Mackenzie Scott has cemented her position as one of the world’s most generous philanthropists in 2025 after donating nearly $7 billion to charitable causes across the United States.
According to Giving USA and Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Scott’s contributions account for nearly a third of the nation’s $19.2 billion in major charitable gifts made during the year. These donations formed part of a record year for philanthropy in the United States, which totaled $617.2 billion. Despite making the largest charitable contribution of any individual donor in 2025, Scott has continued her longstanding approach of giving quietly, avoiding publicity while supporting thousands of organizations working across a wide range of causes.
MacKenzie Scott was America’s biggest donor in 2025
MacKenzie Scott emerged as the largest individual philanthropist in the United States in 2025 after donating nearly $7 billion. Her donation represents about a third of the $19.2 billion in major charitable gifts made during the year. Other major donors include Michael Bloomberg, who contributed $4.3 billion, Bill Gates with $3.7 billion, Warren Buffett with $1.34 billion, and Susan and Michael Dell, who donated nearly $1 billion.
Scott’s cumulative charitable giving has now reached approximately $26.2 billion over the past five years.According to Giving USA’s annual charity report, Americans donated an estimated $617.2 billion to charities in 2025, representing a 5.7 percent increase from the previous year after adjusting for inflation. The total includes donations from individuals, institutions, companies and charitable bequests.
Among the sectors that received the most support were religion, education, human services, health, international affairs, and arts and culture, reflecting broad-based growth across nearly every category of charitable organization.
Why was Mackenzie Scott missing from the list of 50 charities?
Although he donated more than any other individual during the year, Scott does not appear in the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s annual ranking of 50 philanthropies. The publication explained that its ratings are based 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 gifts qualify under the posting methodology.
As a result, she was excluded despite her significant charitable contributions.
A different approach to philanthropy
Since announcing her commitment to philanthropy following her 2019 divorce from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Scott has adopted an unconventional approach to charitable giving.
Rather than requiring lengthy applications or imposing detailed conditions, they often offer unrestricted grants, allowing recipient organizations to decide how best to use the funds. Its donations have supported thousands of nonprofit organizations working in areas such as affordable housing, education, racial equity, disaster recovery, public health and community development.
What motivates Mackenzie Scott’s giving?
Scott has repeatedly said that her philanthropy is motivated by personal experiences and kindness she received earlier in her life.
In a December 2025 article, she recalled how a college classmate once loaned her $1,000 so she could stay enrolled, while her dentist provided free treatment when she couldn’t afford it. She wrote that such acts of generosity can create lasting ripple effects, and argued that non-transactional kindness is often underestimated despite its long-term social benefits.
Scott also noted that scientific research suggests that generosity and kindness contribute to increased happiness and improved well-being.
the Give the pledge and its growing heritage
After her divorce, Scott signed the Giving Pledge, a commitment created by Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates and Warren Buffett to encourage billionaires to give away the majority of their wealth during their lifetime or through their estates. Although Scott has already donated more than $26 billion, the rising value of her Amazon shares means her estimated net worth is still close to $35 billion. Her ongoing philanthropy has made her one of the most influential philanthropists of modern times, setting the standard for broad-based giving based on trust without seeking public recognition.