MacKenzie Scott gives out $640 million to 361 nonprofits
Scott finalized her divorce with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2019
MacKenzie Scott on Tuesday gave more of her wealth away to nonprofits.
Across the country, 361 nonprofits collectively received $640 million through grants made by her donation vehicle, Yield Giving.
They had sought the donations from Scott through an "open call" that Lever for Change facilitated, Lever for Change said on its website. The open call fielded over 6,000 applications in total.
Jeff Bezos, founder and chief executive officer of Amazon.com Inc., and his wife MacKenzie Bezos, arrive for morning sessions at the 28th annual Allen & Co. Media and Technology Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, U.S., on Saturday, July 10, 201 (Matthew Staver/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Scott said each of the nonprofits that ultimately received a grant in her latest charitable giving had been "elevated by peer organizations and a round-2 evaluation panel for their outstanding work advancing the voices and opportunities of individuals and families of meager or modest means, and groups who have met with discrimination and other systemic obstacles."
NEW MACKENZIE SCOTT WEBSITE DETAILS $14B IN GIFTS
Recipients were located across 38 states, as well as others in Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, according to Lever for Change.
The size of the grants Scott sent were either $1 million or $2 million.
Lever for Change said the plan had originally been to dole out 250 grants worth $1 million, but "the donor team decided to expand the awardee pool and the award amount."
Scott, whose reported net worth hovered around $35.7 billion, had provided over $17.2 billion in charitable donations through Yield Giving. She first launched the website for her philanthropic organization in December 2022.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS
Her massive personal fortune stems from Amazon, the company that her ex-husband Jeff Bezos founded and that she holds a stake in, according to Forbes. The e-commerce giant had a value of $1.83 trillion on a market capitalization basis as of Tuesday.
(L-R) CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezos and writer MacKenzie Bezos attend the Amazon Studios Oscar Celebration at Delilah on February 26, 2017 in West Hollywood, California. (Todd Williamson/Getty Images for Amazon / Getty Images)
Scott signed onto the Giving Pledge in 2019. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, his former wife Melinda French Gates and Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett set up that initiative for the ultra-wealthy to give away 50% of their fortune about 14 years ago.
MACKENZIE SCOTT SOLD $10.4 BILLION IN AMAZON SHARES IN 2023
"In addition to whatever assets life has nurtured in me, I have a disproportionate amount of money to share," she wrote at the time. "My approach to philanthropy will continue to be thoughtful."
She said she would "keep at it until the safe is empty."