MacKenzie Scott donates $7 billion in 2025, one-third of largest US charity giving | World News

MacKenzie Scott donated approximately $7 billion to charitable causes across the United States in 2025, cementing her status as one of the world’s most generous philanthropists. Scott’s gifts account for nearly a third of the country’s $19.2 billion in major charitable giving this year, according to Giving USA and the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. The donations are part of a record year for U.S. philanthropy, which totaled $617.2 billion. Although Scott made the largest charitable contribution of any individual donor in 2025, she continued her long-standing practice of giving quietly, avoiding publicity while supporting thousands of organizations for a variety of causes.

MacKenzie Scott becomes top U.S. donor in 2025

MacKenzie Scott became the largest individual philanthropist in the United States in 2025, giving away approximately $7 billion. Her gifts accounted for about one-third of the year’s $19.2 billion in major charitable giving. Other major donors include Michael Bloomberg, who gave $4.3 billion, Bill Gates, who gave $3.7 billion, Warren Buffett, who gave $1.34 billion, and Susan and Michael Dell, who gave nearly $1 billion. Over the past five years, Scott’s cumulative charitable giving has reached approximately $26.2 billion.According to the Giving USA Philanthropy Annual Report, Americans donated approximately $617.2 billion to charity in 2025, a 5.7% increase from the previous year after adjusting for inflation. The total includes donations from individuals, foundations, corporations and charitable bequests. Sectors receiving the greatest support include religion, education, human services, health, international affairs, arts and culture, reflecting widespread growth across nearly all categories of charitable organizations.

Why Mackenzie Scott isn’t on the Philanthropy 50 list

Although Scott gave more than anyone else during the year, he does not appear on the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s annual Philanthropy 50 list. The publication explains that its rankings rely on publicly available information and voluntary disclosures. Scott and her representatives declined to provide details about donations made through donor-advised funds, making it impossible to determine whether those donations fit the publication’s methodology. As a result, despite her substantial charitable contributions, she was excluded.

Different ways of charity

Since declaring his commitment to philanthropy following his divorce from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2019, Scott has taken an unconventional approach to charitable giving. She typically provides unrestricted grants rather than requiring lengthy applications or imposing detailed conditions, letting recipient organizations decide how best to use the funds. Her donations support thousands of nonprofits working in areas such as affordable housing, education, racial equity, disaster recovery, public health and community development.

What motivated Mackenzie Scott to donate?

Scott has said repeatedly that her philanthropy is driven by personal experiences and kindness she received early in her life. In an article published in December 2025, she recalled that a college roommate once loaned her $1,000 so she could continue attending school, and when she couldn’t afford it, the dentist provided free treatment. Such acts of generosity can have lasting ripple effects, she writes, arguing that non-transactional kindness is often undervalued despite its long-term social benefits. Scott also noted that scientific research shows that generosity and kindness help increase happiness and improve well-being.

this donation pledge and her growing legacy.

After their divorce, Scott signed the Giving Pledge, a pledge co-written by Bill Gates, Melinda France Gates and Warren Buffett that encourages billionaires to give away the majority of their wealth during their lifetime or through an inheritance. Although Scott has given away more than $26 billion, the appreciation in Amazon stock means her estimated net worth remains closer to $35 billion. Her sustained philanthropy has made her one of the most influential charitable donors of modern times, setting the benchmark for large-scale, trust-based giving that does not seek public recognition.