Being the die-hard fan that I am, as I watch the news unfold about Jeff Bezos’ upcoming grandiose three-day wedding in Italy, I can’t help but feel a stark contrast to his ex-wife Mackenzie Scott‘s current situation. In every sense of the word, she seems worlds away from this opulent affair.
In a surprising turn of events, the author, aged 55, amassed the title of the world’s wealthiest woman in 2019, following her divorce settlement worth approximately $38 billion and a 4% share in Amazon. Instead of indulging in extravagant lifestyle choices, she chose to distribute her newly acquired fortune generously.
Mackenzie openly admits to having an excess of funds, and she’s vowed not to halt her charitable contributions until she’s given all she can, as expressed in a collection of personal pieces on her site, Yield Giving, filled with literary allusions.
This week, Jeff, who’s 61 years old, will be getting married to Lauren, aged 55, at the picturesque Madonna dell’Orto church in the charming Cannareggio district of Venice.
The extravagant event valued at $20 million is scheduled to commence on Thursday and conclude on Saturday. Approximately 90 private aircrafts are expected to transport high-profile individuals from the realms of entertainment, politics, and finance to what has been referred to as “the wedding of the century.
Contrary to many others, Mackenzie keeps a relatively private life, having given away over $19 billion to approximately 1600 charities so far.
She continues to hold onto her wealth due to the prosperity of Amazon and her independent ventures. However, by signing the Giving Pledge in May 2019, she became one of the world’s high-net-worth philanthropists.
Or, more concisely:
She’s maintained her wealth from Amazon and personal projects. In May 2019, she pledged to donate a significant portion of her fortune to charitable causes, making her one of the world’s wealthy philanthropists.
In the essays posted on her site, she expresses a longing to help others and uses verses penned by Emily Dickinson and Rumi as inspiration.
After her divorce, Mackenzie quoted a section from Annie Dillard’s “The Writing Life,” expressing how it had served as an inspiration to her throughout the years.
Instead of saving valuable content for a future location within the book, or for another book entirely, consider using it immediately. The urge to preserve something for a more suitable placement in the future is an indication that it should be utilized right away.
‘There will be further developments down the line, promising even greater things… Whatever isn’t generously shared or offered wholeheartedly tends to slip away from us. When you open your storehouse, all that remains is dust.’
Reflecting on the piece, Mackenzie drew comparisons to her own life and ‘impulse to give.’
She wrote: ‘No drive has more positive ripple effects than the desire to be of service.
Beyond the abilities and qualities that life has instilled in me, I possess an unusually large amount of wealth that I’m ready to distribute.
2020 found me contemplating the solitary existence lived by poet Emily Dickinson during the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, resonating deeply with her experience as a fellow solitude enthusiast.
Mackenzie underscored the financial setbacks experienced, along with a rise in the population struggling with poverty, as the wealth of billionaires continued to escalate significantly.
In that particular year, the value of Amazon shares reached over $200 billion for the first time for Jeff Bezos personally, following an increase in online shopping due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a seasoned insider in the tech world, I found myself playing an instrumental part in the burgeoning days of Amazon, a decision that eventually netted me a staggering fortune of $63 billion in company stocks.
Since the start of 2020, the company’s stock price surged approximately 80 percent, largely due to the fact that the coronavirus pandemic kept people homebound.
That year saw an uptick in her charitable contributions, as she found solace in the words of Emily Dickinson, expressing that she nurtured hope by providing for it, and fulfilled this act through her philanthropic endeavors for the betterment of America.
2021 saw Mackenzie elaborating on her efforts to boost and uplift the 286 non-profit organizations her team supported financially.
She explained that they were enhancing their abilities by surrendering power, and she referred to the 13th-century poet, Rumi, for clarification.
The philanthropist quoted Rumi saying, “An extinguishing candle teaches us, accumulating isn’t the solution.
‘”Burn, become light and heat and help. Melt.”
Born and raised in San Francisco, MacKenzie was often referred to as an introverted child who preferred spending long hours in her bedroom crafting stories. At just six years old, she had already penned down a 142-page novel titled “The Book Worm.
At the renowned Ivy League school, Princeton University, she honed her skills in writing fiction. Notably, her literary talent garnered acclaim from Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Toni Morrison, who recognized MacKenzie as one of her most exceptional students.
Instead of letting her childhood shyness hold her back, she boldly initiated a date with Jeff by inviting him for lunch one day.
In 1993, MacKenzie shared with Vogue their story of getting together, expressing it like this: “My workspace was right beside his, so for the entire day, I was enchanted by that incredible laughter. It’s hard not to fall in love when you hear a laugh like that.
Three months later, they got engaged, tying the knot three months after that.
In the initial stages of their matrimony, the pair departed from New York, settling into a small apartment with one bedroom in Seattle, enabling Jeff to focus on realizing his aspiration – establishing an internet-based bookstore.
Being among Amazon’s initial hires, when the company began to flourish and gained success, she has shared her part in contributing to the company’s triumph.
She once stated that she was present during the creation of the business plan, worked alongside him and numerous others who were part of Amazon’s initial team, which included individuals working in a converted garage, a basement warehouse, a closet, offices with a barbecue scent, Christmas rush distribution centers, and conference rooms filled with makeshift desks in the early days of Amazon’s history.
Over time, as Amazon thrived, Jeff and Mackenzie expanded their real estate holdings, acquiring buildings in various locations such as Washington, Beverly Hills (California), Texas, and Manhattan (New York).
Regardless of their substantial fortune, this pair was committed to preserving an ordinary household lifestyle with their quartet of kids – three boys and a girl they brought up from China as their own.
The substantial wealth they possessed made it a point of curiosity for many when, upon their divorce, the distribution of their possessions became an issue.
Initial reports suggested that Jeff received a favorable outcome in his divorce settlement with Mackenzie.
Mackenzie forwent claiming her full share of the assets, instead choosing to retain only 4% ownership in Amazon, which was then valued at around $35.8 billion, instead of the 8% she was entitled to.
Simultaneously, Jeff maintained approximately three-quarters of the shared $144 billion Amazon fortune, which was equivalent to a 12% ownership share worth roughly $107.5 billion.
Additionally, he gained ownership over the outstanding shares of his former spouse and inherited her stake in The Washington Post, a publication he purchased for $250 million in 2013, along with Blue Origin, the private space exploration venture to which he had been contributing financially.
In their 25-year long marriage, Jeff was recognized as a quiet, technology enthusiast who kept a low profile. Regardless of their substantial wealth, they led a life that appeared remarkably ordinary, earning them the description of living an ‘unusually typical’ lifestyle.
In an intriguing twist, even as I graced the Forbes list of America’s 400 richest individuals back in 1998, I continued to commute in a 1997 Honda up until 2013. To me, it was simply a reliable and perfectly good vehicle that served its purpose.
This anecdote showcases my humble approach towards material possessions, prioritizing functionality over luxury.
Back in 2019, the National Enquirer unveiled Jeff’s romantic relationship with Lauren Sanchez, which eventually led to his divorce from the mother of his four kids, who was at that time his wife.
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2025-06-26 17:38