MacKenzie Scott has already donated nearly $1.7 billion of her wealth since divorcing Jeff Bezos

[FM123]

(The Verge) Novelist and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, whose ex-husband is Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, announced on Tuesday that she’s already donated close to $1.7 billion of her immense wealth in the past year. The causes and nonprofits she has so far chosen include those supporting racial, LGBTQ+, and gender equity, as well as those dedicated to combating climate change and improving public health and economic mobility, among others. Scott has a net worth of more than $60 billion, thanks to recent gains in Amazon stock.

The announcement, made as part of a Medium post under Scott’s new name (taken from her middle name) following her divorce, comes after Scott last May signed The Giving Pledge. The campaign was launched in 2010 by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and billionaire investor Warren Buffett to encourage the world’s wealthiest people to donate a majority of their wealth over their lifetimes. It currently has more than 200 signatories from nearly two dozen countries.

“Last year I pledged to give the majority of my wealth back to the society that helped generate it, to do it thoughtfully, to get started soon, and to keep at it until the safe is empty. There’s no question in my mind that anyone’s personal wealth is the product of a collective effort, and of social structures which present opportunities to some people, and obstacles to countless others,” Scott writes in her Medium post.

“Like many, I watched the first half of 2020 with a mixture of heartbreak and horror. Life will never stop finding fresh ways to expose inequities in our systems; or waking us up to the fact that a civilization this imbalanced is not only unjust, but also unstable,” she adds. “What fills me with hope is the thought of what will come if each of us reflects on what we can offer.”

Here’s the breakdown of how Scott says she’s donated money so far:

Total given to date:

Racial Equity: $ 586,700,000

LGBTQ+ Equity: $ 46,000,000

Gender Equity: $ 133,000,000

Economic Mobility: $ 399,500,000

Empathy & Bridging Divides: $ 55,000,000

Functional Democracy: $ 72,000,000

Public Health: $ 128,300,000

Global Development: $ 130,000,000

Climate Change: $ 125,000,000

(Read More) https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/28/21345440/mackenzie-scott-jeff-bezos-amazon-wealth-donation-philanthropy

[blogslut]

1. Good

[genxlib]

2. That's freaking awesome

I envy her. I bet that feels great to have that kind of impact.

[Dream Girl]

3. Very nice Mackenzie!

[Disaffected]

4. Very nice indeed:

Now, how 'bout a couple of Bils or so more for climate change and environmental protection?

[fierywoman]

5. (And how much has good old Jeff donated in the same period?)

[progressoid]

7. Jeff and the Waltons and Zuckerberg and Buffet and on and on and on...

[AJT]

9. Buffet has a already given his children all of the money

they will ever get, $1,000,000 a piece. He has a trust that will give the rest of his money to charities when he dies.

[smirkymonkey]

18. How about he gives some of that to Democrats now, when we need to be saved by the greatest

threat our country has ever faced? What are these people waiting for?

We need help now! Not in years from now, not when they die. Now! Before we are taken over by an authoritarian, fascist dictator who will destroy the nation who made them successful in the first place.

[MFGsunny]

6. Nothing but RESPECT and admiration to/for her.

[iluvtennis]

8. Thank you MacKenzie Scott for giving back!

[ProfessorGAC]

10. Brava, Ms. Scott

That's very impressive.

[Jakes Progress]

11. That would be the best part of being a billionaire.

Most of them don't get it.

[Dem2theMax]

13. Isn't that the truth!

I live on a very small fixed income, and I still find ways to donate when I can. I can't imagine having billions of dollars. But if I did, oh the fun I would have putting it to good works! I can't imagine doing anything better with money, than helping to improve the lives of other people, and the planet.

I will never be able to understand the mentality of people who think they have to have more and more and more money. Use it for good. How hard is it to figure out how to do that? Apparently very hard, for the likes of Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Etc.

[drmeow]

21. it is a form of pathological hoarding

But because it doesn't take up room in their houses and because we value wealth, the mental illness aspect of it is not recognized. Gaining enormous wealth changes people's brains, too.

[BobTheSubgenius]

12. Who doesn't wish they could do that?

At least, who among us?

Honestly, I wouldn't even want anything like that kind of money, except for the opportunity to give it to places it will do the most good. Once it was gone - at least, down to a "reasonable" personal fortune level (say, $10M for the sake of argument - no sense in not living at least comfortably if you were once a multi-billionaire), I hope I would be able to sit back and be pleased with a job well done.

Dreams. *sigh*

[TeamPooka]

14. Ms. Scott, will you marry me?

[warmfeet]

15. This is what humans do when they have the opportunity.

Well done MacKenzie!

[AllaN01Bear]

16. eggscllent.

[Mr.Bill]

17. I've been in charge of managing a six-figure fund

for a charitable organization. It was very rewarding, but what a lot of people don't realize is that doing it fairly and correctly entails a lot of work. Don't get me wrong, it was work I enjoyed doing, but it was work. Fortunately I had lots of help from some very good people.

[DBoon]

19. Is it wrong to wish more billionaires got divorced?

[drmeow]

20. that's great

But part of giving back to the society that created the wealth is paying more taxes since without DARPA she would have no wealth.