When you hear of a billionaire reducing their holdings in a company like Amazon, it immediately shocks the business world. In this case, the story of MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Jeff Bezos, is more than just a portfolio adjustment, rather it's a powerful statement on business and philanthropy. Recently she reduced her Amazon stake by an astounding $12.6 billion (£9.62 billion), and nearly simultaneously made one of her largest charitable donations to date. The move shows her business strategy, personal wealth decisions, and social impact in a way that's stirring attention across the corporate and philanthropic worlds as we look into just how much and where she donated all the money.
Jeff Bezos' Ex Wife Cashes Out on Amazon
As per sources in a regulatory filing dated 30 September 2025, it was revealed that MacKenzie Scott now holds approximately 81.1 million shares of Amazon, down from about 139 million a year earlier which is a massive drop of some 58 million shares. Moreover, that reduction translates to roughly $12.55 billion at the prevailing share price. Now given that Amazon's stock has more than doubled since Scott's divorce from Bezos in 2019, the timing and impact of this reduction stand out very staggeringly.
Furthermore, this business move is significant not just for the dollar value involved, but because it reveals how someone with deep ties to the company is making a big change. As per some reports, Scott received about a 4% stake in Amazon as part of her divorce settlement with Bezos in 2019. And despite shedding billions' worth of shares, she still retains a substantial holding, and given the company's continued strength in the business and tech ecosystem, that holding remains very important.
Where Did MacKenzie Scott Donate the Billions?
So, even though her share reduction might have been influenced by a variety of factors including selling, donating and rebalancing, what's clear is that Scott's philanthropic activity has ramped up in parallel. According to reports, she has donated more than $19.25 billion (£14.70 billion) to over 2,450 non profits through her philanthropic vehicle, Yield Giving. Moreover, her giving strategy has emphasised trust based, unrestricted grants to organisations addressing equity, education, and community development.
Scott's philanthropy continues to centre on organisations working to expand opportunity for under-served groups as per reports, and her most recent decisions reflect that focus clearly. One of the standout contributions was her $42 million (£32.1 million) gift to 10,000 Degrees, a Bay Area organisation that helps students from low income and largely non-white backgrounds enter and complete college.
Impactful Donations
Moreover, she has also been a major supporter of historically Black educational institutions, giving the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) US $10 million (£7.63 million) in 2020, followed by a significantly larger $70 million (£53.4 million) donation announced more recently, deepening her support for HBCUs and the students they serve.
Furthermore, her equity driven giving extends well beyond education. Scott donated around $436 million (£332.8 million) to Habitat for Humanity, one of her largest single allocations as per reports, allowing the organisation and more than 80 of its local affiliates to provide affordable housing access in communities facing systemic disparities. Moreover, she followed that with a $20 million (£15.3 million) grant to Vermont's Champlain Housing Trust, which focuses on stabilising housing for lower income families and marginalised groups in the region.
These efforts show how she has consistently combined philanthropic scale with highly targeted impact, directing funds to places where housing insecurity intersects with race, income and long term inequality.
Her pattern of giving also includes large contributions to organisations supporting girls, women and public health. A donation of approximately $84 million (£64.1 million) to the Girl Scouts of the USA strengthened leadership and development programmes for girls from different backgrounds, while her $275 million (£209.9 million) gift to Planned Parenthood shows her commitment to reproductive justice and equitable health access.
By channeling wealth generated from her Amazon holdings into these equity focused causes, she continues to change the narrative around business driven wealth and its potential to drive systemic change.
