Fans react after Jeff Bezos' ex-wife MacKenzie Scott makes largest donation in HBCU history


Jeff Bezos' ex-wife and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott recently made a large donation to Alabama State University. On October 27, the University's president issued a letter announcing Scott's $38 million donation to the institution. The president called it a “defining moment” in ASU's history and shared that it was the “largest single donation” in the HBCU's 158-year history.

“I am filled with immense gratitude and proud to announce that Alabama State University has received the largest donation in its 158-year history. Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has given an extraordinary gift of $38 million to our great University. Ms. Scott's generosity affirms Alabama State University's reputation as a catalyst for innovation in higher education and innovation in education higher”.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott divorced in 2019 after 25 years of marriage. According to People, the two had reached an agreement, with Scott receiving a four percent stake in Amazon, which at the time was worth $38.3 billion. Since then, the novelist has made several generous donations to non-profit organizations.

As soon as news of his latest donation to Alabama State University hit the Internet, many netizens reacted. Referring to the divorce settlement between Bezos and Scott, an X user wrote:

“Every breakup should end with a $38 million donation tbh.”

@FearedBuck Every breakup should end with a $38M donation tbh.

Another netizen said that it wasn't Scott's money that he gave.

@FearedBuck It was never his money to begin with. Not a penny. He's basically giving away his money. And I hope it's a real donation and not just typical money laundering

Some other users hinted that MacKenzie Scott has been donating the money received to the settlement.

@FearedBuck Imagine being courted and your ex-wife giving it all away

@FearedBuck He really said, “I don't need closure, I need contribution.”

One netizen joked that while Bezos was growing his company, his ex-wife was building “futures.”

@FearedBuck Jeff built Amazon. MacKenzie here building futures. 💅🏽💰

One internet user blasted people who called out MacKenzie Scott for “dumping” Bezos.

@FearedBuck People are making fun of her for leaving Bezos, but she's here changing institutions.

Scott has a history of making generous donations to institutions. An X user highlighted it recently great donation to another university.

@FearedBuck donated $63M to Morgan State University as of 2 weeks ago

MacKenzie Scott pledged to give away half of her wealth after her divorce from Jeff Bezos

Keeping up with the commitment I made last year to give away the majority of my wealth in my lifetime: https://t.co/Ocb8eU5UR1. (Note that my Medium account is under my new last name, back to the middle name I grew up with, after my grandfather Scott.)

According to Forbes, shortly after its completion divorce of Jeff Bezos, Scott signed a donation pledge in May 2019 and announced that he would donate half of his wealth. Scott reportedly follows a “no limits” policy with his donations, meaning the receiving organization has complete discretion over how to spend the funds.

Scott also created a website called Yield Giving for the purpose of detailing it donations. The website describes Scott's intent in the following words:

“Established by MacKenzie Scott to share a financial fortune created through the efforts of countless people, Yield is named for the belief in adding value by relinquishing control.”

To date, it has given more than $19.2 billion to more than 2,450 institutions. In one of her blogs for Yield Giving, Scott described “Philanthropy” as,

“It's not a word I've ever loved or identified with. A lifetime of cultural references associated it with financially wealthy people who thought they knew better how to solve other people's problems… How much money or how much money changes hands doesn't make it philanthropy. Intent and effort make it philanthropy,” Scott wrote.

Two years after her divorce from Jeff Bezos, MacKenzie Scott married a school teacher in 2021. However, a year later, she filed for divorce from him. Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos married Lauren Sanchez in June this year.