Jeff Bezos’ ex-wife MacKenzie Scott once received a $1,000 gift from her roommate to stay in college. She has now donated $26.2 billion in five years

MacKenzie Scott has been one of the biggest philanthropists in the US in recent times. According to reports, she was the biggest individual donor in 2025 and has donated approximately $26.2 billion to charitable causes over the past five years, often giving quietly and without extensive publicity.

Scott, who was previously married to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has also spoken about how an act of kindness once helped her continue her studies. According to reports, Scott revealed that she received a $1,000 gift from her college roommate at a time when she needed financial help to remain enrolled.

MacKenzie Scott's donations

Scott emerged as the largest individual donor in the US in 2025 after giving approximately $7 billion to charitable causes. Her donations accounted for nearly one-third of the $19.2 billion in major charitable gifts made in the country during the year.


Her giving came during a record year for US philanthropy. Americans donated an estimated $617.2 billion to charitable causes in 2025, an increase of 5.7% from the previous year after adjusting for inflation, according to the Giving USA Annual Report on Philanthropy.

Scott’s $7 billion in donations was significantly higher than the contributions of several other major philanthropists. Michael Bloomberg gave about $4.3 billion, while Bill Gates donated $3.7 billion. Warren Buffett contributed around $1.34 billion, and Susan and Michael Dell gave nearly $1 billion.


Scott’s approach to philanthropy has often been different from the high-profile giving associated with some billionaires. She has frequently made donations without seeking extensive publicity and has provided unrestricted grants that allow nonprofit organizations to decide how to use the money.

Her donations have supported organizations working in areas including affordable housing, education, racial equity, disaster recovery, public health and community development.

Scott’s giving has also included efforts aimed at addressing major social and financial problems. She previously donated $100 million to RIP Medical Debt, a nonprofit that uses donations to purchase and erase medical debt. The organization said the contribution helped erase billions of dollars in medical debt.

Despite being the largest individual donor in the US in 2025, Scott was absent from the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s annual Philanthropy 50 ranking. The publication relies on publicly available information and voluntary disclosures. Scott and her representatives did not provide details about donations made through donor-advised funds, making it impossible for the publication to determine whether those gifts met its ranking criteria.

Scott’s major philanthropic efforts expanded after her 2019 divorce from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. As part of the divorce settlement, she received a substantial stake in Amazon, which became an important source of her wealth.

She later signed the Giving Pledge, a commitment encouraging billionaires to donate the majority of their wealth during their lifetimes or through their estates.

In a December 2025 essay, Scott explained why generosity has played such an important role in her approach to giving. She recalled receiving help from others during difficult moments, including a $1,000 gift from a college roommate that helped her remain enrolled.

She also recalled a dentist providing treatment when she could not afford it. Scott said such acts of kindness can create lasting effects, with generosity potentially influencing people to help others later in their lives.

Her own philanthropy has followed a similar principle. Rather than placing extensive conditions on recipients, Scott has often trusted nonprofit organizations to determine where the money is most needed.

Although she has donated more than $26 billion in five years, Scott remains one of the world’s wealthiest people. The continued value of her Amazon holdings has helped maintain her fortune, with her estimated net worth remaining close to $35 billion.