After separating with Jeff Bezos in 2019, MacKenzie Bezos made her entry into the tycoons club. Not only has she become the second-biggest investor in Amazon, but she also became the 4th richest woman on earth, with $58.8 billion as her net worth, according to Forbes.
When MacKenzie and Jeff concluded their divorce in July 2019, MacKenzie got 25% of Amazon’s stake, which is 4% of Jeff’s company. But while it is easy to believe that she became wealthy due to her divorce, that isn’t the entire story. Mackenzie never stood in the shadow of her ex-husband. This is something that has become particularly obvious since they parted ways after a 25-year marriage.
Early life
MacKenzie Scott Tuttle was born in San Francisco on April 7, 1970, and graduated in 1988 from Hotchkiss High School. After graduating from Princeton with a degree in English, she joined a hedge fund called D.E Shaw, as a research associate. Her boss, Jeff Bezos, was quite young at the time. Both of them were Princeton alums, and Bezos was working as a VP at the firm.
Bezos was the one who conducted MacKenzie’s initial interview, and they ended up having offices that are near each other. Mackenzie has never been a shy person, and that is what she proved by asking Jeff Bezos out. Together, the two went out on a lunch date. Three months later, they got engaged. Then, after spending just six months with each other, they decided to get married.
Her share in the journey
They were newlyweds when Jeff shared his idea for Amazon with Mackenzie, who noted just how passionate Jeff was about his plan while he was talking about it. In a year, both of them quit working, gathered their things, and set out on a trip to Seattle.
During that time, Jeff kept on creating and working on his business plan for Amazon. For MacKenzie, watching him put all his effort was a satisfying experience. She was one of the earliest employees of Amazon, as she worked as an accountant for the online retail company. The two of them share four children—three sons and an adopted daughter from China.
Philanthropic activities
After divorcing Jeff, MacKenzie joined the Giving Pledge. The organization was launched by Bill Gates in 2010, along with Warren Buffett and Melinda Gates. All of them are praised for their commitment to worldwide generosity. In fact, signing the Giving Pledge in April 2019 meant that Mackenzie promises to donate half or more of her riches to charity in her lifetime or will.