NEW YORK – MacKenzie Scott, philanthropist, author and ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, married a Seattle science professor who expressed her gratitude for “being someone’s partner to work with to do good.”
Dan Jewett, who made the announcement in a letter to the nonprofit website The Giving Pledge on Saturday, said he never imagined he would be able to talk about providing significant wealth during his lifetime to make a change in life. from other people.
Jewett has been a teacher for decades, most recently teaching chemistry at Lakeside Private School, which was attended by Scott’s children.
“And now, in a happy coincidence, I am married to one of the most generous and kind people I know, and I have joined them in a commitment to provide enormous financial wealth to serve others,” Jewett wrote. .
After donating $ 1.68 billion to 116 nonprofits, universities, community development groups and legal organizations in July last year, Scott asked a team of advisers to help her “accelerate” her 2020 donations with help. immediately for those who were financially affected by the pandemic.
Scott continued to donate a total of $ 5.7 billion in 2020, urging community leaders to help identify 512 seven- and eight-digit gift organizations, including food banks, human services organizations and racial justice charities. .
She ranked 2nd among the 50 most charitable Americans last year, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s annual ranking.
Bezos topped the list by donating $ 10 billion to launch the Bezos Earth Fund.