father tried to start a new financial career. However, he was barred from launching a new firm and the family's previous lavish spendings were mentioned by the judge in the rejection.

After high school MacKenzie attend Princeton University where she studied English. She graduated in 1992. After graduating from Princeton University in 1992, Scott moved to New York to become a novelist. She took a job at the hedge fund D.E. Shaw as an administrative assistant and one of the people she assisted was the company’s Senior Vice President and fellow Princeton alum Jeff Bezos. The two soon began dating and got married in 1993.

Scott was critical in encouraging Bezos to pursue his ambitions of creating an e-commerce store. In 1994 they both quit their jobs and lives in NYC to move to Seattle and work on it. As per Celebrity Net Worth, Scott drove her car across the United States, with Jeff in the passenger seat discussing and writing his e-commerce business plans on a laptop. Together they brainstormed a list of products that could be sold online, with Jeff settling on books.

A year later, Bezos founded Amazon with $300,000 as an angel investment from his parents. Further,  Scott served as one of Amazon's first employees working as a bookkeeper and secretary. She was also heavily involved in working on the company's name, business plan, accounts, and shipping early orders.

The company went on to become one of the largest e-commerce platforms in the world. Jeff and Scott both worked to establish Amazon and make it what it is today.

Earnings From Amazon

Amazon had an initial public offering on May 15, 1997. At the time Bezos owned 20% of Amazon, but over the years he regularly sold off chunks of equity to create liquidity. He generated over $70 billion in liquid cash and before his divorce from Scott, he owned about 16% of Amazon, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

In 2019, Bezos and Scott announced their divorce after 25 years of marriage. At the time Bezos was worth nearly $131 billion, as per Forbes. Scott could have been entitled to half of all his assets since most of his fortune was acquired during their marriage.

However, Scott announced that she was given about 4% or 20 million of the company’s shares as part of the divorce settlement. She derives almost all of her fortune from this. At the time of transfer, the shares were worth $35.6 billion, as per Celebrity Net Worth. Scott also agreed to allow Bezos to retain all voting rights over her shares. In 2021, when Amazon’s shares skyrocketed, Scott’s net worth peaked at $53 million, as per Forbes.

Career as an author

After a decade of founding Amazon, Scott eventually released her fictional novel titled "The Testing of Luther Albright". The book reportedly sold fewer than 2,000 copies, however, it went on to win an American Book Award in 2006. Further in 2013 she released her second book, titled "Traps". 

Real Estate Assets

Scott and Bezos bought a $24 million home in Beverly Hills, California in 2007. They bought another property next door for $13 million in 2017 and combined the two. Scott received this house as part of their divorce settlement and in 2022 she donated the property to the California Community Foundation. The home sold for $37 million in 2022, as per Business Insider. In 2019, Scott bought a $37.5 million waterfront home as well. The 3.2-acre waterfront property is located in Medina, Washington.

Social Media Following

Personal Life

Scott and Bezos were married for 25 years and have four children, three sons and one daughter, together.  After her divorce from Jeff Bezos, Scott married a high school science teacher named Dan Jewett in 2021. Before that, in 2020, she legally changed her name from Mackenzie Bezos to Mackenzie Scott.

Jewett's school counts Bill Gates and Paul Allen as alumni. Scott in a post on her Giving Pledge page revealed that her new husband had also signed on to her commitment. However, in 2023, the two officially announced their divorce. 

Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos currently holds a net worth of about $170 billion as of 8 January 2024, according to Bloomberg. He went on to date award winning journalist, and helicopter pilot, Lauren Sanchez. After dating for four years, Bezos proposed to Sanchez with a stunning diamond ring estimated to be worth over $2 million, on his luxurious $500 million superyacht.

Philanthropy

The Giving Pledge

Scott established The Giving Pledge with the thought, "There are lots of resources each of us can pull from our safes to share with others. And something greater rises up every time we give," as per the official website.  Through that she founded the organization, Yield Giving which has donated over billions of dollars to several charities.  

In 2020, Scott donated nearly $6 billion to over 440 organizations around the world. In 2022, Scott posted a database containing information on her gifts, called Yield Giving. According to the website, she has given away $14.4 billion since 2020 to nearly 1,600 nonprofits. However, the website does not detail the donations made this year. Thus, a website called The Chronicle of Philanthropy mentioned that she had further given away $146 million to 24 nonprofits this year.

FAQs

How old is Mackenzie Scott?

MacKenzie Scott is 53 years old. 

Does MacKenzie Scott have a child?

Scott and Jeff Bezos have four children, three sons, and an adopted daughter from China.

What is MacKenzie Scott's net worth?

MacKenzie Scott, formerly known as MacKenzie Bezos, has an estimated net worth of $32.3 billion as of November 7, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaire Index.

Do Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott have kids?

The couple have four children together, three sons and one daughter.

How Did MacKenzie and Jeff Bezos Meet?

Jeff Bezos and Mackenzie Scott met in 1992 while working at D.E. Shaw & Co., a New York-based hedge fund. 

What is MacKenzie Scott’s role in Amazon?

Scott was critical in helping Jeff Bezos establish his ecommerce store. She was one of Amazon's first employees and served as a bookkeeper and secretary. She was also heavily involved in working on the company's name, business plan, accounts, and shipping early orders.

What are MacKenzie Scott’s future philanthropic goals?

Mackenzie Scott aims to give away half of her fortune and create a network of non-profit organizations. 

Who has MacKenzie Scott given money to?

Mackenzie Scott has donated to over 360 nonprofits across at least 35 states and across several countries including Kenya, Brazil and India. 

How much has Jeff Bezos donated?

As per Forbes, Jeff Bezos has donated about $3 billion, just under 2% of his net worth as of November 2023.