• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
MPWMacKenzie Scott

MacKenzie Scott is now the wealthiest woman in the world

Emma Hinchliffe
By
Emma Hinchliffe
Emma Hinchliffe
Most Powerful Women Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
Emma Hinchliffe
By
Emma Hinchliffe
Emma Hinchliffe
Most Powerful Women Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 2, 2020, 12:32 PM ET
Jeff Bezos’ ex wife McKenzie Scott says she’s donated $1.7 billion to racial equity and other causes
24 April 2018, Germany, Berlin: Head of Amazon Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie Bezos arrive for the Axel Springer award ceremony. Bezos will be receiving the award later. Photo: Jörg Carstensen/dpa (Photo by Jörg Carstensen/picture alliance via Getty Images)Jörg Carstensen—picture alliance/Getty Images

Our mission to help you navigate the new normal is fueled by subscribers. To enjoy unlimited access to our journalism, subscribe today.

MacKenzie Scott, the writer, philanthropist, and former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is the richest woman in the world following a recent tech stock surge.

NBC News reports that the rise in Amazon’s stock—which has spiked from $2,000 to $3,500 per share since the beginning of 2020—has propelled Scott up the billionaires’ list. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Scott is now the 12th richest person and the No. 1 wealthiest woman in the world, sitting one place ahead of L’Oréal heiress Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, who previously held the distinction.

After her 2019 divorce, Scott was the fourth-richest woman in the world, behind Bettencourt Meyers, Alice Walton of the Walmart family, and Jacqueline Badger Mars of the Mars candy empire. The net worth of each of those women has remained relatively steady, less affected by the recent surge in tech stocks.

Scott’s net worth is currently pegged at $67.4 billion. In 2019, her fortune was estimated at $36 billion based on Amazon’s share price at the time. In her separation from Bezos, Scott retained 25% of the couple’s stock in Amazon, or about a 4% stake in the entire company.

Since her divorce, Scott—who announced a name change from Bezos in July—has emerged as a prominent philanthropist. That month, she revealed details of some of her charitable commitments, totaling $1.7 billion given over the prior year. Those donations included historic gifts to historically Black colleges and universities. She has also signed the Giving Pledge, a commitment among the wealthy to give away a significant portion of their money over their lifetimes—a notable decision because, in contrast to many couples who make the pledge together, Scott did so independently of her former husband, who has not made the same promise.

The recent tech stock tear has increased the wealth of Bezos, the richest man in the world, to $205 billion, making him the first person in history to be worth more than $200 billion.

More on the most powerful women in business from Fortune:

  • If you choose virtual learning for your kids, you’ll likely be disqualified from expanded paid leave from the government
  • 5 of the best tips for navigating the pandemic at work from chief HR officers
  • All Raise fights “manels”—all-male panels—with the launch of its own speakers bureau
  • USPS delays threaten women’s access to birth control
  • Fortune’s 40 Under 40 for 2020

About the Author
Emma Hinchliffe
By Emma HinchliffeMost Powerful Women Editor
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Emma Hinchliffe is Fortune’s Most Powerful Women editor, overseeing editorial for the longstanding franchise. As a senior writer at Fortune, Emma has covered women in business and gender-lens news across business, politics, and culture. She is the lead author of the Most Powerful Women Daily newsletter (formerly the Broadsheet), Fortune’s daily missive for and about the women leading the business world.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in MPW

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in MPW

Mrs. Dow Jones on what women get wrong about money
NewslettersMPW Daily
Mrs. Dow Jones on what women get wrong about money
By Sydney LakeMay 13, 2026
1 day ago
lamb
Arts & EntertainmentObituary
Joni Lamb, founder of one of the largest Christian TV networks in the world, dies at 65
By John Seewer and The Associated PressMay 11, 2026
3 days ago
TIAA CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett’s 3 rules for Gen Z entering the workforce: Adapt, lean in, and build a bigger table
SuccessGen Z
TIAA CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett’s 3 rules for Gen Z entering the workforce: Adapt, lean in, and build a bigger table
By Sydney LakeMay 11, 2026
3 days ago
nicole
MPWWealth
Meet Goldman’s athlete whisperer: the woman who stands guard against $1 billion of fraud targeting sports fortunes
By Nick LichtenbergMay 10, 2026
4 days ago
Young man working on laptop with headphones in modern coffeeshop
Future of Workskills gap
AI generated identical résumés for a man and a woman: Hers was more likely to be labeled ‘weak,’ while his got a 97% approval rating
By Eleanor PringleMay 10, 2026
4 days ago
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives gained and lost power this week
C-SuiteFortune 500 Power Moves
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives gained and lost power this week
By Fortune EditorsMay 8, 2026
6 days ago

Most Popular

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
2 days ago
Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that
Success
Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that
By Preston ForeMay 13, 2026
23 hours ago
Nearly 50,000 Lake Tahoe residents have to find a new power source after their energy source looks to redirect lines to data centers
Travel & Leisure
Nearly 50,000 Lake Tahoe residents have to find a new power source after their energy source looks to redirect lines to data centers
By Catherina GioinoMay 12, 2026
2 days ago
It’s not just Canadian tourists snubbing U.S. cities. Business leaders are cancelling more trips to America as geopolitical tensions continue
North America
It’s not just Canadian tourists snubbing U.S. cities. Business leaders are cancelling more trips to America as geopolitical tensions continue
By Sasha RogelbergMay 12, 2026
2 days ago
I spent 8 years building Google Sheets. Now I think apps are on their way out
Commentary
I spent 8 years building Google Sheets. Now I think apps are on their way out
By Zach LloydMay 13, 2026
1 day ago
Anthropic’s Daniela Amodei says entrepreneurs should go on vacation to road test potential cofounders—if they’re a drain, they’re ‘the wrong choice’
Success
Anthropic’s Daniela Amodei says entrepreneurs should go on vacation to road test potential cofounders—if they’re a drain, they’re ‘the wrong choice’
By Emma BurleighMay 12, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.