Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott, has failed to impress podcaster and former adviser to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Katie Miller. She criticised Scott’s charitable giving in a post on X, claiming that billions of dollars donated by the billionaire author and philanthropist have largely gone to organisations promoting progressive causes.In her post, Miller wrote: “MacKenzie Scott has given away $26 billion — almost entirely to progressive groups that seek to dismantle the very way of life that built her fortune:* $275M to Planned Parenthood* $51M to The Trevor Project for LGBTQ youth* $1.2B for racial equity education* $586M to racial justice groups—including Movement for Black Lives* $163M to LGBTQ organizations including Transgender Law Center* $133M to gender equity* $125M to climate justice* $200M to open borders immigration groups”Miller’s remarks come days after Elon Musk also criticised Scott’s philanthropy, responding “Sadly yes” to a post claiming that the billionaire was “spending it making the world a worse place.”MacKenzie Scott has donated over $26 billion for philanthropyScott has donated more than $26 billion through her philanthropic organisation, Yield Giving, since 2020. Her donations have supported thousands of non-profit organisations working in areas including education, housing, healthcare, racial equity, climate initiatives and community development.Earlier this year, Scott donated $70 million to Meals on Wheels America to help expand meal delivery and care services for seniors and homebound individuals across the US. The organisation said the unrestricted funding would strengthen its nationwide network of more than 5,000 community-based programmes.Scott has also donated $7 million to Red Lake Nation College and $42 million to Elizabeth City State University, taking her total contributions to historically Black colleges and universities beyond $1 billion. Other recipients include Howard University, Spelman College, Habitat for Humanity, climate initiatives and Girl Scouts of the USA.Scott received a 4% stake in Amazon as part of her 2019 divorce settlement with Jeff Bezos and has pledged to donate the majority of her wealth. This is not the first time Scott’s charitable giving has drawn criticism from Elon Musk. In 2024, he posted a message on X that many interpreted as referring to Scott, writing:”Super rich ex-wives who hate their former spouse should be listed among ‘Reasons that Western Civilization died,” Musk said,Although Musk did not mention Scott by name, the post came amid discussions surrounding her donations to organisations focused on race, gender, climate and other social causes. The post was later deleted.According to America’s Top 25 Philanthropists list, Scott ranks third with lifetime donations of $26.4 billion, behind Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates.
