Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, MacKenzie Scott, since late September alone has handed out $700 million to at least 15 HBCUs as well as nonprofits focusing on affordability and access for marginalised students.
MacKenzie Scott has drawn praise from leaders across the country
Michael Lomax, President and CEO of the United Negro College Fund, who called her ‘MacKenzie Scott’ after she granted his organisation a $70 million ‘transformational’ gift.
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“Her approach is redefining philanthropy, not only in this nation but globally,” Lomax told ABC News.
MacKenzie Scott’s net worth
Notably, Scott received roughly $38 billion in her 2019 divorce from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Her current net worth is estimated at over $33 billion following all the donations.
On her website, Yield Giving, she wrote that votes are not the sole means of showing what communities value. “There are numerous ways to impact how we navigate the world and where we ultimately find ourselves,” she added.
Her newest round of donations includes $63 million to Prairie View A&M University in Texas, $50 million to Bowie State University in Maryland, and $19 million to Philander Smith University in Arkansas.
Bowie State president Dr Aminta H. Breaux said Scott’s “generosity arrives at a pivotal moment in our 160-year story,” noting that Bowie State has now become the 15th HBCU to benefit from her giving.
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Scott’s momentum this season really began in mid-October, when she sent a $63 million unrestricted gift to Morgan State University. The Baltimore-based HBCU announced the contribution on October 15, highlighting that this was her second major gift in under five years; in 2020, she had already contributed $40 million to the university, which ranks as the third-largest HBCU in the United States.
Her donations across the season average $47 million per institution, with beneficiaries stretching from Alabama to Virginia.
