Mackenzie Scott, one of the world’s famous philanthropist personalities, has once again made headlines with her big donation. This time he has given a record breaking ‘gift’ of 42 million dollars (about Rs 350 crore) to Elizabeth City State University. After which she has come into the limelight, this is being said to be the largest donation per student for any Historically Black College and University (HBCU).

The donation was announced by University Chancellor S. Keith Hargrove Sr. During the Founder’s Day program. The special thing is that this amount is almost three times more than the donation given in 2020, which has come at a time when the university has started work on its new five-year plan “ASCEND 2030”.

What is the special thing about this donation?

According to the university administration, this donation is not just a financial contribution, but a step to decide the direction of the future. ‘This grant enables institutions like Elizabeth City State University to take bold steps toward the future, while also helping them stay connected to the core mission that has guided them for the past 135 years.’ According to this statement, this fund will help the university to strongly pursue its long-term goals.

How much has McKenzie Scott donated so far?

Mackenzie Scott has become one of the fastest growing celebrities in the world in the last few years.

• Donation of about 26.4 billion dollars since 2019


• Financial support to more than 2,500 institutions


• Contribution of $7.2 billion in 2025 alone

This figure is said to be more than the total lifetime donation amount of many big billionaires, which includes names like Elon Musk, Larry Page, Larry Ellison and Jeff Bezos.

Are questions being raised on this donation?

While on one hand this donation is being appreciated, on the other hand it has also been criticized. Garry Tan described such donations as ‘bad’ on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). He says that money given without monitoring can promote chaos. ‘Like scattering sugar on the floor’, Elon Musk also agreed with this statement and replied ‘Yup’

Is the method of donation right or risky?

McKenzie Scott’s model is different from traditional foundations, where they provide funds directly to organizations without any strings attached. Supporters believe that this provides independence to institutions, while critics say that this raises questions on transparency and accountability.

Details about Jeff Bezos

In January 2019, Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott announced the end of their 25-year marriage. The divorce was officially finalized in April 2019. Mackenzie Scott got about $35–38 billion (about Rs 3 lakh crore), making it one of the most expensive divorces in history. Mackenzie Scott got 4% shares of Amazon (about 25% combined stake). Jeff Bezos retained 75% shares and complete control of Amazon. This divorce was considered quite amicable (peaceful). Both expressed respect for each other on social media.