Jeff Bezos' ex-wife MacKenzie Scott donates $2.7 bn; GiveIndia, Goonj among 286 recipients

Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has given away $2.7 billion to a variety of charities, as per her blog on Tuesday. Her massive donation has brought her total donations since her fist in July 2020 to $8.5 billion. The organisations that received her donations include GiveIndia, Goonj, Antara Foundation and 283 more.

This is her first time announcing donations since she married Dan Jewett. She divorced Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2019.

"Me, Dan, a constellation of researchers and administrators and advisors -- we are all attempting to give away a fortune that was enabled by systems in need of change. We are governed by a humbling belief that it would be better if disproportionate wealth were not concentrated in a small number of hands, and that the solutions are best designed and implemented by others," she said.

Scott said, "Because community-centered service is such a powerful catalyst and multiplier, we spent the first quarter of 2021 identifying and evaluating equity-oriented non-profit teams working in areas that have been neglected. The result was $2,739,000,000 in gifts to 286 high-impact organisations in categories and communities that have been historically underfunded and overlooked."

MacKenzie Scott ended up with a 4 per cent stake in Amazon Inc following her divorce. She is worth almost $60 billion. Her frequent donations have made her one of the most active philanthropists in the world. She had set a record last year for the largest annual distribution by a living person.

"Because we believe that teams with experience on the front lines of challenges will know best how to put the money to good use, we encouraged them to spend it however they choose. Many reported that this trust significantly increased the impact of the gift. There is nothing new about amplifying gifts by yielding control. People have been doing it in living rooms and classrooms and workplaces for thousands of years. It empowers receivers by making them feel valued and by unlocking their best solutions. Generosity is generative. Sharing makes more," she elaborated.

Also read: Jeff Bezos' ex-wife Mackenzie Scott gives away over $4.1 billion in charity