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Fortune

Alicia Adamczyk

MacKenzie Scott and Melinda French Gates’s momentous year of giving

MacKenzie Scott French Gates Melinda French Gates United States Fortune Philanthropy

MacKenzie Scott (Credit: Dia Dipasupil—Getty Images)

Good morning! Justin Baldoni is suing the New York Times for libel, Paramount had a rocky 2024 under Shari Redstone, and Fortune’s Alicia Adamczyk considers MacKenzie Scott and Melinda French Gates’s 2024 philanthropic efforts. Have a wonderful Thursday.

- Gift receipts. Happy 2025, readers! I’m honored to kick off MPW Daily in the new year, and I wanted to start by circling back to, in my opinion, one of the most fascinating ongoing financial stories in America: how female billionaires like MacKenzie Scott and Melinda French Gates are reshaping philanthropy in the U.S.

It’s not unusual for the ultra-rich to be devoted philanthropists, and many American billionaires, including each woman's famous ex-husband, have pledged to give away most of their wealth. But with French Gates and Scott wielding so much influence and giving away so much money in so short a time, their efforts are changing how others give as well.

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