Bezos' Ex-Wife Makes Generous $1.7 Billion Donation from Divorce Settlement

Mackenzie Scott "First half of the year was sad and scary... Makes me think about what I can do"

▲ Jeff Bezos (left), CEO of Amazon, and his ex-wife MacKenzie Scott (right) [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] MacKenzie Scott, the former spouse of Jeff Bezos, the world's richest person and CEO of Amazon, has donated approximately $1.7 billion (about 2.03 trillion KRW) from the divorce settlement she received.

On the 28th (local time), Bloomberg reported that Scott donated about $1.7 billion to 116 civic organizations working in areas such as racial equality, climate change, public health, and gender equality to fulfill her pledge to give away most of her wealth.

The civic organizations supported by Scott include the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Legal Defense Fund (LDF), the Obama Foundation, the George W. Bush Presidential Center, and the European Climate Foundation (ECF).

Scott expressed her feelings about the donation, saying, "Watching the first half of 2020 was sad and frightening," and added, "I found hope by thinking about what each of us can do."

Earlier, Scott had signed the 'Giving Pledge,' a charitable initiative established in 2010 by Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates, expressing her intention to donate more than half of her wealth.

▲Jeff Bezos (right), CEO of Amazon, and Lauren Sanchez (left), former Fox News anchor [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Scott met Bezos, who was an interviewer, when she joined a hedge fund, and they married in 1993, having four children. She was responsible for book orders, shipping, and accounting at Amazon.com, which Bezos founded.

However, after 25 years of marriage, they announced their divorce in January last year. The reason for the divorce was not disclosed, but U.S. entertainment media repeatedly reported rumors of Bezos's affair with Lauren Sanchez, a former Fox News anchor.

Scott received one-quarter of the Amazon shares owned by Bezos as part of the divorce settlement. This accounted for 4% of Amazon's total shares, valued at $35 billion (about 41.881 trillion KRW) at the time.

According to Bloomberg's billionaire rankings, Scott, who is currently working as a novelist, has a net worth estimated at $60 billion (about 71.796 trillion KRW).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.