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- MacKenzie Scott was married to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos for 25 years before their divorce in 2019.Scott received a 4% stake in Amazon after the divorce and has channeled much of that wealth toward charity.She has continued to donate to diverse causes amid a wider pullback by companies on DEI.
MacKenzie Scott took some heat from Elon Musk last year for the causes to which she donates. But Scott, who was once married to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, hasn't backed down on her diversity-related donations this year.
On Wednesday, Morgan State University, a historically Black university, announced that it had received a $63 million gift from Scott. This was Scott's second major donation to the university in five years. She donated $40 million to the Maryland-based university in 2020.
When approached for comment, a representative for Morgan State University referred Business Insider to a statement it had published on Scott's donation on October 15.
"To receive one historic gift from Ms. Scott was an incredible honor; to receive two speaks volumes about the confidence she and her team have in our institution's stewardship, leadership, and trajectory," the university's president, David K. Wilson, said in the statement.
Separately, the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, a division of the nonprofit National Trust for Historic Preservation, said in a statement on Wednesday that it had received a $40 million donation from Scott. She gave $20 million to the same organization in 2021.
"The scale and impact of MacKenzie Scott's continued investment in historic preservation is leaving an enduring mark on our nation's history, and we are grateful for her philanthropic leadership," Brent Leggs, the executive director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, said in a statement to Business Insider on Wednesday.
Representatives for Scott did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Scott's donations come after an exchange filing on Tuesday showed that she had reduced her stake in Amazon by 42%, a cut worth about $12.6 billion based on Tuesday's closing share price.
Scott was married to Amazon's Bezos for 25 years before they finalized their divorce in 2019. After her divorce, Scott received a 4% stake in Amazon, then worth about $36 billion. She has since made a name for herself by channeling that wealth toward philanthropy.
Unlike most philanthropists who tie their donations to specific reporting requirements, Scott has a no-strings-attached approach toward giving.
Earlier this month, Scott donated $42 million to 10,000 Degrees, a California-based education nonprofit that aims to expand college access to lower-income and minority students.
Scott's giving decisions come at a big moment for DEI
Scott's giving comes at a pivotal moment for diverse causes. Corporations from McDonald's to Meta have been scaling back on diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives.
In September, The Conference Board, a think tank, published a report based on a survey it conducted with 82 corporate philanthropy leaders. Of those surveyed, 55% said federal scrutiny on DEI initiatives has affected their corporate giving strategies.
Amazon made headlines earlier this year when it removed all mentions of DEI from its 2024 annual report. It had also renamed its DEI page to "Inclusive Experiences and Technology."
When asked about the change, an Amazon spokesperson told Business Insider in February that they "update this page from time to time to ensure it reflects updates we've made to various programs and positions."
In January, Amazon Web Services' vice president of technology, Mai-Lan Tomsen Bukovec, told employees that the company was "not pulling back on DEI initiatives," per a meeting transcript obtained by Business Insider.
"There's no change to the commitment, but we didn't roll it out that well," Tomsen Bukovec said.
