MacKenzie Scott has given away $26.4 billion since her divorce from Jeff Bezos, more than any individual worldwide since 2012. Her record-breaking philanthropy is transforming HBCUs across America

MacKenzie Scott has turned a fortune that came from her 2019 divorce from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos into one of the fastest-moving philanthropic campaigns in the world. According to Forbes, Scott has given away $26.4 billion in less than seven years, including an estimated $7.2 billion in 2025 alone. Forbes says that made 2025 the largest single-year total donated by any individual since it began tracking charitable giving in 2012.

Her approach has now earned her a place on the 2026 Forbes Iconoclast 50, a list recognizing influential figures in business, finance, technology, media, entertainment and philanthropy who are challenging conventional thinking.

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MacKenzie Scott has given away more than 75% of her Amazon shares

Scott received a 4% stake in Amazon as part of her divorce settlement with Bezos in 2019. Rather than holding onto the fortune indefinitely, she began giving large portions of it away.

Forbes says Scott has now disposed of more than 75% of the Amazon shares she received and has donated $26.4 billion to more than 2,500 organizations. She also signed the Giving Pledge in 2019, committing to give away at least half of her wealth during her lifetime.

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Her fortune remains enormous. Forbes' 2026 Iconoclast profile puts her net worth at about $33.1 billion, although Forbes' separate real-time profile has since placed it somewhat lower at about $32.6 billion.

Her philanthropy is reaching historically Black colleges

One of the biggest themes in Scott's recent giving has been support for historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs.

Forbes reported that Scott gave at least $760 million to 18 HBCUs over a three-month period in late 2025. Her recent donations have included some of the largest private gifts in the histories of these institutions.

Among the most notable gifts:

• Howard University: $80 million
• Morgan State University: $63 million
• Prairie View A&M University: $63 million
• Virginia State University: $50 million
• Norfolk State University: $50 million
• Winston-Salem State University: $50 million
• Bowie State University: $50 million
• Alcorn State University: $42 million
• Spelman College: $38 million
• Clark Atlanta University: $38 million
• Alabama State University: $38 million
• University of Maryland Eastern Shore: $38 million

Her $80 million gift to Howard University was particularly significant. Forbes reported that it was the largest single donation in the university's history and came on top of earlier gifts from Scott.

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What makes Scott's donations different

Scott's philanthropy stands out not only because of the size of her checks, but also because of how she gives the money.

Many of her donations are unrestricted, meaning recipients are not required to spend the money on a narrowly defined project. Instead, universities and nonprofits can determine where the funds are most needed.

Forbes describes this as Scott's "no strings attached" approach to giving. Her philosophy is that organizations working directly in communities are often better positioned to determine how money should be used.

For institutions that have historically operated with fewer financial resources, unrestricted funding can provide flexibility for scholarships, facilities, research, student support, endowments and other priorities.

Why Forbes put MacKenzie Scott on its Iconoclast 50 list

The Forbes Iconoclast 50 was created to recognize people who are disrupting their industries or challenging the status quo.

The 2026 list includes billionaires, CEOs, investors, entertainers, athletes and philanthropists. Collectively, Forbes says the honorees represent more than $2.5 trillion in wealth.

Scott's inclusion reflects the unusual scale and speed of her philanthropy. Mackenzie Scott has effectively taken a different route: accumulating wealth through Amazon, then distributing billions of dollars directly to organizations and communities with relatively few restrictions.