MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos, has donated $1.7 billion to charity since her divorce, CNN reports.
In last year’s divorce, Scott received half of the shares Bezos owned in Amazon, giving her a 4% stake in the internet retailing giant. That puts her net worth currently in the range of $60 billion.
According to the statement by Scott, The $1.7 billion donation was spread across 116 organizations focused on one of nine “areas of need,” she added, including racial equity, LGBTQ+ equity, functional democracy and climate change.
Among the organizations she backed are the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Obama Foundation, the George W. Bush Presidential Center, RAINN and the European Climate Foundation.
“Like many, I watched the first half of 2020 with a mixture of heartbreak and horror,” Scott said through a statement. “What fills me with hope is the thought of what will come if each of us reflects on what we can offer.”
Scott signed The Giving Pledge, started by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, commits signatories to donate the majority of their wealth to charitable organizations. Currently, there are about 200 signatories who have committed $1.2 trillion.