Recently, the spotlight has been on MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk, the visionary behind Tesla and SpaceX. Elon Musk accused MacKenzie Scott that her philanthropic works were detrimental to Western civilization. However, rather than responding to the allegations, Scott chose to double her donations.
On Tuesday, Scott announced she would donate $640 million to 361 nonprofit organizations. This is over twice the $250 million she promised to donate last year. Scott’s organization, Yield Giving, collaborated with the nonprofit Lever for Change to grant funds to 361 out of over 6,000 organizations.
Among these, 279 received $2 million each, while the remaining 82 received $1 million each. Impressed by these organizations’ efforts, Scott decided to distribute an additional 161 awards and raise the value of many grants. Initially, only 250 awards of $1 million each were scheduled.
Since 2020, Scott has given a total of $17.2 billion to 2,325 nonprofit organizations, according to a database managed by Yield Giving. Her approach to philanthropy contradicts that of her ex-husband, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Bezos recently made a big donation of $50 million to actor and entrepreneur Eva Longoria.
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However, while philanthropy is generally respected, people like Tesla’s CEO and the world’s third-richest person, Elon Musk, have criticized Scott’s efforts. “Super rich ex-wives who hate their former spouses should be listed among ‘Reasons that Western Civilization died,” Musk posted on X, which he has now deleted.
In 2019, Scott and Bezos ended their 25-year marriage. Scott received approximately $38 billion worth of Amazon stock as part of the divorce settlement. She also joined the Giving Pledge, an initiative by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, committing to donate at least half of her wealth to charitable causes.
Elon Musk, the three-time divorcee, has openly voiced criticism against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. His companies have faced multiple discrimination lawsuits regarding Black and Hispanic workers. Musk has also opposed the types of nonprofits Scott supports.
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He claimed that his companies have been sidelined due to Scott’s donations to what he calls “PACs posing as charities.” “It’s safe to say that MacKenzie Scott is not exactly a big fan of her ex-husband. Unfortunately, a lot of others are getting caught in the crossfire,” Musk wrote in May 2022.
Musk didn’t provide further details on why he specifically targeted Scott. “DEI is just another word for racism. Shame on anyone who uses it,” Musk said in an X post in January. Scott, on her part, seems to have made no public response to Musk’s remarks regarding her financial decisions.
Scott mentioned in a post on her website, Yield Giving, that the nonprofits were chosen “from a pool of over 6,000 applicants.” She explained that the 361 organizations were “endorsed by peer organizations and evaluated by a round-2 panel.” She also emphasized that they were “vital agents for change.”
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Scott is also supporting women’s health and minority groups this year. She is giving back to organizations like the ACLU of Alabama, the Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants, and the Institute of Women & Ethnic Studies.
Unlike most donors, who usually ask for specific reports on how their money is spent, Scott gives her donations without any conditions.
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