Bezos’ ex wife, MacKenzie Scott, cuts Amazon stake by $12.6 billion

Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has reduced her stake in Amazon.com Inc. by 42% over the past year, according to a regulatory filing made public on Tuesday.

The filing, dated September 30, shows Scott now holds 81.1 million Amazon shares, down from 139 million a year earlier. Based on Tuesday’s closing price, the reduction is valued at about $12.6 billion.

Scott, 55, is known for her philanthropy, particularly her practice of making large donations to small nonprofits without conditions or extensive reporting requirements. Last year, she donated $2 billion to 199 organisations, according to her Yield Giving website, bringing her total charitable contributions over roughly five years to $19.25 billion.

Scott’s stake in Amazon stems from her 2019 divorce from company founder Jeff Bezos. She received roughly 4% of the company as part of the settlement. Under the divorce terms, Bezos retains voting control over her shares and is required to disclose them annually.

Despite her ongoing charitable giving, Scott’s wealth has grown, supported by the rise in Amazon’s share price. She has publicly committed to giving away the majority of her fortune.

It is not immediately clear whether the reduction in her holdings resulted from sales or gifts. Requests for comment sent to Scott and Yield Giving were not returned as of Tuesday.

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Scott’s net worth stood at $41.2 billion before this latest change. Her continued donations and stake reduction highlight her dual focus on wealth management and large-scale philanthropy.

A breakdown of Scott’s givings 

MacKenzie Scott stands among the top 5 oldest female billionaires, commanding a staggering net worth exceeding $40 billion.

• Earlier reports by Nairametrics showed that in November 2024, Scott sold $8 billion worth of Amazon shares to fund charitable causes across the United States, showing her mission to direct her immense wealth toward tackling pressing societal challenges.
• In 2023, she divested approximately $10 billion worth of Amazon shares. For December 2023 alone, Scott had made an unrestricted $12 million donation to Howard University College of Medicine.
• At some point in the year, she became $10.5 billion richer after her net worth received a boost, according to estimations by the Forbes billionaire index, as reported by Nairametrics.
•  As of March 2022, she also donated a sum of $436 million to Habitat for Humanity, an NGO addressing housing shortages in the US and around the world.

What you should know 

Scott’s approach to giving contrasts with many other billionaire philanthropists, who often make high-profile donations. Instead, she prioritises smaller, direct grants to organisations, many of which have limited reporting obligations. Analysts say this model has been influential in shaping discussions about effective and impactful charitable giving.

The reduction in her Amazon holdings is one of the largest single-year decreases among major shareholders and shows the scale of Scott’s financial and philanthropic influence. Amazon’s shares have appreciated significantly since Scott’s divorce, further increasing the value of her remaining holdings even as she continues to give away large sums. (Nairametrics)