A Billionaire Wedding in Venice
MacKenzie Scott missing from Bezos wedding festivities as he marries Lauren Sanchez in a $20M Venice celebration. It’s a star-studded affair, with Kim Kardashian, Oprah, Orlando Bloom, Tom Brady, and even Queen Rania of Jordan attending. Nearly 90 private jets reportedly landed for what’s being called the “wedding of the century.”
But one person is not on the guest list—and her absence speaks volumes.
MacKenzie Scott: Billions Given, Spotlight Avoided
While Bezos makes headlines for luxury, MacKenzie Scott, his ex-wife of 25 years, continues giving away her vast fortune. She walked away from their 2019 divorce with $38 billion, a 4% Amazon stake, and the title of the world’s richest woman.
But rather than join the elite in Venice, she’s kept her focus on charity, having donated more than $19 billion to over 1,600 nonprofits through her platform, Yield Giving.
“Until the Safe is Empty”
Scott calls her wealth “disproportionate” and vows not to stop giving until “the safe is empty.” Through essays quoting poets like Rumi and Emily Dickinson, she emphasizes a desire to serve, not to spend.
“The desire to be of service has more positive ripple effects than any other drive.” —MacKenzie Scott
Her influence extends to racial fairness, economic justice, healthcare, and education. She has joined her colleagues, like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, in pledging to donate the bulk of her money through the Giving Pledge.
From Honda to Yachts: The Contrast Between Exes
Bezos once drove a 1997 Honda and lived a humble life with MacKenzie. But since their split, he’s leaned into luxury—private islands, superyachts, and now, this over-the-top Italian wedding.
MacKenzie, by contrast, stays largely out of the public eye, publishing her thoughts online while redirecting billions toward causes that need it most.
The Divorce Deal: What Each Took
- MacKenzie Scott: 4% Amazon stake (~$38B), no claim to Blue Origin or The Washington Post
- Jeff Bezos: 12% Amazon stake (~$107.5B), voting rights over MacKenzie’s shares, Blue Origin, and WaPo
- Despite being entitled to more, MacKenzie took less—and used it to uplift others
Book Worm to Billionaire Entrepreneur
MacKenzie authored a 142-page book when she was six years old. She later studied under Pulitzer Prize winner Toni Morrison at Princeton, where she was hailed as “one of the best students I’ve ever had.”
Her early faith in Bezos’s idea influenced the development of Amazon. She is using that same commitment now to make a little but significant difference in the world.
Source: Mail Online
