Jeff Bezos’ ex-wife is MacKenzie Scott, an American novelist and philanthropist. They married in 1993 and divorced in 2019 after 25 years of marriage. Scott also worked in Amazon’s early years, published two novels, and has become known for large-scale charitable giving.
Who is MacKenzie Scott?
Scott was born in San Francisco in 1970. She graduated from Princeton in 1992 with a degree in English, studied under novelist Toni Morrison, and worked as Morrison’s research assistant. That year, Scott began working as a research associate at D.E. Shaw in New York, where she met Bezos. Bloomberg’s profile recounts these details.
What was her role in Amazon’s early years?
Scott was involved in Amazon’s early founding, including work as an accountant and negotiating an early freight contract, according to Bloomberg. This is one part of her biography, not a reason to describe her as Amazon’s sole founder.
When did Scott and Bezos divorce?
The couple married in 1993, moved to Seattle in 1994, announced their separation in January 2019, and finalized their divorce that year. Forbes describes their marriage as lasting 25 years. Forbes’s profile reports that Scott received a 4% stake in Amazon as part of the divorce settlement.
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In a statement dated April 4, 2019, quoted by Bloomberg, Scott described what she was giving up: “Happy to be giving him all of my interests in the Washington Post and Blue Origin, and 75% of our Amazon stock plus voting control of my shares.” The 4% figure describes the reported settlement at that time; it is not a statement of her current shareholding.
What books has MacKenzie Scott written?
Scott is also a novelist. Her two published novels are The Testing of Luther Albright (2005) and Traps (2013). Bloomberg reports that The Testing of Luther Albright won an American Book Award; Forbes also notes that Scott has published two novels.
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What is known about Scott’s philanthropy?
Forbes reports that Scott signed the Giving Pledge in May 2019, committing to give away at least half her wealth over her lifetime. Her giving has been notable for the size of its grants and, according to the Associated Press, the generally unrestricted terms that allow recipient organizations to decide how to use the money.
The reported totals depend on the source and date. The Associated Press reported in 2025 that Scott disclosed $7.1 billion in gifts that year, bringing reported giving since 2019 to $26.3 billion. Forbes’s profile, updated September 15, 2026, says Yield Giving shares details of $26.4 billion given to more than 2,700 nonprofits. These are dated reports, not a single independently audited total: the AP noted that outside tracking is difficult because Scott has no public foundation.
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The AP also reported that 2025 gifts emphasized higher education and climate, including at least $783 million to historically Black colleges and universities. That describes the reported grants for that year, not necessarily the focus of every year’s giving.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How much is MacKenzie Scott worth?
Net-worth figures are estimates that change over time and vary by publisher. Forbes displayed a real-time estimate of $27.4 billion on October 3, 2026; Bloomberg’s page showed an estimate dated May 18, 2026. Neither estimate should be confused with the reported 2019 divorce settlement or treated as a precise measure of cash or assets received in the divorce.
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