Mackenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and one of the world’s richest women, has donated another $2.7 billion to a group of charities.
In a blog post, Ms. Scott wrote that she wanted to give the money to those who have been “historically underfunded and overlooked.” The billionaire woman also said that she had chosen 286 organizations that work on racial inequality, education and the arts to donate part of her fortune.
According to Forbes, she is the world’s third-wealthiest woman, with a fortune of $53 billion, below Françoise Bettencourt Meyers ($73.6 billion) and Alice Walton ($61.8 billion).
Most of her fortune comes from her 2019 divorce from Mr. Bezos, currently the world’s richest man. The divorce settlement left Ms. Scott with 4% of Amazon’s shares after helping her ex-husband launch the tech giant in 1994.
Since then, the 51-year-old woman has made her charitable donations public.
In December, she revealed that she had donated more than $4 billion in just four months to women-run charities, African American universities, and food banks. Despite her donations’ size, Ms. Scott remains the world’s 22nd richest person, according to Forbes.
In her post on Tuesday, she said she was keen to redistribute her wealth after working alongside her new husband, Dan Jewett, and researchers to choose whom to donate.
“In this effort, we are governed by a humbling belief that it would be better if disproportionate wealth were not concentrated in a small number of hands, and that the solutions are best designed and implemented by others,” the statement read.
Among the charities and organizations that received the “relatively large gifts,” were those that dedicate their efforts to “bridging divides” between different religions, some universities, and colleges.
Ms. Scott signed the Giving Pledge in 2019, promising to give away most of her fortune.
The Giving Pledge was founded by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett in 2010. It is a “commitment by the world’s wealthiest individuals and families to dedicate the majority of their wealth to giving back,” its website says.
Ms. Scott’s new husband and science teacher Dan Jewett joined it in March this year.
