While billionaire Jeff Bezos is soaking in the spotlight as he prepares for a jaw-dropping wedding in Venice, his former wife MacKenzie Scott is living a completely different kind of life—quiet, generous, and intentionally far from the glitz.
Their divorce in 2019 made headlines not only for the $38 billion settlement that made MacKenzie the world’s richest woman at the time but also for what she chose to do next.
Instead of turning to luxury, she turned to giving.
Lavish Wedding Bells for Jeff, While MacKenzie Keeps It Low-Key
Jeff, 61, is currently getting ready to marry Lauren Sanchez, 55, in what’s already being dubbed “the wedding of the century.”
The couple will exchange vows at the stunning Madonna dell’Orto church in Venice.
The celebration spans three days, with an estimated $20 million price tag and over 90 private jets set to ferry in A-listers from all corners of the globe.
Meanwhile, MacKenzie Scott, 55, remains absent from any such display of extravagance.
Her focus has remained firmly on philanthropy, far from red carpets or romantic Italian backdrops.
A Fortune Given, Not Hoarded
Despite being worth billions—thanks to her 4% stake in Amazon—MacKenzie has quietly donated more than $19 billion to over 1,600 charities.
She has openly acknowledged that her wealth is “disproportionate” and has pledged to give it away “until the safe is empty.”
She signed the Giving Pledge in 2019 and has been steadily living up to it.
Her personal essays on her platform, Yield Giving, offer insight into her mindset, often laced with references to poets like Emily Dickinson and Rumi.
Literary Soul and Generous Spirit
MacKenzie has a deep love for writing and literature.
A novelist herself, she grew up in San Francisco, once describing herself as a shy child who preferred being alone in her room, crafting stories.
By age six, she had already written a 142-page novel.
Her talent was further nurtured at Princeton University, where her writing skills caught the attention of Toni Morrison, the Nobel Prize-winning author who once called her one of the best students she’d ever taught.
Romance, Risk, and the Birth of Amazon
It was actually MacKenzie who made the first move on Jeff.
She told Vogue back in 1993 that she couldn’t resist his laugh.
That flirtation led to a whirlwind romance—they got engaged three months later, and married three months after that.
When Jeff dreamed of starting an online bookstore, MacKenzie was all in.
They left New York and moved into a tiny rental in Seattle to build Amazon from scratch.
She helped write the company’s first business plan and worked in its early operations—from the garage to the warehouse.
From Modest Living to Mega Wealth
Despite becoming one of the world’s wealthiest couples, Jeff and MacKenzie tried to raise their four children—three biological sons and an adopted daughter from China—in as normal an environment as possible.
Even at the height of Amazon’s early success, Jeff still drove a 1997 Honda.
Their divorce was carefully structured. MacKenzie walked away with 4% of Amazon, then worth around $35.8 billion.
Jeff kept 75% of their Amazon stake (valued at $107.5 billion at the time), voting control of her shares, The Washington Post, and Blue Origin.
Interestingly, MacKenzie accepted far less than she was legally entitled to.
Using Her Platform to Uplift Others
MacKenzie often explains her giving through quotes and stories.
In one of her essays, she referenced Annie Dillard’s The Writing Life, sharing how the idea of not hoarding your best things for later inspired her approach to philanthropy.
In the pandemic-stricken year of 2020, while Jeff’s wealth soared as Amazon stock skyrocketed, MacKenzie reflected on global suffering and increased poverty.
She turned again to Emily Dickinson’s words on hope and resilience to express her commitment to serve.
Empowerment, Not Control
In 2021, she revealed that her donations aimed to empower the organizations receiving them—not control them.
She believes in amplifying the impact by letting go.
As she beautifully put it with a quote from Rumi:
“A candle as it diminishes explains, gathering more and more is not the way.
Burn, become light and heat and help. Melt.”
From Tech Power Couple to Different Destinies
Though Jeff and MacKenzie spent 25 years building a life together—including Amazon, real estate, and a family—their paths have diverged significantly since the split.
Jeff is now a public figure living a very high-profile romance and preparing for one of the most talked-about weddings of the decade.
MacKenzie, on the other hand, keeps her distance from the spotlight—choosing instead to let her actions speak volumes.
What Comes Next?
As Jeff steps into a new chapter with a new bride, it’s clear that MacKenzie is writing a different kind of legacy.
One shaped not by fame or fortune, but by quiet impact, powerful words, and an unwavering desire to give.
And while the world watches Jeff’s wedding, MacKenzie is still giving—and giving freely.