In a significant financial move, philanthropist and novelist Mackenzie Scott sold a massive portion of her stake in Amazon during 2025. The sale, valued at approximately $13 billion, reduced her ownership in the e-commerce behemoth by nearly half. Scott, an early contributor to Amazon and the ex-wife of founder Jeff Bezos, has consistently channeled her wealth into global charitable causes.
Record-Breaking Philanthropy Amid Tech Sector Retreat
Scott's financial divestment coincides with an extraordinary year of giving. In 2025 alone, she donated a staggering $7.1 billion to various non-profit organizations, marking her largest annual philanthropic contribution to date. This surge continues a pattern of generosity that has seen her give away more than $26 billion since 2019.
Her donations stand in stark contrast to a broader pullback in corporate funding for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Major technology companies, including Meta, Amazon, and Google, have scaled back their DEI programs. For instance, Google eliminated its diversity hiring targets in 2025, while Amazon wound down what it called "outdated" DEI programs and materials. Meta also dissolved its dedicated DEI team and ended representation goals, according to an internal memo.
Transformative Gifts to Black Higher Education
A substantial focus of Scott's philanthropy has been supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). A Fortune report highlighted that she donated over $700 million to HBCUs in the past year, adding to a $500 million contribution made in 2020. Cumulatively, her support for Black higher education institutions now exceeds $1.2 billion.
Critically, these are unrestricted grants, allowing the universities full discretion over how to utilize the funds. This approach empowers institutions to address their most pressing needs directly.
In a landmark gift, the 55-year-old billionaire donated $80 million to Howard University. This donation is one of the largest single contributions in the university's 158-year history, underscoring her commitment to advancing equity in education.
The Toni Morrison Influence
Scott's philanthropic philosophy has been deeply influenced by her close relationship with the late Nobel laureate and author, Toni Morrison. The two met at Princeton University, where Morrison served as Scott's senior thesis advisor. Morrison played a pivotal role in launching Scott's literary career, helping her publish her first book and introducing her to a literary agent.
In a 2017 interview, Scott credited Morrison as a "gifted and devoted teacher" who exemplified a "life of passionate devotion to more than one calling." This mentorship is widely seen as a foundational element in shaping Scott's dedication to using her wealth for transformative social impact.
Mackenzie Scott's actions in 2025—a major reduction in her Amazon holdings paired with historic, unrestricted giving—redefine billionaire philanthropy. She continues to deploy her capital aggressively towards DEI causes even as the corporate world retreats, setting a powerful example of sustained, values-driven generosity.
