MacKenzie Scott is an American [1] author and ex-wife of Jeff Bezos, the American business tycoon and founder of the e-commerce website Amazon. In 2019, MacKenzie received 25% of Jeff’s stake in Amazon in their divorce settlement, which was valued at around $38 billion. [2]
Wiki/Biography
MacKenzie Scott Tuttle [3] was born on Tuesday, April 7, 1970 (age 51 years; as of 2021) in San Francisco, California. She completed her schooling at The Hotchkiss School in Salisbury, Connecticut, United States. She pursued a bachelor’s degree in English at Princeton University from 1988 to 1992. At Princeton University, Mackenzie was placed under the tutelage of Nobel laureate Toni Morrison. [4]
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 9″
Hair Colour: Dark Brown
Eye Colour: Moss Green
MacKenzie Scott at a red carpet event
Family & Caste
Parents & Siblings
MacKenzie Scott was born to Jason Baker Tuttle and Holiday Tuttle. Jason is a banker, and Holiday is a homemaker.
MacKenzie Scott’s parents
Relationships, Wife & Children
MacKenzie met Jeff when he interviewed her for the position of research associate at the hedge fund company D. E. Shaw in New York. Recalling her first meeting with Jeff, MacKenzie said,
My office was next door to his, and all day long I listened to that fabulous laugh. How could you not fall in love with that laugh?”
MacKenzie Scott with her ex-husband, Jeff Bezos
MacKenzie and Jeff dated for six months, and they got married on September 4, 1993.
Marriage Certificate of MacKenzie Scott and Jeff Bezos
MacKenzie has four kids; three boys and a girl. Her eldest son’s name is Preston. She adopted her daughter from China.
MacKenzie Scott with her kids and ex-husband
The couple had an amicable divorce on 5 July 2019. MacKenzie shares half custody of her children with Jeff.
pic.twitter.com/OJWn3OOLS6
— MacKenzie Scott (@mackenziescott) April 4, 2019
In 2021, MacKenzie made headlines when the news of her marrying a chemistry teacher named Dan Jewett went viral. Dan works at the Lakeside School in Seattle, Washington.
MacKenzie Scott with her husband Dan Jewett
Signature/Autograph
MacKenzie Scott’s signature
Career
Her Role at Amazon
In 1994, MacKenzie and Jeff, quit their jobs at the D. E. Shaw to focus on their business ventures. According to her, she drove from New York to Seattle while Jeff was sitting on the passenger seat typing the business plans of Amazon. Initially, Amazon was started as an online bookstore from their garage. MacKenzie negotiated the first freight contracts of Amazon while she was working out of a local Starbucks café. She also worked as the company’s bookkeeper and administrator. As the business grew, MacKenzie took a step back from the office work to focus on her family and her writing career.
An old picture of MacKenzie Scott and Jeff Bezos
As an Author
MacKenzie had a flair for writing since she was a kid. Reportedly, she wrote a 142-page chapter book titled ‘The Book Worm’ when she was six years old; however, later, the book was lost in a flood. MacKenzie published her first novel titled ‘The Testing of Luther Albright’ in 2005. The book was an instant hit, and the Los Angeles Times named it “book of the year.” She also won the American Book Award in 2006. In an interview with Vogue in 2013, Scott mentioned that it took her 10 years to complete her first novel as she was preoccupied with raising her four kids and helping her husband in his flourishing business. She published her second novel ‘Traps’ in 2013.
MacKenzie Scott’s novels
As a Philanthropist
MacKenzie received 4% of Amazon’s shares (roughly valued at around $38 billion) in her divorce settlement. Soon after her divorce settlement, she signed the Giving Pledge. The Giving Pledge initiative was started in 2010 by the business mogul Bill Gates, his wife Melinda, and the billionaire investor Warren Buffett. It is a commitment to donate at least half of one’s money. In July 2019, Scott donated $1.68 billion to 116 nonprofit organisations, universities, community development groups, and legal organizations. Reportedly, she donated $5.7 billion in 2020 to help those severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. She also donated to some racial-justice charities. Her generous donations earned her the No. 2 spot on the list of 50 Americans who donated the most to charity, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s annual rankings.
Net Worth
As of March 2021, MacKenzie is the 67th richest person and 3rd richest women in the world, with a staggering net worth of $53 billion. [5]
Facts/Trivia
- Although MacKenzie was born in an affluent family, her family riches deteriorated after her father filed for bankruptcy in 1987.
- While studying at Princeton, MacKenzie did a wide variety of odd jobs including dishwasher, waitress, clothing salesperson, and deli cashier to fund her education.
- In an interview, her mentor at Princeton Toni Morrison described her as
one of the best students I’ve ever had in my creative-writing classes . . . really one of the best.”
MacKenzie Scott with her mentor Toni Morrison (sitting next to MacKenzie)
- MacKenzie founded an anti-bullying organization called Bystander Revolution in 2014.
- According to some media tabloids, the reason behind the divorce of MacKenzie and Jeff was Jeff’s alleged affair with the American news anchor Lauren Sánchez.
Jeff Bezos with her girlfriend Lauren, Sánchez.
- She occasionally consumes alcohol.
MacKenzie Scott drinking alcohol
