MacKenzie Scott has continued her philanthropic giving with a $20 million donation to Active Minds, a nonprofit focused on youth mental health, reports TOI. The contribution is the largest donation in the organisation's history and adds to the more than $26 billion Scott has donated to nearly 2,700 organisations since 2019.
Despite giving away billions, Scott remains among the world's richest women. According to Forbes, her net worth stands at about $31.4 billion and Bloomberg Billionaires Index puts her at $35.7 billion in 2026.
Amazon holdings continue to grow in value
Scott's wealth has remained strong largely because of her remaining stake in Amazon.
Following her divorce from Jeff Bezos in 2019, Scott received a 4% stake in Amazon, valued at about $36 billion at the time. As Amazon's stock price has increased over the years, the value of her remaining shares has continued to rise, helping replenish her fortune even as she funds large charitable donations.
Scott donated more than $26 billion
Scott signed the Giving Pledge after her divorce, committing to donate the majority of her wealth during her lifetime.
Rather than operating through a traditional philanthropic foundation, she has distributed large, unrestricted grants directly to organisations.
Between 2020 and 2025, Scott donated $26.2 billion, including $7.2 billion in 2025 alone, accounting for about one-third of all "megagifts" made in the United States that year.
Her donations have supported organisations working in education, affordable housing, public health, racial equity, disaster response, food security and mental health.
Among her recent contributions are $70 million to Meals on Wheels, $45 million to The Trevor Project, and $20 million to Active Minds.
Yield Giving follows unrestricted grant model
Scott makes her donations through Yield Giving, an initiative that provides unrestricted funding to nonprofit organisations.
Under the model, recipient organisations decide how to use the funds without reporting requirements or conditions attached to the grants. According to the report, some organisations learn they have received funding only after the grants are awarded.
Scott has also largely avoided public recognition for her philanthropy and has rarely sought publicity or naming rights for her donations.
Wealth built through Amazon and early role in company
Most of Scott's fortune stems from her Amazon holdings.
The report notes that Scott worked alongside Jeff Bezos during Amazon's early years, assisting with responsibilities including bookkeeping and early shipping operations.
Apart from her business background, Scott is also a novelist. Her books, The Testing of Luther Albright and Traps, received critical acclaim before she became widely known for her philanthropic work.
Amazon gains continue to outpace charitable giving
According to the report, Scott's wealth has not declined in proportion to her donations because the value of her remaining Amazon shares has continued to appreciate.
Even as she sells shares to finance her charitable contributions, the growth in Amazon's stock has helped offset much of the reduction in her holdings, allowing her net worth to remain among the highest in the world.
Scott has said that generosity should strengthen communities rather than elevate donors. Through Yield Giving, she has focused on directing resources to organisations while keeping public attention on their work rather than on herself.
(With inputs from TOI)
